1904] 
W. Irvine —The Later Mu gh als. 
313 
the audience hall. Qutb-ul-mulk was present. On reaching the outer 
gate, Rajah Ajit Singh declined to advance further until he was 
certain of the presence of the wazlr, It was only after repeated assurances 
that he consented to enter the palace. When he reached the door of 
the T)iwan-i- l am he halted, and said that until Qutb-ul-mulk came to 
him there, he would not advance another step. Samsam-ud-daulah 
convinced him that Qutb-ul-mulk would come, but the spot fixed for 
him to appear was further on. They moved on to the door of the 
Dlwdn-i-khas. Again the Rajah baited. Here Qutb-ul-mulk appeared 
and the two men greeted each other most effusively. The Nawab then 
took the Rajah by the hand and conducted him to the presence. 
Farrukhsiyar, though far from pleased with his conduct, appeared 
hypocritically gracious and conferred the usual khila't and other presents. 
For twenty days neither the wazlr nor the Rajah re-appeared at 
darbar. In this interval the Rajah visited Qutb-ul-mulk only once or 
twice, and the Nawab went once to him. But secret agents were con¬ 
stantly passing to and fro between them, and these men used every effort 
to strengthen the alliance. As the differences between the Emperor 
and his minister had now become public, Farrukhsiyar, instigated by 
Ttiqad Khan, took what measures he could to win the day. On his 
side, too, Qutb-ul-mulk drew aside the veil, and refused to appear in 
audience. As soon as he found that the Rawab and the Rajah were 
one, Farrukhsiyar returned to the idea of a reconciliation. For several 
days in succession Ttiqad Khan (Muhammad Murad) visited them with 
proposals for peace and concord. It leaked out, however, that Qutb-ul- 
mulk placed no reliance on Ttiqad Khan’s word, holding him to be a 
stirrer-up of strife. The negociations were therefore transferred to 
Afzal Khan, the Sadr-us-sadur, but with equal want of good result. 
Sarbuland Khan and Samsam-ud-daulah’s services were next enlisted 
—— • • 
(22nd Shawwal, 17th September 1718), although they were suspected of 
infidelity to the Emperor. But the final destruction of Qutb-ul-mulk 
was as firmly resolved on as ever. The command of the artillery, of 
which the assistance would be absolutely necessary, was in the hands 
of Sayyad Salabat Khan, a man well affected to Samsam-ud-daulah, 
whose loyalty was now doubted. This command was taken away, and 
given on the 22nd Shawwal (17th September, 1718) to Ghazi-ud-dln 
Khan, Ghalib Jang, who could be relied on as having no sort of connec¬ 
tion w r ith the Sayyads or Samsam-ud-daulah ; nay, he might be accounted 
their enemy, for owing to the scanty favour that they had shown him, 
he was living in poverty, in spite of his mansab of 7,000 zdt. 1 
1 Mirzi Muhammad, 890, Kamwar Khan. 181. 
