1904] 
William Irvine —The Later Muahals. 
39 
changed. At first, the palace was guarded by the Sayyads’ most trust¬ 
ed soldiers, and all offices witliiu it were held by their nominees. On 
the 14th JamadI I (3rd May, 1719) a concession to propriety was so 
far made that the hereditary doorkeepers and palace servants were 
allowed to return to duty. But the change was more nominal than 
real. It is asserted that even then the Emperor’s meals were not served 
without the express order of his tutor, Himmat Khan, a Barhah Sayyad. 
The young Emperor was allowed little liberty, and in his short reign 
he seldom left the palace. He visited Qutb-ul-mulk on the 19th Jama- 
di I (8th April, 1719) at his house in the Moti Bagh, to condole with 
him on the death of a daughter. He paid another visit to Husain ‘ All 
Khan on the 14th JamadI II (3rd May, 1719) ; and he also went on one 
hunting expedition to Shakkarpur (24th JamadI I, 3rd April). 1 
In addition to keeping the strictest watch over Rafl‘-ud-darajat, 
the Sayyads’ conduct was in other respects indecorous and reprehen¬ 
sible. Qutb-ul-mulk, a man of pleasure, not content with a harem al¬ 
ready filled with women collected from far and near, carried off two or 
three of the most beautiful women from the imperial harem. One 
writer, Khushlfiil Cand, makes a still more scandalous accusation against 
him. Through Sadr-un-nissa, head of the harem, he sent a message to 
‘Inayat Bano, the Emperor’s wife, that he had fallen in love with her. 
The go-between executed her task, only to meet with an absolute re¬ 
fusal. Again she was sent to urge his suit; “like a longing lover, he 
was fast bound by the long curling locks of that fairy.” ‘ Inayat Bano 
writhed at the insult, undid her hair, which was over a yard long, cut 
it off, and threw it in the face of her tempter. 2 The younger brother’s 
sin being pride, he displayed his disrespect in another manner. One 
day he was present alone with Rafl‘-ud-darajat in his private chapel 
(tasbihkhanah). The Emperor sat down on his chair. At once, without 
waiting for permission, Husain ‘All Khan, sat down in front of him. 3 * S 
Highly-placed orientals are rarely at fault on such occasions, and Rafi‘- 
ud-darajat showed his usual readiness at rebuking an affront. Stretch¬ 
ing out his feet in the direction of Husain ‘All Khan, he said: “Draw 
1 Kamwar Khan, 200, Suvanih-i-Khizri . 
2 In spite of the evidence of Khashhal Cand, a contemporary and a resident of 
Dihli, I fear that this story about the princess’ catting off her hair, must be treat¬ 
ed as what lawyers call “ common form.” It is also related by N. Manucci, Phil¬ 
lips MS. No. 1945, Part I, p. 261, in regard to Raffia Dil, one of the widows of Dara 
Shukoh, when summoned to his harem by ‘Alamgir. 
S No one sat in the Emperor’s presence without his order or permission. Yabya 
Khan, 127a, has a version of this story, but he ascribes it to Rafi'-ud-daulah, 
