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 Chap. VIII. j HISTORY OF JAFFIEK KHAN. 517

Azim-u-Shan made an ineffectual attempt to seize tlie throne, to the prejudice ad itot.

of his elder brother, who succeeded, and reigned for a short period mider the title

of Jehandar Shah, Faroksiiir, Azim-u-Shan's son, found an asylum in Bengal, stJit«of

Buugal.

where he had for a time, nominally at least, held the office of viceroy, and where he remained secure till he was able to issue at the head of a force which proved victorious, and placed him on the imperial throne. These, however, were the last instances in which Delhi may be said to have received its emperors froin Bengal. Vast political changes were in progress, and the time was evidently approaching when the authority of the Great Mogul, though it might still con- tiime to be formally recognized, even in distant provinces, would cease to have any real existence. The causes tending to this result in Bengal were not so visibly manifested as in the Deccan, but they had long been at work, and had made its governors virtually independent.

As early as the time of Aurungzebe, a governor of Bengal, who afterwards JaffierKiiaii. acquired celebrity under the name of Jaffier Khan, had begun to cherish ambi- tious designs. He was the .son of a poor Brahmin, and spent the early part of his life at Ispahan, in the service of a Persian merchant, who had purchased iiim as a slave, and educated him as a Mahometan with his own children. On the death of the merchant he obtained his freedom, and returned to India, where he was employed in a subordinate situation by the Dewan of Berar. His expertness in accounts and general business habits brought him under the notice of Am-ung- zebe, who made him dewan successively of Hyderabad and Bengal. The latter ])osition gave him full scope for the display of his talents ; and by the intro- duction of various improvements he added greatly to the amount of the revenue. He thus rose high in the favour of Aurunjjzebe, but at the same time incurred "•» ''^■ij

. . o > "history.

the hatred of the viceroy, Azim-u-Siian, who was so offended by his interference in all pecuniary transactions that he sanctioned a plot against his life. As much by his courage as his good fortune he escaped the daggers of the Jissassins, and afterwards proceeding boldly to Azim-u-Shan's j)alace, upbraided him as the author of the crime. The viceroy cowered before him, and made solemn protestation of liis innocence ; but the dewan was not to be duped, and took the most effectual measures both to manifest his suspicions and guard against a repetition of the attempt. Besides transmitting an authenticated statement of the whole circumstances to Aurungzebe, he quitted Dacca, where the viceroy resided, and removed, with all the officei-s of the dewany, to Moorshedabad, which in consequence ultimately supplanted Dacca as the capital of Bengal. In return for the dangers he had run new honours were confeired upon him ; and at tiie time of Aurungzebe's death he was not only dewan of the three pronces of Bengal, Behar, and Ori.ssa. but also invested with a large share of military authority.

I Fortunately for Jaffier Khan the contest for the succession to the throne