Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/426

 3!»2 HISTOllV OF INDIA. [Kook JU

A. D. 1719. 1" 'beln against tlieir autliority, they found little difficulty in efTecting a com- pi'omise. It was otherwise when Nizam- ul-Moolk began to bestir himself, lie had been in communication with Farokshir's party; but, on seeing how little confidence could be placed in that fickle monarch, had given in his adhesion to the Seyeds. He expected that they would have rewarded him with the govern- ment of the Deecan, and was much dissatisfied on receiving only that of Malwah. Even here the Seyeds deemed him too formidable, and they endeavoured to remove him by pressing on his acceptance any one of the four governments of Allahabad, Agra, Candeish, and Moultan. He refused, and at the same tune, considering it unnecessary any longer to dissemble, prepared to rasLst a threat- ened attempt to oust him by force. An open rupture ensued, and Nizam-ul- Moolk proceeded to execute a scheme which he had long been meditating. Instead of remaining in Malwah, he crossed the Nerbudda, gained posseasion by force or bribery of several important places, signally defeated two armies that were sent against him, obtained the adhesion of many chiefs, came to an under- standing with the Mahrattas, and was soon virtually master of the whole Deecan. Niziim-ui- His success had been greatly aided by a course of intrigue which had again

tLe^De'ccaii Commenced at the com-t of Delhi. Mahomed Shah, like his predecessor Farok- shir, was bent on throwing off the yoke of the Seyeds. The revolt of Xizam-ul- Moolk seemed to promise the means, and that ambitious chief was according!}' made aware that he could not do the emperor a gi'eater ser^•ice than b}' persist- ing in the course which he had so successfully begam. The Seyeds, perfectly aware of the dangerous position in which they stood, were perplexed how to act, and lost much precious time before they were able to decide. The final resolution was, that Hosen, carrying the emperor and several of the suspected nobles along with him, should make the campaign of the Deecan against Nizam- ul-Moolk, while Abdallali should overawe the disaffected by residing and main- taining a strong force in the capital. Downfall Meantime a conspiracy, to which the emperor himself was privj^ had been

Ljeda. formed. Its object was to get rid of the Seyeds at aU events, by any means however atrocious. At the head of this conspiracy were Mahomed Ameer Khan, a nobleman of Turki origin, who, while ostensibly opposed to the em- peror's party, was deep in his confidence ; and Saadut Khan, who, originalh* a merchant of Khorasan, rose to importance by liis military talents, and ultimately became the progenitor of the Kings of Oude. The mode by which the conspira- tors proposed to effect their object was a barbarous assassination. It was not difficult to find both an agent and an opportunity. As Hosen was proceeding to the Deecan in his palanquin, a Calmuck, of the name of Meer Heider, ap- ])roached with a petition, and while Hosen was reading it, drew a dagger and staljbed him to the heart. The whole camp was immediately tlu'own into oom- motion, and ultimately divided into two hostile bodies — the one comj^osed of the adherents of the Seyeds, and the other of the adherents of the conspirators.