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[No. 4, 
death, or on the acceptance of Islam. If a minor became of full age, 
a slave was emancipated, or a sick man was restored to health before 
the date of collection, the tax was levied. If these events happened 
after that date, the tax was remitted for that year. If a man fell 
from the class of rich to that of poor men, and the change applied 
to part of the year only, the rate levied was to be the mean between 
that of the class hehad left and of that he had entered. If a poor tax¬ 
payer was ill for half the year he paid nothing. Servants of the 
Government, with their children living in their house, were altogether 
exempt. As Khushhal Chand remarks, the tax-collectors, in spite of 
these wise orders, were guilty of exactions, and at the beginning of every 
year levied money, even from widows, under the pretext of expenses. 1 
Section 24.— Sudden Rise of Muhammad Murad, Kashmir!. 
With his usual changeableness, Farrukhsiyar now chose a new 
favourite, on whose exertions he founded great expectations. This 
man’s rise is usually accounted for in the following way. The Emperor 
had lately planned to send Muhammad Amin Khan to take the place of 
Rajah Jai Singh, Sawae, as governor of Malwah, with the object of 
barring, if necessary, Husain ‘All Khan’s return from the Dakhin to 
Dihli. ‘Azlm-ullah Khan, Nasir-ullah Khan, and other nobles were 
placed under his orders. As was usually the case, the new governor 
spent a great deal of time in preparation, and showed no great readi¬ 
ness to start. Farrukhsiyar betrayed his impatience at this delay, and 
Muhammad Murad Khan, then the third Mir Tozak or chamberlain, 
offered to induce Muhammad Amin Khan to begin his march. The 
man was loud-voiced and foul-mouthed, as most Kashmiris are reputed 
to be ; but at first his violent language failed in effect. He returned to 
the Emperor with bitter complaints, and on his advice, Farrukhsiyar 
ventured to dismiss Muhammad Amin Khan from his office of second 
Bakhshi, and appointed instead Islam Khan (son of the late Asaf Khan, 
son of Mir ‘Abd-us-salam, Islam Khan, wazlr to Shah Jahan), Fidae 
Khan (son of Salabat Khan deceased), being promoted to Islam Khan’s 
office of first Mir Tozak. Muhammad Murad himself replaced Fidae 
Khan as second JMlr Tozak , with a rise of 500 in rank, making him 3,000 
zat . 2 The result of these measures was that Muhammad Amin Khan 
1 Khushhal Cand, B.M. Or 3288, fol. 286a. The popular belief is that the 
Mahomedan tax-gatherer made the zimmi open his mouth, and spat into it. 
2 Mirza Muhammad, 338. Kamwar Kh an, 174, has these changes on the 30th 
Muharram 1130 H. (31st December, 1717). For Islam Khan, Wazlr, d. 1057 H. 
