1904.] 
William Irvine —The Later Muahals. 
35 
led fo the appointment of Samandar Khan, a man of high rank, as a 
new commander in the fort. 1 
When Samandar Khan reached Gao-ghat on the Jamnah, a few 
miles north-west of Agrah, he called npon the garrison and all the 
establishments to come out to greet him and escort him into the fort. 
Instead of obeying tins order, the garrison after a consultation returned 
word that their pay for three, years was due, that they did not know 
who was now emperor, that they were not acquainted with any qila l h~ 
dar of the name of Samandar Khan. Mitr Sen was in the plot. On 
the 29th JamadI II, (18th May, 1719), Nekuslyar and his two nephews 
were brought out by the soldiers ; the former was placed on a throne and 
homage was paid to him as emperor. Coin was issued iu his name with 
the inscription : 
Ba zar zad sikkah sdhib-qirdm 
Shah Nekuslyar , Taimur-i-sam. 
“ On gold struck coin the Lord of the Fortunate Conjunction, 
“ The Emperor Nekuslyar, a second Taimur. 2 ” 
Mitr Sen was raised to the rank of commander of 7,000 horse with the 
title of Rajah Birbal and the office of wazlr. One kror and eighty lakhs 
of rupees were withdrawn from the treasure-house and distributed 
among the garrison. The next day Nekuslyar with two nephews was 
brought to an open building 3 over the main gate, a royal umbrella being 
held over his head. With both hands the prince made reassuring gestures 
in the direction of the crowd, which had assembled in the open space 
below the gate, while Mitr Sen, now become Rajah Birbal, poured gold 
over his head. Soon men hurried to the fort from all directions and 
offered to enlist. Blacksmiths, bullet-founders, and other artisans were 
brought into the fort, and a new kotwdl , or chief police officer, was 
placed in charge of the city on behalf of the pretender. 4 
Hostilities were commenced by the garrison firing upon the man¬ 
sion (known as that of Islam Khan) occupied by Ghairat Khan, the 
new ndzim of the province. This house was in a very exposed position, 
to the west of and almost immediately under the fort. Ghairat Khan. 
l 
1 Samandar Khan’s rank was 3000, 2000 horse, Shiu Das, fol. 27 a. 
8 Khafi Khan, II, 825. Sahib-i-qirdn is one of the titles of Taimur, the founder 
of the dynasty. In the British Museum collection there is no coin with this dis¬ 
tich. The one assigned to Nekuslyar (“ Catalogue,” p. 197) is hardly likely to he 
his ; it is more probably an abnormal issue of Muhammad Shah’s coinage. Th e 
same objection applies to those in Rodgers, p. 209. 
3 It is called a bangnlah, i.e., four pillars supporting a roof. 
4 Shiu Das, 27a, Khafi Khan, II, 827. 
