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Sahoojee as a son of Sultan Akbar, and who was treated with all the respect due to a grandson of Allumghire, and a competitor for the imperial throne. On his arrival, Feroksere, deserted by his party, threw himself upon the mercy of the Syeds, and was deposed without bloodshed or commotion. Ruffeh-alDirjaut, son of Ruffeh-al-Kudder, a grandson of Aurungzebe by a daughter of Akbar, was then taken from among the confined princes, and set upon the throne. He was labouring under a consumption, and died in five months after his exaltation. During this interval, Feroksere suffered a violent death; whether by his own hand or that of an assassin, is variously affirmed. Ruffeh-al-Dowlah, a sickly youth, the younger brother of Ruffeh-al-Dirjaut, succeeded him on the throne, and in three months followed him to the grave. The prince who was next invested with the symbols of royalty, was Rooshun Akter, son of Kojesteh Akter, the youngest son of Shah Allum, who began his reign in 1720, under the title of Mahomed Shah. Thus, within thirteen years from the death of Allumghire, five princes of his line had occupied an unstable throne; two of whom, together with six unsuccessful competitors for the crown, had fallen in the field, or been put to death. The natural consequence of this degraded state of the regal authority, was, a disposition in all the provincial governors to shake off their dependency on the head of the empire. "When the princes of the house of Timour were so eagerly pursuing the conquest of the Deccan," Major Rennell remarks, "it seems to have escaped their penetration, that this region, which possessed ample resources within itself, and innumerable local advantages in point of security from an enemy without, was also situated at such a distance from the capital, as to

hold out to its viceroy the temptation of independence, whenever a favourable opportunity might offer. Perhaps, if the Deccan had been originally left to itself, the posterity of Timour might still have swayed the sceptre of Hindostan."

The Nizam-ul-Mulk, after the death of Feroksere, had been induced to accept of the soubahdarship of Malwah. Upon taking possession of his government, he found the province in the most disordered state; the zemindars aiming at independence, and the country overrun with banditti. The vigorous operations necessary for the suppression of these enormities, justified the conduct of the Nizam in raising troops, provisioning his garrisons, and adopting all the measures best adapted to strengthen his authority. The Vizir and his brother were, however, not slow in discerning that these preparations looked beyond the mere defence of a province; and it became an object to remove the Nizam, without offending him, from so commanding a position. He was solicited to resign that government to the Ameer-ul-Omrah, in exchange for either Mooltan, Khandeish, Agra, or Allahabad. An insolent reply precipitated hostilities, and the Nizam resolved to seize upon the Deccan. Crossing the Nerbuddah, he got possession, through bribery, of the strong fortress of Asere and the city of Boorhanpore; * and he was soon joined by his relative, Eiwuz Khan, soubahdar of Berar, by a Mahratta chief who had quarrelled with Sahoojee, and by numbers of zemindars. He encountered and defeated the army which the brothers had sent to oppose him; conquered and slew in battle the governor of Aurungabad, who marched out against

* Formerly the capital of Khandeish. Asere (or Hasser) is fifteen miles N. of Boorhanpore.

him; and remained without a rival in the Deccan. The governor of Dowletabad held out; but the governor of Hyderabad joined him with 7000 horse. The Ameer-ul-Omrah now advanced with a great army, accompanied by the Emperor; but, on the fourth or fifth day's march, the Syed was assassinated. After he had received the mortal stab, he had strength to cry, Kill the Emperor; but the conspirators had taken measures for his protection, and the Ameer's nephew, who endeavoured to penetrate to the imperial tent, was overpowered and slain. The Vizir, on hearing the fate of his brother, took one of the remaining princes, and proclaimed him emperor. In a great battle fought at Shahpore, he was vanquished and taken prisoner; and Mahomed Shah, released from the state of tutelage in which he had been held by the Syeds, entered his capital in great pomp and ceremony, and was hailed as if it had been his accession to the throne.

The Nizam-ul-Mulk was now invited from the Deccan to receive the office of Vizir. "He earnestly exhorted the Emperor to apply his own mind to affairs, and to infuse vigour into the government, now relaxing and dissolving through negligence and corruption.” But the pleasantries of his gay companions, who turned the person and the counsels of the old and rigid Vizir into ridicule, were more agreeable to the enervated mind of Mahomed; and the Nizam, in disgust, under pretence of coercing a refractory governor in Gujerat, withdrew from the capital. Saadut Khan was about the same time appointed Soubahdar of Oude. The Nizam, having reduced to his obedience the province of Gujerat, and taken possession of Malwah, which was also added to his extensive government, paid another visit to the capital, where he found the

temper of administration as negligent and dissolute as before. Despairing, or careless of a remedy, and boding nothing but evil, he thought only of securing himself in his extensive dominions; and under pretence of a hunting excursion, left the capital without leave, and pursued his march to Deccan. The Emperor, who now both hated and feared him, despatched a private message to the governor of Hyderabad to oppose and cut him off, with a promise of all his government of Deccan, as the reward of so meritorious a service. The bribe was too great to be resisted; but the undertaker paid the forfeit of his temerity with his life. The Nizam, however, was deprived of his vizireet, and of his new governments of Malwah and Gujerat. To be revenged, he encouraged his deputy in Gujerat to resist the imperial commands, and the Mahratta chiefs Peelajee and Coantojee, to invade the provinces. Some inadequate and unavailing efforts were made to oppose the progress of these Mahratta chiefs, who were afterwards joined (still at the instigation, it is said, of the old Nizam) by Bajeeraow, the general of Sahoojee. The struggle was upheld with more or less of vigour by the imperial deputies, till about the year 1732; when the provinces of Gujerat and Malwah might be regarded as completely reduced under Mahratta dominion. Never contented with present acquisitions, the Mahrattas made endless encroachments; and by degrees seized upon several districts in the soubahs of Agra and Allahabad, plundering even to the vicinity of Agra. When opposed by an army, they retreated; scoured the country; cut off supplies; and made flying attacks. When the opposing army was obliged to retrace its steps, they immediately re-seized the country, and still more extensively diffused their depredations. During the cala

vigour. Though his Ganga, was little ex

mities of the empire, Saadut Khan alone, among the omrahs and governors, exhibited any public spirit, or any manliness and province, placed beyond the posed to the devastations of the destructive Mahrattas, he marched out, in 1735, to chastise a body of them, who were plundering to the very walls of Agra; overtook them by forced marches, brought on a battle, and gave them a signal overthrow. The wreck of the army joined Bajeeraow, in the neighbourhood of Gwalior. Saadut Khan intended to follow up his blow, to pursue the marauders to their own country, and redeem the lost honour of the imperial arms. But the Ameer-al-Omrah, jealous of the glory, sent him orders to halt till he should join him with the troops of the capital. Bajeeraow, having time to restore animation to the Mahrattas, and learning the removal of the troops from Delhi, marched with Mahratta speed towards that capital, and communicated the first intelligence of his stratagem, by the fires which he lighted up in the suburbs. He was in possession of the outskirts of the city for three days before the approach of the imperial army made it necessary for him to decamp. He took the road to Malwah; and the pusillanimous monarch was advised by his dissolute courtiers, to purchase the promise of peace, by paying the chout, or fourth of his revenues to the Mahrattas."*

A more dreadful enemy was now about to fall upon the misgoverned and dismembered empire. This was Nadir Shah, who, after freeing Persia by his valour from the ignominious yoke of the Afghans, seated

*Mill, ii. 396-399.
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