Page:History of India Vol 4.djvu/274

226 Abdali came from the country of Kandahar to Hindustan, and on the 7th of Jumad-al-awwal of that year had an interview with the Emperor Alamgir II at the palace of Shahjahanabad; he exercised all kinds of severity and oppression on the inhabitants of that city, and united the daughter of Aazz-ad-din, own brother to his Majesty, in the bonds of wedlock with his own son Timur Shah. After an interval of a month, he set out to coerce Raja Suraj Mai Jat, who, from a distant period, had extended his sway over the province of Agra as far as the environs of the city of Delhi. In three days he captured Balamgarh, situated at a distance of fifteen leagues from Delhi, which was furnished with all the requisites for standing a siege and was well manned by Suraj Mal's followers. After causing a general massacre of the garrison, he hastened towards Mathura, and having razed that ancient sanctuary of the Hindus to the ground, made all the idolaters fall a prey to his relentless sword. He then returned to Agra, and deputed his commander-in-chief, Jahan Khan, to reduce all the forts belonging to the Jat chieftain. At this time a dreadful pestilence broke out with great virulence in the Shah's army, so that he was forced to abandon his intention of chastising Suraj Mai, and unwillingly made up his mind to repair to his own kingdom.

On his return, as soon as he reached Delhi, the Emperor Alamgir went forth with Najib-ad-daulah Bahadur, and had an interview with him on the margin of the Maksudabad Lake, where he preferred sore complaints