PART III.

AN EMPIRE IN RUINS.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE KING-MAKERS.

In this section the scene lies principally in Delhi and the North of India, but as the events led to the establishment of a new Kingdom in the Deccan and the persons are intimately connected with Deccan affairs it has been deemed advisable to relate the incidents at some length, especially as the period. referred to is very summarily treated in the usual histories.

After the fall of Golconda, Aurungzebe was free to turn his attention to the Mahrattas. Mr. Stanley Lane Pool seems to think that the conquest of the Deccan kingdoms was chiefly intended as the first step towards the destruction of this nation of robbers and freebooters, since with their fall the large subsidies paid by them to the Mahrattas would cease. Accordingly a governor was placed in charge of Hyderabad and Golconda, and the Emperor marched westwards in order to finally crush that 'hell-dog' Sambajee. At first the Emperor's arms were everywhere successful. The whole of the territories belonging to Bijapur and Golconda were taken possession of by his generals down as far south as Tanjore. So great was the respect shown to the Emperor's

authority that it was the custom of his generals to send one of his slippers placed on a splendid howdah, carried by an elephant in gorgeous trappings and conducted by a force of cavalry and infantry. When the slipper arrived at the capital of a native Prince he was expected to meet the slipper outside his capital and conduct it, followed by his nobles and troops with their ensigns lowered, to the Durbar hall in the Palace. There the slipper was placed upon the throne and the Prince himself had to pay it obeisance. This having been done, the general in charge was presented with costly presents, the tribute money was sent to him in sealed bags, and the slipper marched on in state to the next kingdom, where a similar pageant was gone through. On the occasion of a ceremonial procession of this kind soon after the accession of a new king (Runga-Kistna-Naicker, circa 1698) * the slipper, accompanied by twelve thousand cavalry, from thirty to forty thousand infantry, and two Nawabs, arrived outside Trichinopoly and a message was despatched by means of peons with silver sticks and silver breast-plates, that the Imperial mandate had come. "As the king was young he enquired of the sirdars about him what this meant. They replied: 'It is the Padshah's firman, i.e., a slipper placed in a howdah attended with various banners and troops, which is sent to the rulers of kingdoms, and these kings go forth to meet it; treat it with respect; take it with those that accompany it to their capital; give presents to these, and paying to them tribute money, send them away. As this is the established rule, and the mandate is now sent to this capital we also treat it in the same respectful manner.' On hearing this the young king became angry, but dissembling his intentions gave presents to the peons and sent out his own ambassadors, who were instructed to plead sickness on his behalf, but to contrive so that the embassy was brought into the town. This the emis* Taylor's Manuscripts, Vol. II. p. 205.

saries appear to have done with success, and by first fixing one place and then another as the spot where the king would meet them, induced the Nawabs to come inside the fort gate. There being still no king the Nawabs said with anger: 'Is your king not come? have you such obstinate pride?' But the others said: 'Our king from the effect of sickness is not able to enter a palankeen, come with us to the gates of the palace.' They accordingly came with the mandate to the gates of Sri-Runga-Kistnappa-Muthu-Virapa-Naicker's palace. As the king still did not appear, they came still closer to the palace entry; when, thinking that a want of respect was implied by waiting there, they took the mandate from the howdah, placed it in a palankeen, and, not without anger, carried it into the hall of the throne. Meanwhile the king had invested himself with all the paraphernalia of his dignity, and in the midst of a great number of his friends was seated on his throne, when the Padshah's Nawabs, and principal men, having taken the Farmana in their hands, had brought it into the hall of the throne. Seeing that the king did not pay the smallest token of respect either to the Farmana or themselves, they were excessively angry, and pushing aside such persons as stood in their way in the hall of audience, they came near and offered to give the Farmana into the hands of the king. The king, being very angry, bid them place it on the floor. But paying no attention to his command and not putting the slipper down, they again offered to give it into his hands. Thereupon the king called for people with whips and adding. 'Will the Padshah's people put the Farmana down or not? let us see,' further summoned people with rattan canes. As the king was calling aloud, they became terribly afraid and put the Farmana down on the floor. The king, seeing this, placed one of his feet within the slipper and addressing the people said: 'How comes it that. your Padshah has lost even common sense? When sending