"I don't know about Mughalani Begum's letter. I have no idea that she wrote to you about hidden wealth in Delhi. I don't know where wealth is buried."

Translation:

"Maybe it's fake"
"Not my thing"
"I can't help you find it"

Abdali's Response:

Didn't believe him at all
Suspected he was lying
Threatened him

The Threat

Abdali's Warning:

"If you don't tell me where the wealth is hidden, I will give you slashes in the public square."

Translation:

Public whipping/beating
Severe physical punishment
In front of everyone
Ultimate humiliation

The Family Connection

The Mehuda Problem

Who Was Affected:

Imtiaz was Mughalani Begum's mehuda (sister's husband)
He was going to be slashed publicly
He couldn't (or wouldn't) talk about hidden wealth

Mughalani's Dilemma:

She felt sympathetic to her relative
Became very disturbed
Changed her mind about the torture

Her Intervention:

Asked Imad ul-Mulk to join her
Together they went to Abdali
Pleaded: "Please pardon this guy. He really doesn't know anything."

Abdali's Inflexible Response

No Mercy

Why He Refused:

Had to get tremendous amount of wealth out of Delhi
His quota was not complete
Suspected these people were lying
Believed the wealth was hidden and they wouldn't give it willingly

His Philosophy:

"Whether it's good way or bad way, I have to get the wealth. I will use good means or bad means, but I have to get the wealth. Everything else is secondary."

The Reality:

He'd squeeze them until they gave up everything
No sympathy
No flexibility
The mission was wealth extraction, nothing else

Timeline

Date	Event
January 19, 1757	Imad ul-Mulk surrenders to Abdali
January 1757	Najib Khan pays 2 crore rupees, becomes Wazir
January 1757	Prayers said in Abdali's name (not Emperor's)
January 1757	Mughal Emperor evacuates Red Fort
January 1757	Abdali enters Delhi through empty streets
January 1757	Announces safety for citizens
January 1757	Brutally punishes non-compliant Mughal soldiers
January 1757	Confiscates Imad ul-Mulk's wealth
January 1757	Threatens Imtiaz with public slashing
January 1757	Mughalani and Imad plead for mercy (refused)

Key Players

Name	Status	Fate
Imad ul-Mulk	Former Wazir	Lost position, wealth confiscated, humiliated
Najib Khan	New Wazir	Paid 2 crores, got the position he wanted
Ahmad Shah Abdali	Conqueror	Entered Red Fort, controlling Delhi
Mughal Emperor	Puppet ruler	Evacuated Red Fort, prayers not in his name
Imtiaz	Mughalani's brother-in-law	Threatened with public torture
Mughalani Begum	Conspirator	Having second thoughts about family member's torture
Mughal soldiers	Military	Brutally punished if non-compliant
Citizens of Delhi	Civilians	Hiding in fear

The Power Transfer

Before and After

Aspect	Before (January 18)	After (January 20)
Wazir	Imad ul-Mulk	Najib Khan
Red Fort	Mughal Emperor	Abdali
Prayers	Emperor's name	Abdali's name
Real Power	Contested	Clearly Abdali's
Street Activity	Normal	Empty (fear)
Wealth	Hidden in homes	Being extracted

The Torture Methods

Making Examples

Why Public Torture:

Intimidation - Make everyone else compliant
Information extraction - Force people to reveal wealth locations
Punishment - For those who resisted
Control - Show who's really in charge

The Specific Techniques:

Mutilation (nose cutting)
Disembowelment
Public marking
Humiliation parades
Threats of worse

The Message:

"This is what happens to those who don't cooperate. Everyone else, comply or face the same."

The Wealth Extraction Strategy

Abdali's Method

The Steps:

Confiscate obvious wealth - Gold, silver, jewels from rich people's homes
Demand information - Where is the buried treasure?
Apply pressure - Threats first
Use torture - If they don't comply
Public punishment - Make examples
Extract everything - Until quota is met

The Targets:

Former Wazir (Imad)
His relatives (Imtiaz)
All rich Mansabdars
Courtiers
Anyone suspected of hidden wealth

The Quota System:

Abdali had a target amount in mind
"His quota was not complete"
Would keep going until satisfied
No mercy until goal achieved

Key Themes

Surrender Without Battle - Imad knew he couldn't win
Buying Power - Najib paid for the Wazir position
Symbolic Victories - Prayers in Abdali's name, taking Red Fort
Puppet Rulers - Emperor kept alive but powerless
Public Terror - Brutal punishments as examples
Systematic Extraction - Methodical wealth confiscation
Good Cop/Bad Cop - Promise safety, but punish severely
The Quota Must Be Met - Inflexible about wealth targets
Family Complications - Even conspirators have limits when family involved
Ghost Town Effect - Fear empties the streets

The Psychology of Control

Abdali's Sophisticated Strategy

Not Just Brute Force:

Selective Mercy:
- Don't kill the Emperor
- Promise safety to citizens
- Makes him seem reasonable
Targeted Brutality:
- Punish soldiers specifically
- Make public examples
- Creates fear without mass violence
Economic Extraction:
- Go after the wealth systematically
- Use torture for information
- No sentimentality
Political Control:
- Install Najib as Wazir
- Keep Emperor as figurehead
- Control through puppets

The Result:

Maximum wealth extraction
Minimum resistance
Stable enough to not collapse
Can leave it functioning when he exits

Mughalani's Dilemma

The Limits of Revenge

Her Arc:

Started: Angry, betrayed, wanted revenge
Middle: Invited Abdali, revealed secrets
Now: Feeling sympathetic when family member threatened

The Complication:

Imtiaz was her mehuda (sister's husband)
Family connection making her reconsider
But she created this situation
Too late to stop the machine she set in motion

The Irony:

She wanted Imad punished
Now his relative (who's her relative too) is being tortured
She pleads for mercy
Abdali refuses
She has no more control

The Practical Reality

Why People Hid Wealth

No Banking System:

No safe deposit boxes
No institutional security
Had to hide wealth physically

The Hiding Methods:

Buried in walls
Beneath floors
In secret rooms
In haveli courtyards
Anywhere they could dig

The Problem:

Family members knew locations
Under torture, people talk
Abdali had time and no mercy
The wealth WOULD be found

Imad's Fall

From Power to Humiliation

His Descent:

Stage	Status
Before	Wazir, powerful, controlling Delhi
January 19	Surrendered without fight
After Surrender	Lost Wazir position to Najib
During Looting	Wealth confiscated
Lowest Point	Insulted in front of his own servants

The Ultimate Humiliation:

Not just losing power
Not just losing wealth
But being insulted in front of servants
Loss of face
Loss of dignity
Publicly shown as powerless

What Comes Next

The Setup:

Abdali is now in control of Delhi
Najib Khan is Wazir
Emperor is a puppet
Citizens are terrified
Wealth extraction has begun
Torture is the tool
No one can stop him

The Questions:

How much wealth will he extract?
How long will the looting continue?
What will happen to the Emperor long-term?
When will the Marathas respond?
What's Najib's next move as Wazir?
How many will be tortured?

Historical Context

Why This Matters

The 1757 Sack of Delhi:

One of the major lootings in Indian history
Showed Mughal Empire's complete collapse
Demonstrated Abdali's ruthless efficiency
Set pattern for future invasions
Created power vacuum that Marathas would try to fill
Led eventually to Panipat in 1761

The Lesson:

Power without military strength is illusion
Puppets can be useful
Terror is a tool
Wealth extraction requires ruthlessness
No mercy in conquest

January 1757: Imad surrenders without a fight. Najib buys the Wazir position for 2 crores. The Emperor evacuates his own palace. Prayers are said in Abdali's name. Soldiers are mutilated and paraded through empty streets. The citizens hide. The torture begins. The wealth extraction is systematic. Abdali's philosophy is clear: "Good way or bad way, I will get the wealth. Everything else is secondary." Delhi has fallen. The looting has just begun.