waited in a tent which was pitched for him outside the Imperial camp. Soon after some men went to him on behalf of Farrukh Siyar and in an angry and disdainful tone began to put questions to him relating to the murder of Azimushan, Jahandar Shah and Rafiul Kadr. As Zulfikar Khan was a man of great self-respect and was prepared to meet his death, he replied in a haughty language. Farrukh Siyar's soldiery then surrounded him and a slave of Farrukh Siyar put a noose round his neck from behind him and drew him to his side when he was stabbed. Moizuddin Jahandar Shah who was imprisoned in the fort was also assassinated that day. The corpse of Zulfikar Khan was tied to the feet of an elephant and dragged through the streets of Shahjahanabad with the dead body of Jahandar Shah placed on the back of the elephant. Asad Khan was imprisoned and all his and his son, Zulfikar Khan's wealth and properties were confiscat ed and taken possession of by Farrukh Siyar. This was the date of the downfall of the family of Asad Khan. Farrukh Siyar ordered Azizuddin the son of Moizuddin, Ali Tahawwar the son of Azam Shah, and his younger brother Humayun Bakht to be blinded with a pencil applied to their eyes. On the 27th of the same month he entered the fort with royal grandeur. He sat on the throne in the morning, and all the nobles made him obeisance. On Saiyid Abdullah Khan he conferred the title of Kutub-ul-Mulk and appointed him to the office of Prime Minister. On Hosain Ali Khan he conferred the title of Imam-ul-Mulk and appointed him to the post of Amir-ul-Umra and the first Bakshy. On Muhammad Amin he conferred the title of Etmadud-daula and appointed him to the post of second Bukshy. On Chin Kilich Khan he conferred the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk and appointed him the Subadar (Viceroy) of the Deccan. On Khwajah Yasin he conferred the titlt of Samsam-ud-daula Khan Dauran, and appointed him to the post of Haft-hazari and to the command of 7,000 cavalry. On Ahmad Beg he conferred the title of Gaziuddin Khan Bahadur Ghalib Jang and appointed him to the post of Shast Hazari and to the command of 5,000 cavalry. On Kazee Abdullah Turanee he conferred the title of

Khan Khana Mir Jumla and appointed him to the post of Haft Hazari and to the command of 7,000 cavalry. On Muhammad Jafar Munshi he conferred the title of Takarrub Khan and appointed him Lord Chamberlain and the head of the ministerial department. Saifullah Khan was given a responsible post and other nobles who had rendered him service in his journey and in the war were also given suitable posts and titles of distinction.

The thought that they had placed Farrukh Siyar on the throne and had rendered distinguished service to him in his war against Moizuddin Jahandar Shah and that they were men of great influence and position possessing formidable armies, turned the heads of Saiyad Abdullah and Hossain Ali Khan, and wishing to carry on the administration of the country without the interference of all the other nobles and state functionaries, they began arrogan tly to swer in their allegiance to their royal master and benefactor and plotted to thwart his designs. The Khan Khana Mir Jumla Abdullah Turanee, the Etmaduddaula Mohammad Amin Khan Turanee, the Samsamuddaula Khan Dauran, Khwajeh Yasin, and other nobles who were opposed to Abdullah Khan and Hossain Ali Khan went on intriguing till at last they succeeded in turning the King against them. Thus it was that the schism between the King and the two Saiyad brothers reached its climax. In the meantime Amirul Umra Hossain Ali Khan, who had been deputed to chastise Rajah Ajit Singh Rathore succeeded in prevailing upon the Rajah to present money and his daughter to the King. Having completed his mission Hossain Ali Khan made his appearance before the King and presented His Majesty with money and the daughter of Rajah Ajit Singh. But intriguers were busy in their work and from the intrigues at work against them the two Saiyad brothers felt convinced that the King was plotting to arrest them. With a view, therefore, to protect their lives and properties they busied themselves in equipping the army, and building ramparts round their houses,

and stopped going to the King. The relations between them and the King however were much strained. At last Farrukh Siyar's mother at whose instance the terms of the mutual obligations, between Farrukh Siyar on the one side and the two Saiyad brothers on the other, were settled at first, came to the Syeds' house and ratified the treaty with fresh vows and renewed promises. The Saiyads then went to the fort and presented themselves before the King. They themselves asked for the pardon of their offences, and unfastening their swords from their waists placed them before the King, remarking to him that if they were considered guilty both their swords and their necks were at His Majesty's disposal, but if it was deemed improper to take their lives in consideration of their past services, they might be permitted to resign and go on a pilgrimage. But if the King needed their services and wanted them to remain with him, he should not listen to the malicious advice of the mischievous backbiters and put his devoted officers to humiliation and disgrace.

It was at last settled that Mir Jumla be sent as Subadar of Bihar and the Amirul Umra sent to administer the provinces of the Deccan. Thus it was that Mir Jumla left for Azimabad as a Viceroy of Bihar, and an imperial order transferring the Nizam-ul-Mulk and Daud Khan from the Deccan was made over to Amirul Umra Hossain Ali Khan. Hossain Ali Khan began to make preparations for his journey to the Deccan. But before setting out for the place, he busied himself in arranging the marriage of the daughter of Raja Ajit Singh Rathore. He undertook this with a view to please the King and bore all the marriage expenses on the side of the bride. He arranged everything on a grand scale and in a right royal manner. His arrangements of the table, of the music hall, of the fireworks and illuminations were such as no pen can describe. The dowry and the paraphernalia were magnificent. Indian bridegroom, Farrukh Siyar proceeded to the house of Amirul Umra Hossain Ali Khan with all pomp and grandeur. After going through the matrimonial rites, the King had his

Like an

nikah performed, and then returned with the bride to the fort with band playing.

It was at this time, in the fifth year of the reign of Farrukh Siyar corresponding to the year 1128 Hijrah that Abdus Samad Khan Bahadur Delair Jung, the Subadar of Lahore, captured after much warfare Guru Govind, the head and leader of the Sikhs, and sent him to the Emperor by whose order most of the Sikhs were killed. Soon after this, after finishing his urgent business, the Amirul Umra Hossain Ali Khan Bahadur left for the Deccan with a powerful army. Farrukh Siyar secretly wrote to Daud Khan to the effect that he should get rid of Hossain Ali Khan in the way he thought best in consideration of which be would be given the Viceroyalty of the whole of the Deccan. Daud Khan was delighted to hear this and advanced to Bijapur setting forth his claims to the permanent Viceroyalty of the Deccan. He took the Mahratta Sambaji Scindia to his side. Hearing of the attitude Daud Khan had taken the Amirul Umra Hossain Ali Khan wrote to him to the effect that as the administration of the whole of the Deccan was vested in him. (Hossain Ali Khan) it was meet and proper that Daud Khan should do him homage and come to receive him and abstain from further action. Daud Khan did not accept the proposal of the Amirul Umra but defied him and advancing from Bijapur pitched his camp. On one side stood the Amirul Umra with 20,000 horse and on the other Daud Khan with his army. The battle commenced with cannonading. Both the contending forces fought well. Much blood was shed and personal bravery was shown on both sides. Daud Khan was killed by a musket ball and his army thereupon took to flight. Amirul Umra gained the day and looted the camp of the enemy. All the things of Daud Khan's encampment, such as elephants, borses, cannons, etc., etc., came into the possession of the Amirul Umra. The Amirul Umra tried his best to manage the affairs of Burhanpur, and was engaged in the pacification and administration of the Deccan for a long time.

During the period Farrukh Siyar sometimes plotted to arrest Qutubul Mulk and sometimes to make friends with him. When these double dealings reached their climax and the Amirul Umra heard of them in the Deccan repeatedly, he was compelled to arrange for a journey to Shahjahanabad. Kutubul Mulk sent word to Farrukh Siyar that he and his brother were ready to make obeisance to him, in case he sent their enemy Rajah Jaya Singh to his native place, and put the fort in their charge. Farrukh Siyar agreed, and on the 3rd Rabiussanee of the same year, Jaya Singh left for his country. The fort was then put in the charge of the Syeds. With Maharajah Ajit Singh Rathore and other trusted man of his, Qutubul Mulk made his entrance into the fort and turned out the servants of the King. Placing his own men in different places, he bolted the doors of the fort. When this was going on inside, Hossain Ali Khan stood outside the fort with his strong force. Qutubul Mulk arrested the King in a treacherous manner and confined him in a dark room, two months after which the Syeds murdered him by dragging him with a noose put round his neck. Farrukh Siyar reigned six years four months and a few days.

Rafi-ud-Darajat and Rafiuddaulah.

When Farrukh Siyar was imprisoned by Qutubul Mulk, Shamshuddin Abul Barkat Rafiuddarajat, the son of Rafiul Kadr, the youngest grand son of Bahadur Shah, was placed on the throne. Now it was that the Syed brothers appointed ou their own behalf the officials of the state and became the defacto rulers. With great disgrace, they imprisoned Etkad Khan and others who were the adherents and supporters of Farrukh Siyar and confiscated and kept their properties. Shamshuddaula Mohammad Amir Khan was retained in his post of the second Bakhshy and Saifullah removed and Zafar Khan appointed the third Bakhshy. The Viceroyalty of Malwa was given to Intizamul Mulk. Sar Baland Khan was sent to Kabul and Saifuddin Khan the youngest brother of the Amirul Umra appointed the Faujdar of Moradabad. Mohammad Raza was appointed the