316 
W. Irvine —The Later Mu gh als. 
[No. 4, 
September, 1718) to his brother, Husain ‘All Khan, requesting him to 
leave the Dakhin at once and return to Dihli. In bis letter, after 
referring to the enemies who bad obtained the ear of His Majesty, he 
recounts the story of Jai Singh, Sawae’s, campaign against Cura, 
Jat, and the quarrel arising from its termination, his fear of assassina¬ 
tion, and his measures to collect additional troops. There is no doubt 
that Qutb-ul-mulk’s fears for his personal safety were not unfounded* 
For instance, on the 29th Shawal (24th September, 1718), when he was 
seated in the office of the Dlwan engaged in signing documents, spies 
brought him word that an outbreak was planned, whereupon he called 
hurriedly for a palki , and was carried home. 1 
One of the strange occurrences of this time, one remaining quite 
unexplained, was the sudden appearance in the imperial audience hall, 
on the 11th Shawwal (6th September, 1718), of a man who took his 
seat on the marble platform, the place where the khawas or pages 
stand, and made three salams or reverences, with his sword. When 
told by the carpet-spreaders and guards to desist, he drew his sword 
and attacked them, whereupon one of the guards dispatched him with 
his dagger. No one knew who he was or what his object had been. 
His body was made over to the Kotwal , 2 
When Farrukhsiyar heard that Husain ‘All Khan had been written 
to, he sent oft Samsam-ud-daulah to allay the Wazir’s apprehensions. 
On the 6th Z,ul Qa’dah (30th September, 1718) he went out hunting, 
and on his way home sent a message that he was about to honour Qutb- 
ul-mulk with a visit. It so happened that Rajah Ajit Singh had been 
told of a plot made by Farrukhsiyar to seize him, when he, as in duty 
bound, should come out to the door of his house, to make obeisance at the 
time of the Emperor’s passing by. This may have had no other founda¬ 
tion than in the Rajah’s evil conscience, for, as Khafi Khan says, it is 
a proverb that: “ The faithless are full of fear.” 3 In any case the fact 
remains that Ajit Singh sought that day a refuge with Qutb-ul-mulk. 
As soon as the Emperor heard of the Rajah’s presence, he counter¬ 
manded his orders, and sent Sayyad Najm-ud-dln ‘Ali Khan to say, that 
if that base-born pig had not been at the Wazir’s house, he would have 
paid him a visit. On the arrival of the boat ( nawarah ) 4 opposite the 
1 Kamwar Khan, 182 ; MIrza Muhammad, 404, is a little different. MIrza 
Muhammad, 385, Shiu Das, 17b (copy of letter to Husain ‘All Khan.) 
* Kamwar Khan, 181. 
3 Al-kha, in kha’if. 
4 Nawarah, these boats were fashioned into fanciful shapes such as wild 
animals, etc. They were roofed in at one end, which was covered with broad cloth ; 
they were better finished and lighter than a common boat ( kishti ). The boatmen 
