The Fall of the Moghul Empire of HindustanKeene, H. G. (Henry George)
History
The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan
Keene, H. G. (Henry George)
India -- History -- 18th century; Mogul Empire -- History
This occasion is especially memorable, because among the children
of Zabita was his eldest son, a beautiful youth, named Gholam
Kadir Khan, whom the Emperor is said, by tradition, to have
transmuted into a haram page, and who lived to exact a fearful
vengeance for any ill-treatment that he may have received.
At the approach of the monsoon the Emperor, dissatisfied at not
receiving the whole of the share of the spoils promised him by
his covetous allies, returned to the metropolis. The Mahrattas
(who even during his presence in the camp had paid him but scanty
respect) now threw off the last shreds of disguise, and
appropriated all the profits of the campaign. They at the same
time restored to Zabita Khan whom they hoped hereafter to make
into a serviceable tool the members of his family taken at
Pathargarh; receiving in exchange a ransom of a lakh and a half
of rupees, which was advanced to them on Zabita's account, by the
Viceroy Shujaa-ud-daulah.
The rainy season of 1772 was spent by the Emperor at Dehli; by
the Mahrattas at Agra and in the neighbourhood. They would
willingly have proceeded to complete the reduction of all
Rohilkand, but that Mirza Najaf flatly refused to join or
sanction such a course; seeing clearly that it must involve a
collision with Shujaa-ud-daulah, who was supported by the British
alliance, and of whose traditional policy the annexation of the
province formed an essential part. The Rohillas, on their part,
occupied themselves in negotiations with the Audh Viceroy, in the
hope of reconstructing the Mohamadan League, which had once been
so successful.
The result of which was a treaty, drawn up under the good offices
of the British general, Sir R. Barker, by which the protector,
Hafiz Rahmat Khan, bound himself to join Shujaa in any steps he
might take for the assistance of Zabita Khan, and pay him forty
lakhs of rupees, in four annual instalments upon condition of the
Mahrattas being expelled from Rohilkand. This treaty, which
proved the ruin of the Rohillas, was executed on the 11th of
July, 1772.
The next step in the destruction of these brave but impolitic
Pathans was the outbreak of several violent quarrels, in which
brother fought against brother and father against son. Zabita
Khan, meanwhile, being secretly urged by the faithless Shujaa,
had made terms for himself with the Mahrattas, who engaged to
procure not only his pardon but his investiture with the office
of Premier Noble, formerly held by his father, Najib-ud-daulah.
Their barefaced boldness in restoring Zabita Khan's family and
appropriating the ransom paid to the Emperor's account for them
has been already mentioned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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