laoA] 
W. Irvine —The Later Mughals. 
' 
341- 
placed his own sentries to guard the Privy Audience Chamber or DlwHn- 
_ na . One of the most curious incidents in this confused drama, was 
a despairing attempt by Farrukhsiyar to secure the aid of Ajit Singh. 
He wrote: I he east side of the palace, towards the Jamnah, is not 
^guarded; if you can, despatch there some of your men, so that I may 
get out and make off somewhere or another.” He gave this note to a 
eunuch, who thrust it into his pocket, and succeeding by a thousand 
wiles in eluding the vigilance of the guards, placed it in the Rajah's 
hand. The Rajah replied that the proper time had gone by, what 
could he do now ? Some even say that he sent on the original letter to 
Abdullah Khan. The wazir called at once for Cura, Jat, to whom was 
assigned a post on the river bank below the octagonal bastion of the 
foit 1 . On every roof sat the Sayyads’ men with loaded wall-pieces 
ready to fire. In short, “ such close guarding was carried out and such 
care taken, that not even the gentle breeze could find a way into or 
out of the fort.” In every lane and street of the city the outcry was 
heard that the Emperor had been deposed. No food was eaten, no 
repose taken ; the night passed in fear and expectation. The more 
sanguine believed that in the morning Rajah Jai Singh would march 
in from Sarae Sahil in the one direction, and Sarbuland Khan from 
Sarae Mihr Par war in the other; and by their united forces would 
rescue Farrukhsiyar out of his enemies’ hands, and replace him on the 
throne. 2 
Section 38.— The Last Day of the Reign. 
At last the fateful morning dawned of the 9th Rabi‘II, 1131 H. 
(28th February, 1719). Only an hour or an hour-and-a-half after day¬ 
break, a great disturbance arose in the city. Muhammad Amin Khan. 
Cm, Bahadur, and Zakariya Khan (sou of ‘Abd-us-samad Khan), at the 
desire apparently of Husain ‘ All Khan, were on their way at the head 
of their Mughals to attend the Sayyad’s darbar . 8 As the crowd of 
Mahrattas in the streets and lanes near the fort impeded their progress, 
the Mughals began to push them forcibly on one side, and open a route 
for the two Nawabs and their retinue. Having in the Dakhin felt for 
many a year the weight of the right arm, the Mahrattas as soon as 
they saw their Mu gh als’ faces, fled like a flock of sheep before a pack of 
1 This bastion, the Saman burj y is the central one upon the river front of the 
fort (see Carr Stephens, p. 216, plan). In places we have musamman, i.e ., 
octagonal. 
2 Karawar Khan, 192, who got his facts from Zafar Khan, Turrahbaz, who was 
present himself. Shiu Das, 25a, Khushhal Cand, 413b, Muhammad Qasirn, 248. 
3 Kam Raj, 66, Zakariya Khan was approaching the palace from the direction 
of ^ Bazar Kh anum. 
. J. i. 44 
