Safdar Jung's Fall & The Attempted Coup

The Final Confrontation, The Conspiracies, and The Desperate Power Play

Quick Recap: The Situation in 1753

The Power Structure:

• Abdali demanded 50 lakh rupees from Delhi
• Wazir (Safdar Jung) asked Marathas for help
• This was not previously agreed upon - Abdali was threatening them
• Actually, some payments HAD been agreed (especially by Mir Manu)
• But Mir Manu's initiative, probably unofficial

The Treaty Terms:

• Between Emperor and Abdali (Marathas weren't party to it)
• Nevertheless, Marathas were bound by their own treaty
• Their treaty: protect Delhi if Abdali attacks

The Conspiracy Against Safdar Jung

Udham Bai's Revenge Plot

The Trigger:

• Udham Bai (Queen Mother) had gotten angry
• Because Javed Khan was killed by Safdar Jung
• Remember: she had a scandal-relationship with Javed Khan

Her Allies:

• Sought help from sons of Kamruddin Khan (previous wazir)
• But NOT from Mir Manu (one of those sons)
• Mir Manu was already in Lahore
• Also sought help from Imad ul-Mulk (the Mir Bakshi)

The Irony:

• Imad ul-Mulk = the co-conspirator that Safdar Jung raised as his own
• Now he's willing to sell him out
• Ungrateful and traitorous

The Maratha Presence at Court

The Representatives

Why They Were There:

• Marathas now had representatives in the Emperor's court
• They had regular presence because:
  1. They were protectors (per the treaty)
  2. They had established themselves as a power to reckon with

Their Role:

• Part spy
• Part keeping in touch with what's happening in northern Indian belt
• Keeping aware of developments

The Status:

• They'd earned their place on the court

Antaji Mankeshwar: The Maratha Commander

Who He Is

His Position:

• A commander or warrior
• Has probably 2,000-5,000 force under him
• Administrative role, but not a clerk
• Military commander with troops

His Analysis

What He Thought:

• A lot of people were conspiring against Safdar Jung
• This situation is going to get into some bloody battle
• That was Mankeshwar's prediction

The Key Players Assembling

Who Matters Now

The Most Important:

1. Abdali - The external threat
2. Bhau - [A new character entering the story]

Always in the Picture:

• Nana Saheb Peshwa - Directing from Pune

Coming Soon:

• Peshwa will send his son from Pune
• His name: Vishwasrao
• Will enter the picture a little later
• Will play a decisive role in the very end (foreshadowing!)

Still to Enter:

• There's one more character that has to enter the picture
• Still waiting to be introduced

The Build-Up to Conflict (Month 1752 → 1754)

The Escalation

What Started Happening:

• In the month of 1752
• Army movement started in Delhi
• Really started looking like there was going to be anarchy

Why:

• Emperor vs. Wazir
• Their relations getting from bad to worse

The Two Camps

Emperor's Camp:

• Had bribed Mankeshwar (the Maratha commander)
• So Marathas were on the side of Emperor

Wazir's Camp:

• Madhav Singh (Rajput)
• Surajmal Jat

Why Rajputs and Jats Sided with Wazir

Their Grievance:

• These guys were irate with Marathas
• Why? Traditionally thought THEY should be getting the revenues from fertile land of North India
• That was given to the Marathas instead

Their Goal:

• "How can we get rid of Marathas from the north?"
• "Drive them to the south"
• That was their big goal

Their Alliance:

• Willing to partner with Safdar Jung
• Against the Marathas

The Final Meeting

Before Leaving Delhi

What Happened:

• Before leaving Delhi
• Safdar Jung Wazir had a one-on-one meeting with the Emperor
• Told him without any sweet words or etiquette
• Just gave it to him as he felt

Safdar Jung's Speech

What He Said:

"My master, I'm in this favor of my master. You can give me permission to go anywhere. I'm ready to go there. Order me wherever you want me to go and I will go there."

"You can give the position to the person who comes to your mind. You can give the position, the prime minister position to whomever you wish."

The Message:

• I'll go wherever you command
• You can replace me if you want
• It's up to you

The Emperor Seizes the Opportunity

The Removal

What the Emperor Did:

• This presented a readymade opportunity to replace the wazir
• That is exactly what he wanted to do

The Action:

• Freed him (pad mukta) of his position of wazir
• Gave him permission to go back to Awadh
• As the Subedar of Awadh (which he already was)

The Spin:

• Not technically "kicked out" (though harsh to say)
• "Removed" him from the wazir key
• Gave him permission to manage his own kingdom in Awadh

On Paper:

• "You can go back to Awadh and manage everything in your own kingdom"
• Not a bad offer, actually

Safdar Jung Refuses to Leave

The Unexpected Response

What Happened:

• Even though Safdar Jung said "I'm willing to do blah blah blah"
• He really didn't like it
• Was not hoping Emperor would take such an extreme step

His Decision:

• Didn't want to give up the power
• So he didn't leave Delhi
• Just stayed put in Delhi

The Surajmal Jat Gambit

Escalating the Situation

What Safdar Jung Did:

• Invited Surajmal Jat into Delhi
• Surajmal and his army came into Delhi
• They did a lot of looting in Delhi

The Consequence:

• The Emperor got mad

The Formal Sacking

The Official Removal

What Changed:

• Previously: Emperor said "if you're asking to be relieved, I'm relieving you"
• "You can go back to your kingdom"
• Tried to do it the nice way

But Now:

• "You're still in Delhi"
• "So now I'm sacking you"
• "You're done"
• Formally sacked

The Nuclear Option: Declaring a New Emperor

Safdar Jung's Desperate Move

What He Did:

• Declared someone else should be Emperor
• Said: "He's royal blood"
• "Safdar Jung did all this" (justifying the move)

Who He Declared:

• "He's the grandson [descendant] of Aurangzeb"
• "I'm making him the new Emperor"

The Coup Attempt

What This Means:

• Trying to do a full-out coup
• Not just refusing to leave
• Actually trying to replace the Emperor
• Claiming a different heir has legitimacy

The Emperor's Reaction

The Insult

What This Was:

• A big insult (upma)
• The Emperor got mad
• "This is too much"
• A huge slap in the face

Key Players Update

The Factional Breakdown

Why Rajputs and Jats Backed Safdar Jung

Their Calculation:

• Enemy of my enemy is my friend
• They HATE the Marathas
• Marathas took "their" revenues
• Marathas are with the Emperor
• Therefore: side with Safdar Jung against Emperor

Their Logic:

• If Safdar Jung wins → maybe he'll give THEM the revenues
• If Safdar Jung replaces Emperor → new deal possible
• Anything to get rid of Marathas from the north

Why Marathas Backed the Emperor

Their Calculation:

• They have a treaty with THIS Emperor
• Bribed by the Emperor (through Mankeshwar)
• If new Emperor → treaty might be void
• Better to stick with the devil they know

Timeline

Strategic Analysis

Safdar Jung's Fatal Mistakes

Mistake #1: The Bluff

• Offered to resign
• Thought Emperor wouldn't accept
• Emperor called his bluff

Mistake #2: Staying in Delhi

• Refused to leave after being removed
• Made his intentions obvious
• Gave Emperor time to organize against him

Mistake #3: The Surajmal Gambit

• Brought in forces that looted Delhi
• Made him look like the bad guy
• Turned public opinion against him

Mistake #4: The Coup Attempt

• Went too far
• Declaring a new Emperor = treason
• Point of no return
• Forced everyone to pick sides

The Emperor's Smart Moves

Move #1: Bribing Mankeshwar

• Secured Maratha support
• They're the real military power
• Made them choose him over wazir

Move #2: Taking the Resignation Offer

• Called Safdar Jung's bluff
• Made him look like he was refusing legal orders

Move #3: Formal Sacking

• Escalated legally and officially
• Made Safdar Jung's position untenable

The Conspiracy Web

Who's Plotting Against Safdar Jung:

1. Udham Bai (revenge for Javed Khan)
2. Imad ul-Mulk (ungrateful protégé)
3. Kamruddin's sons (revenge for their father's faction)
4. The Emperor (wants control back)

Who's Supporting Safdar Jung:

1. Madhav Singh (hates Marathas)
2. Surajmal Jat (hates Marathas)
3. [His own forces from Awadh]

The Wildcard:

• Marathas backed the Emperor
• But if new Emperor → who knows?
• They're there for money, not loyalty

The Rajput-Jat Calculation

Why They Hate Marathas

The Resentment:

• These fertile northern lands were "theirs" traditionally
• They had claims to Agra and Ajmer
• Marathas are outsiders from the Deccan
• Getting revenues that should go to local powers

The Goal:

• Push Marathas back south
• Reclaim the revenues
• Restore "proper" order (in their view)

Why They Back Safdar Jung

The Logic:

• Safdar Jung is fighting the Emperor
• Emperor is backed by Marathas
• Therefore: help Safdar Jung fight Marathas
• If Safdar Jung wins → he might reward them with territories
• Worth the gamble

The Maratha Dilemma

Why They Backed the Emperor

The Practical Reasons:

1. The Bribe - Mankeshwar was paid
2. The Treaty - Made with THIS Emperor specifically
3. The Revenue - Granted by THIS Emperor
4. The Risk - New Emperor might cancel everything

The Problem:

• They're mercenaries essentially
• Following the money
• But this puts them at odds with other Hindu powers
• Rajputs and Jats now see them as the enemy

The Long-Term Consequence

What This Means:

• Marathas vs. Rajputs vs. Jats
• Hindu powers divided
• When Abdali comes → disunited
• Each pursuing their own interests
• No united front possible

The Characters Still to Enter

Bhau

What We Know:

• One of the "most important" figures
• Already mentioned
• Coming into focus now
• Will play major role

Vishwasrao

What We Know:

• Peshwa's son
• Will enter "a little later"
• Will play a decisive role in the very end
• This is major foreshadowing

The Unknown Character

The Tease:

• "One more character that has to enter"
• Still waiting to be introduced
• Must be important if specifically mentioned

The Impending Disaster

What We're Building Towards

The Elements:

1. Civil war in Delhi (Emperor vs. former Wazir)
2. Maratha involvement on Emperor's side
3. Rajput-Jat involvement on Wazir's side
4. Abdali waiting for the right moment
5. Internal conspiracies (Imad ul-Mulk, Udham Bai)
6. New characters coming (Bhau, Vishwasrao, mystery person)

The Prediction:

• "Going to get into some bloody battle" (Mankeshwar)
• "Anarchy" in Delhi
• Reaching "new low" for Mughal Empire

Key Themes

1. The Resignation Gambit Backfires - Offering to quit when you don't mean it
2. Refusing to Accept Reality - Staying in Delhi after being fired
3. Escalation Through Looting - Surajmal's forces in Delhi
4. The Nuclear Option - Declaring a new Emperor
5. Bought Loyalty - Marathas following the bribes
6. Hindu Disunity - Marathas vs. Rajputs vs. Jats
7. The Conspirators Circle - Everyone plotting against Safdar Jung
8. The Foreshadowing - Vishwasrao's "decisive role in the very end"

The Ironies

Irony #1:

• Safdar Jung executed Javed Khan for attempted coup
• Now attempting a coup himself
• Becoming what he destroyed

Irony #2:

• Raised Imad ul-Mulk as his own son
• Imad ul-Mulk now conspiring against him
• Kindness repaid with betrayal

Irony #3:

• Marathas signed treaty to protect Emperor from external threats
• Now protecting him from internal threat (former wazir)
• But this makes other Hindus hate them

Irony #4:

• Safdar Jung allied with Marathas to beat Rohillas
• Now Marathas are his enemies
• The alliance that made him strong will destroy him

Irony #5:

• Rajputs and Jats side with Safdar Jung (Muslim)
• Against Emperor (Muslim) and Marathas (Hindu)
• Religion matters less than revenue

What Happens Next?

The Cliffhanger:

• Safdar Jung has declared a new Emperor
• Current Emperor is enraged
• This is "too much" - the ultimate insult
• Where we left off

The Questions:

1. Will the coup succeed?
2. Will Marathas stay loyal to current Emperor?
3. Will Rajput-Jat forces be enough?
4. What will Abdali do while Delhi tears itself apart?
5. When do Bhau and Vishwasrao arrive?
6. Who is the mystery character still to enter?

The Big Picture

The Situation in Late 1754

The Factions:

• Emperor's side: Marathas (bribed)
• Safdar Jung's side: Rajputs, Jats (hate Marathas)
• Conspirators: Imad ul-Mulk, Udham Bai, Kamruddin's sons
• External threat: Abdali (waiting)
• Coming reinforcements: Bhau, Vishwasrao, mystery person

The Crisis:

• Two claimants to the throne
• Civil war in Delhi
• Hindu powers divided
• Abdali watching and waiting
• "Anarchy" and "new low" approaching

The Inevitability:

• Someone will win the Delhi fight
• But they'll be weakened
• Abdali will strike then
• The divided Hindus won't unite
• Panipat is coming

1754: The year the Mughal Empire tears itself apart. Two Emperors. One throne. Civil war in Delhi. And Abdali sharpening his sword in Afghanistan, waiting for the perfect moment...