1904.] 
W. Irvine —The Later Muahals. 
345 
the degradation and seizure of the Sayyads’ enemies. Then arose the 
outbreak in the streets and urgent messages arrived from Husain ‘All 
Khan. It was plain that force must be resorted to. 1 
During the night Farrukhsivar had hidden somewhere or another 
in one of the small rooms or closets of the palace. His guard was 
formed of the Qalmaq or TurkI women servants, armed with sword and 
shield. It is said that during the night Qutb-ul-mulk, with the ap¬ 
proval of Sayyad Khan Jahan and Nawab Auliya, sent several mes¬ 
sages to his younger brother to the effect that, all the offices connected 
with the person of the sovereign being in their hands, it did not much 
matter if they maintained the throne, the crown, and the coinage un¬ 
touched in Farrukhsiyar’s name. Seated in consultation with Husain 
‘Ali Khan, were Ikhlas Khan, Sayyad Hasliim ‘Alt Khan, and most 
important of all, Muhammad Amin Khan. For the time being the last- 
named had declared himself openly on the side of the Sayyads, because 
of his anger with Farrukhsivar for sending him against his will to 
Malwah, and then refusing him an audience upon his unauthorized 
return to Dihli. It is said that when Husain ‘Ali Khan and Muham- 
med Amin Khan first met, the former changed colour, thinking that 
the man was his enemy. But he recovered his equanimity as soon as 
his visitor addressed him thus : “ 0 Nawab, why have you not ere this 
“ finished with this son of a Kashmiri. You must write a note asking 
“ the elder Nawab to depose him.” The three men now united in call¬ 
ing for Farrukhsiyar’s removal. The favourable moment, they said, 
would never recur ; if not taken advantage of, their lives were lost. 
Besides, had not Farrukhsiyar forfeited all right to the throne by his 
want of discretion and his promotion of low fellows ? 2 While this 
discussion was in progress a note arrived from Samsam-ud-daulah 
urging them to delay no longer, but seat another emperor on the 
throne. Husain‘Ali Khan sent an answer to his brother’s letter in 
these terms: “ If you cannot do the business, come out of the palace 
and let me enter, and I will settle it.” Within the palace Maharajah 
Ajit Singh also urgently importuned for the deposition of Farrukh¬ 
siyar ; and it was decided that one of the imprisoned scions of the 
house of Taimur should be brought forth and placed upon the throne. 
There is a local tradition among the Sayyads of Barhah that someone 
1 Warid, 157b, Khafi Khan, 813, 814, Khushhal Cand, 413b, 414a. 
2 Khushhal Cand states that a Mahzarndmah or Declaration, for the deposition 
of Farrukhsiyar was drawn up, and then signed and sealed by all except a few of 
the nobles. It was brought to Ajit Singh on the last day, and things having gone 
so far, he had no help for it and signed also. 
