The Court Conspiracies & Abdali's Return (1753)

Javed Khan's Rise and Fall, Imad ul-Mulk's Ruthlessness, and the Bill Comes Due

The Mughal Empire Hits New Lows

The Downward Spiral

The Commentary:

"Very soon, the Mughal Sansana was going to be facing a lot of murders and going towards its low point. Lots of assassinations. Reaching to the bottom. A new low."

Translation:

• They still had further to fall
• Murders and assassinations coming
• Reaching the lowest level (nichang)
• The empire's decline accelerating

Javed Khan: The Low-Caste Upstart

His Origins

Who He Was:

• Born in a lower caste (heen kurat)
• His master/patron: Udham Bai (the Queen Mother)

The Caste System Issue:

• Even though Islamic people say there's no caste system
• They still enforced it
• Muslims born in high castes wanted to keep their status
• Javed Khan may have been from a Hindu family originally (lower caste)
• Converted to Islam but caste stigma remained

Udham Bai: The Dancing Girl Queen Mother

Her Background

Who She Was:

• In earlier life: dancing girl (dancer in the court)
• Very low profession - something you don't want to be associated with
• Now: Queen Mother (mother of the current Emperor)

Her Power:

• Had tried to reduce the power of Safdar Jung (the wazir)
• Now wielding influence in the court

Her Relationship with Javed Khan

What Happened:

• Javed Khan had become close to her
• Before she became royal, she was also a dancing girl (from low caste)
• They had similar backgrounds

The Scandal:

• Javed Khan rapidly promoted in the court
• This lady used to get into the company of Javed Khan at night
• Lots of jokes started happening about their relationship
• Became public knowledge among citizenry

Javed Khan's Rapid Rise

His Ascension

How High He Got:

• Slowly started rising in court
• Reached level of Nawab Bahadur
• Running things on the home front when wazir was out

His Method

How He Did It:

• Pampered the Emperor
• Got into his good books
• Through his relationship with Udham Bai

The Mismanagement

Bad Administration

What They Did Wrong:

• A lot of servants not getting paid on time
• Udham Bai pampering herself on her birthday
• Mismanaging the funds
• Not worried about lifestyle of hourly workers
• Bad administrators

The Public Protest

The Donkey and Dog Incident:

• Servants tied a donkey and a dog to the door
• Started telling everybody coming in/out:
• "Pay salutes to these two animals"
• Making fun of her and Javed Khan

The Power Play

Javed Khan's Ambitions

What He Did:

• Emperor made lots of money through these two people (Udham Bai and Javed Khan)
• Or more likely: Javed Khan made a lot from the Emperor and Udham Bai
• He appointed his own men in the court
• Instead of able people appointed before
• Doing a coup behind the scenes

Where Was Safdar Jung?

• Safdar Jung had made a lot of officers "free of post" (fired them)
• Using his control as wazir

Javed Khan's Delusion:

• Started feeling that after the Emperor, he was next in line
• Most important and most powerful

The Confrontation

Safdar Jung Returns to Delhi

What Happened:

• Safdar Jung came out of his tent and went to Delhi
• The situation with Balu Jat gave him a good idea of what was going on
• Forced the situation
• Pretense disappeared
• Things became very clear
• About what Javed Khan was doing behind Safdar Jung's back

The Insult on the Path

The Setup:

• Javed Khan wanted to prove he was higher level than Safdar Jung
• Made himself present on a path that was on the way of Safdar Jung
• Expected him to stop and salute him

What Happened:

• Safdar Jung ignored him
• Didn't stop, didn't acknowledge him

The Balu Jat Incident

Javed Khan's Retaliation

What He Did:

• Called Balu Jat (local chief)
• Asked him to invade Sikandarabad (or some town)
• This was Safdar Jung's territory (his subedar or jahagir)
• Directly challenging Safdar Jung's authority

The Result:

• Delhi received news that Balu Jat won over the town
• Safdar Jung was put on the spot
• He insisted to find out what's going on (considered Javed Khan a subordinate)

Safdar Jung's Response

What He Did:

• Sent forces
• Kicked out Balu Jat from Sikandarabad
• Retook the town

The Execution

The Dinner Trap

Safdar Jung's Decision:

• Realized Javed Khan was usurping his power
• Saw him as a threat
• Decided to get rid of him

The Setup:

• Invited Surajmal Jat (king/vassal king of Bharatpur)
• Invited Javed Khan
• To dinner

The Murder

What Happened:

• After dinner deliberations
• His soldiers beheaded Javed Khan
• His head was left on the street
• His body thrown in the Yamuna River (on the riverbed/beach)

Safdar Jung Re-Consolidates Power

Total Control

What He Achieved:

• Had entire power in his hands now
• Emperor became totally dependent on him
• Paravolambi = dependent on somebody else
• (Opposite: Suavolambi = self-reliant)

The Situation:

• Emperor dependent on wazir for:
  • All his safety
  • Security
  • Anything he wanted to do

No Opposition Left

For the Next Several Months:

• No opponent left for Safdar Jung
• He had successfully eliminated all rivals
• Re-consolidated his power

Meanwhile in the Deccan: The Poison Plot Continues

Reminder: Ghaziuddin's Death

What Happened (Previously):

• Ghaziuddin had gone to Deccan to sit on throne of Nizam
• His stepmother invited him for dinner
• She mixed poison in the food
• Killed him

Why She Did It:

• Probably had a son of her own
• Wanted HER son on the throne

The Peshwa's Plan Destroyed

The Consequences

For the Peshwa:

• His plan of making somebody obedient the Nizam was surunga (dynamited)
• Completely destroyed
• Cannot have his own obedient personality in the Nizam position

Enter: Imad ul-Mulk

The Scared Son

Who He Is:

• Ghaziuddin's son
• Became very scared after his father's murder
• "What's going to happen to me?"
• Probably was a minor (young)

His Situation:

• His stepmother probably didn't intend to make him next Nizam
• Had to go back to safe environment
• Was "lost day and night" (feeling sad, tragic mood)
• Lost his father
• In very precarious situation (could be killed anytime)
• Didn't know who was trying all these bad things

Safdar Jung's Adoption

The Rescue

What Safdar Jung Did:

• Started loving him like his own son
• Took him under his wing
• Made him his protégé
• Appointed him to Mir Bakshi position (Commander-in-Chief)

The Turnaround:

• Made out pretty well
• Now on the court of the Emperor
• Very powerful position
• At age 16, became Commander-in-Chief of the Mughal Army

Imad ul-Mulk's Character Revealed

Smart But Amoral

His Qualities:

• Very smart (buddhi maan)
• BUT had no idea about morals or moral standards (niti)
• Very bright guy
• Didn't follow any due process
• Had no moral standing

His Philosophy:

• Victory at any cost, no matter what
• The ends justify the means
• Very unscrupulous

The Immediate Betrayal

What He Did:

• The MOMENT he was made Mir Bakshi
• Started setting up conspiracies against Safdar Jung
• Against his own benefactor!
• Biting the hand that fed him

His Goal:

• Wanted absolute power

His Reputation

In the Next 10 Years:

• Got reputation as the most merciless commander or courtier in the Emperor's court
• Ruthless and efficient
• Known to be without mercy

Abdali Returns: 1753

The Demand

What Happened:

• As soon as 1753 came
• Abdali asked for his yearly collection of 50 lakh rupees
• Sent demand to the Emperor
• It was a big sum

Context: What Marathas Were Getting

The Comparison:

• Marathas were getting paid 50 lakh rupees (from the treaty)
• Abdali wanted the same amount
• Already a huge amount

The Treaty Gets Invoked

Safdar Jung Calls in the Marathas

What He Did:

• Asked the Marathas to help the Mughals out
• This was their Ahadnama (the treaty agreement)
• Part of the agreement: if Abdali comes, help rebuff him or convince him to go away

Understanding Abdali's Claim

Was This Pre-Agreed?

The Question: Was this previously agreed upon?

The Answer:

• Remember they had agreed to pay him some money
• Especially Mir Manu had made such agreements
• But Mir Manu's initiative (not official emperor policy)

The Reality:

• Doesn't matter if it was official or not
• This was between the Emperor and Abdali
• Marathas were bound by their treaty regardless

The Treaty's Terms Clarified

What the Treaty Actually Said

The Conditions:

• NOT to vanquish Abdali in his own land
• ONLY if he attacks and starts doing "funny stuff" in Delhi
• Especially protect Delhi

Why Delhi Mattered

The History:

• The kind of atrocities visited upon Delhi by:
  • Iranian Shah (Nadir Shah)
  • Abdali
• These guys were familiar with those horrors
• Didn't want it to happen again

Why Punjab Mattered

The Strategic Concern:

• Punjab had already slipped from the Emperor's hands
• Mir Manu had switched sides
• Wanted to save Punjab as much as possible
• Not let it slip into Afghan sphere of influence
• That was another reason to invoke the treaty

The Terms

The Agreement:

• Only if Abdali comes to Punjab or eastwards
• If he stays in Afghanistan without trouble → nobody cares
• If he moves east → Marathas must respond

The Emperor's Response

Appeasing Abdali

What the Emperor Did:

• Didn't totally reject what Abdali asked
• Gave something as a token
• Said: "This is it. We'll look at other things later"
• Basically appeasing Abdali

The Amount:

• Gave him five lakhs for now
• Said they'd raise the rest later
• Whether he wanted to give 50% or 10% of full sum → who knows

Why He Did This

The Calculation:

• Hoping Marathas will save him
• Didn't want to pay the full amount for sure
• Maybe didn't have it in liquid cash at the time
• Seems like a big amount for the time

The Real Fear:

• Didn't want Abdali to come back to Delhi again
• If he descends on Delhi → feared that outcome
• Could be catastrophic
• Wanted to somehow not see Abdali anywhere close to Delhi

The Math:

• If Abdali came looting → would be more costly than 50 lakh rupees
• Better to pay some now, promise more later
• Keep him away

Key Players Status

Timeline

Strategic Analysis

Javed Khan's Fatal Mistake

What He Did Wrong:

1. Rose too fast - From low caste to Nawab Bahadur
2. Made it obvious - Public scandal with Udham Bai
3. Appointed his own men - Attempted coup was transparent
4. Directly challenged - Used Balu Jat against Safdar Jung's territory
5. Insulted the wazir - Expected salute, got ignored
6. Underestimated opponent - Didn't realize Safdar Jung would act decisively

The Result: Dead, body in the river, no ceremony

Safdar Jung's Ruthless Efficiency

What He Did Right:

1. Saw the threat - Recognized coup attempt
2. Acted decisively - Dinner trap, clean execution
3. Sent a message - Head in street, body in river (public warning)
4. Re-consolidated - No opponents left afterwards
5. Made emperor dependent - Total control achieved

The Imad ul-Mulk Problem

Why This Is Dangerous:

• Very smart but completely amoral
• No loyalty (betrayed his savior immediately)
• Wants absolute power
• Ruthless and efficient
• Already becoming "most merciless" commander
• At age 16, he's just getting started
• In 10 years, he'll be unstoppable

The Irony:

• Safdar Jung saved him
• Raised him as a son
• Gave him huge power
• He immediately begins plotting against him

The Abdali Pressure (1753)

Why This Matters

The Situation:

• Abdali demanding 50 lakh
• Emperor can't/won't pay in full
• Gives 5 lakh as token
• Calls in Marathas per treaty

The Consequences:

1. Treaty gets tested - Is it real or just paper?
2. Marathas must respond - Contractually obligated
3. Abdali sees the game - Knows Marathas are now the muscle
4. Emperor plays both sides - Appeases Abdali, uses Marathas
5. Collision course confirmed - Abdali vs. Marathas inevitable

The Terms Reminder

What Marathas Agreed To:

• Defend against internal AND external enemies
• But ONLY if they threaten Delhi/Punjab area
• NOT to invade Afghanistan
• Reactive defense, not offensive war

The Gray Area:

• Is demanding money "attacking"?
• Is refusing to pay valid?
• Does "convince him to go away" mean pay him?
• Or does it mean fight him?

The Court Dynamics

The Power Structure (1753)

Top Tier:

1. Safdar Jung - Wazir, total power, no opponents
2. Emperor - Dependent on wazir, losing autonomy

Rising Stars:

1. Imad ul-Mulk - Mir Bakshi at 16, already plotting

The Women Behind the Throne:

1. Udham Bai - Queen Mother, dancing girl past, scandal-ridden

Dead:

1. Javed Khan - Executed for coup attempt
2. Ghaziuddin - Poisoned by stepmother

External Threats:

1. Ahmad Shah Abdali - Demanding payment

Military Power:

1. Marathas - Treaty-bound to protect Mughals

Key Themes

1. Low Caste Ambition - Javed Khan's rise and fall shows dangers of rapid ascent
2. Ruthless Efficiency - Safdar Jung eliminates threats decisively
3. Ungrateful Betrayal - Imad ul-Mulk immediately plots against savior
4. Court Scandals - Dancing girls, nighttime meetings, public mockery
5. The Poison Cup Returns - Ghaziuddin's death still reverberating
6. Abdali's Patience Ends - 1753 marks his return to pressure
7. Treaty Obligations - Marathas now must deliver on promises
8. The Emperor's Weakness - Totally dependent, playing both sides

The Foreshadowing

What We Know Is Coming:

• Imad ul-Mulk will become most merciless in 10 years
• He's already plotting against Safdar Jung NOW (at age 16)
• Abdali won't accept 5 lakh as final payment
• Marathas will have to respond
• Emperor can't protect himself
• More assassinations and murders coming
• "New low" not yet reached

The Ironies

Irony #1:

• Safdar Jung saves Imad ul-Mulk's life
• Makes him powerful
• He immediately betrays him
• This act of kindness will destroy him

Irony #2:

• Javed Khan rose through scandal with dancing girl
• Died at a dinner (like Ghaziuddin)
• The meal is the weapon

Irony #3:

• Emperor thought he was clever playing both sides
• Now totally dependent on wazir
• Lost all autonomy

Irony #4:

• Marathas signed treaty to get money and power
• Now obligated to fight Abdali
• The payment comes due

1753: The year the bill comes due. Abdali is calling. The Marathas must answer. And inside the court, a 16-year-old sociopath is plotting his next move...