Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/421

 Chai'. 1. 1 KEIGN OF FAllOKSlllK. oS7

vizier, and wielded all the power of the state, while the pageant emperor gave ad. 1:13 himself up to folly and licentiousness.

One of the first acts of the new reign had been to seize and murder all who R-'s" of might have become rival claimants to the throne. Some of them, however, not- shai, withstanding the remorselessness with which this barbarous policy was carried out, had escaped. Among them was Faroksliir, son of the second l^'othei-, Azim-u-Shan, who, when he set out to contend for the succession, had left him to govern Bengal as his deputy. The incapacity of Jehandar Shah, and the arrogance and tyranny of Zultikar Khan, having jn-oduced general discontent. Farokshir saw his opportunity, and resolved to improve it. Supported by two brothers, Abdallah Khan and Hosen Ali, who, as Seyeds, or descendants of the Prophet, were held in reverence by the Mahometans, while their po.ssession of the respective governments of Allahabad and Behar ])laced a powerful force at their command, he raised the standard of revolt and advanced to the vicinit}' of Agi'a. There Jehandar and Zulfikar encountered him at the head of 70,000 men. Tiie battle was so fiercely contested that the issue Wcis long doul)tful. Ultimately the ini])erial troops, who had little good-will to the cause for which they were fighting, gave way, and Jeliandar, fleeing in disguise to Delhi, left Zulfikar to follow with the remaining troops as he best could. Farokshir was ^close upon his heels, and learned with delight, that instead of being obliged to wait the tedious process of a siege, the capital was already in his power. Zul- fikar met him as he approached, and delivered Jehandar a prisoner into his hands. This new act of perfidy did not save him. and both he and his master were immediately put to death.

Farokshir having thus mounted the Mogul throne on 4th February, 1713, iteignof naturally conferred the highest offices of the state on the two Seyeds. Abdal- lah, the elder, was made vizier; and Hosen Ali, who had almost miraculoasly recovered after being left for dead on the field, became Ameer-ut-Omrah, or commander-in-chief Pluming themselves on the important services which they had rendered, the brothei>5 were disposed to repeat the game which had been played by Zulfikar Khan, by leaving Farokshir only the name of emperor, while they really governed. The task proved more difficult than they had antici- pated. Farokshir, though of a feeble and irresolute character, ha<l a high idea of his own qualifications for reigning, and was surrounded by worthless favour- ites, whose raiiacity and ambition could not be satisfied while nothinjr but the shadow of power was left him. The Seyeds, accordingly, soon found themselves thwarted in their arbitrary proceedings by a strong court party, who, without venturing to j)rovoke an open rupture, were unwearied in intrigue. The fii-st scheme was to get rid of the presence of Hosen Ali by exciting a war which required his presence. In this there was no difficulty, as Ajit Sing, the power- ful Rajah of Marwar, was again in rebellion, and was, moreover, actually encour- aged in it by the court faction, who gave him to undei-stand that obstinate