1 The treasury
2 stripped of its most
3 valuable articles.
4 Khutba read intthe
5 name of Nadir,
6 Tlis moderation.
7 An unfortunate
8 incident.
9 The populace rise
10 against the Persians,
11 Three thousand of
12 them killed.
13 Nadir’s unsuccessful
14 efforts to allay the
15 tumult,
16 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary
17 204 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
18 jewels and curiosities, that had been accumulated for ages, and brought
19 them as presents to the conqueror. He laid, at the feet of the conqueror, vast
20 heaps of gold and silver in coin and ingots, valuable vases set with diamonds,
21 rubies and other precious gems, with a great variety of sumptuous furniture,
22 diadems and thrones, including the famous peacock throne, inlaid with pearls
23 and precious stones, which had been constructed by Shah Jahdn at a cost of
24 six millions and a half sterling, according to the valuation put on it by Ta-
25 vernier. The Omerahs and grandees of the court followed the example of
26 their emperor, and presented the conqueror with gifts valued at millions of
27 rupees. Néddir now, being master of vast treasures, paid his army their
28 arrears. These payments, according to Jones Hanway, were made in his
29 own coin, which was struck upon this occasion.”
30 The Id festival came on at this time, and the khutba was read in the grand
31 mosque of Delhi in the name of the Persian King, Nadir Shah. The king
32 treated the subjects of the Delhi emperor with moderation, and adopted
33 measures to protect the inhabitants from outrage, the strictést discipline
34 being observed.
35 All went on smoothly, until an unfortunate circumstance occurred in the
36 city which compelled Nddir Shah to taint his victory with those horrid
37 deeds of bloodshed and spoliation which to this day have associated his
38 name with ideas of terror and dread. The day following the Id, a great tumult
39 arose among the mob in the streets, owing to a Persian soldier forcibly seizing”
40 some pigeons that were exposed for sale in the market. The man to whom
41 the pigeons belonged gave out, in a fit of frenzy, that Nadir Shah had order-
42 ed a general pillage. This was sufficient to inflame the infatuated mob, who
43 had borne the intrusion ofthe strangers with gloomy discontent. Maddened
44 with rage, they rushed upon the Persians, who were in various parts of the
45 city, guarding different quarters, and killed many of their number. To add to
46 this, some of the inhabitants having raised a cry, to the effect that Nadir
47 Shah was dead, the suppressed fury of the populace burst forth. The report
48 spread like lightning over the town. A great tumult arose, and the inhabi-
49 tants fell upon the Persians, and cut to pieces all they could find. The night
50 was dark ; the mob broke into the royal stables and put to death the keepers
51 of the elephants. Three thousand Persians were killed in the city, the rest
52 retiring into the citadel. About midnight the officers of Nadir Shah repre-
53 sented the state of affairs to his majesty. The Shah, annoyed at being
54 roused, said angrily: “ My men maliciously accuse the people and wish me
55 to slaughter them and to give the signal for plunder.” On the matter be-
56 ing again urged, he ordered his men to act wholly on the defensive during
57 the remainder of the night. At daybreak, Nddir Shah rode forth from the
58 palace and appeared in the Chandni Chauk Street, hoping that his presence
59 would overawe the people and put a stop to their fanaticism. The first ob-
60 jects that met his eyes in the streets were the dead bodies of his countrymen
61 who had been killed in the night by the mob. He sent a strong party to
62 suppress disorder; but the mob, instead of being appeased, became bold and
63 insolent, and began to discharge arrows and firearms at the Persians. Nadir
64 Shah repaired to the mosque of Raushan-ud-doula (then recently built) and
65 there summoned into his presence Nizam-ul-mulk, Sarbuland Khan and the
66 grand wazir, Kamr-ud-din Khan, and threatened to put them to immediate
67 death, charging them with having fomented the sedition. The Omerahs
68 immediately swore on the Qurdn that they were innocent, and they
69 were pardoned. But now came the fatal hour which brought utter
70 * Histor, Ndir Shah. .-,. an
71 ry of Mere ASriElibrary@ gmail.com