afghanistan
Mannu Khan had also died in a freak hunting accident and ‘Alamgir ii had
appointed his own three-year-old son as nawab of Lahore, a decision that
precipitated yet another bloody power struggle in the Punjab capital. When
Ahmad Shah’s army reached the city in November 1756 its government was
so divided that Lahore fell without offering more than token resistance.
Ahmad Shah then overran Sirhind, Karnal and Panipat, advanced on
Delhi and sent ‘Alamgir ii a list of demands that included the payment of
20 million rupees, the hand of the emperor’s daughter in marriage, and
the secession of Kashmir and all Mughal territory north of Sirhind. While
‘Alamgir and his counsellors dithered about whether to give in to these
demands, in January 1757 Ahmad Shah arrived before the gates of Delhi
and threatened to sack the city if his terms were not met. Eventually, senior
Mughal courtiers took matters into their own hands, going from mosque
to mosque ordering the imams to insert the name of Ahmad Shah Durrani
in the khutba. A few days later ‘Alamgir ii went to Ahmad Shah’s camp and
acknowledged the Durrani king’s sovereignty. He was allowed to remain
on the throne, but the real power now lay with Ahmad Shah.
Following the submission of ‘Alamgir, Ahmad Shah made a grand
entrance into Delhi only to be greeted by silence and deserted streets and
bazaars, for those who had not already fled the city had barricaded them-
selves in their houses or hid in cellars. Ahmad Shah, though, ordered
his troops not to loot the city and a few days later the bazaars reopened.
Ahmad Shah then reversed the long-standing Mughal policy of religious
toleration, forbade non-Muslims to wear turbans and other forms of
‘Islamic’ dress and ordered all Hindus to wear a distinctive mark on their
foreheads, probably the traditional tikka. Ahmad Shah also demanded the
payment of millions of rupees in tribute, for he was urgently in need of the
cash as his troops’ pay was in arrears. The Mughal treasury, however, was
empty. When the king’s courtiers refused to hand over any of their wealth,
Ahmad Shah sent his own tax collectors into the palaces and hawelis of
courtiers and merchants and imposed a tax on every household in Delhi. 8
Those who refused to pay or were suspected of concealing treasure were
subjected to the falaqa, or bastinado, and thousands died under this torture
or were crippled for life. Others preferred to take poison rather than endure
such torment.
Having secured control of Delhi, Ahmad Shah turned his attention to
the Hindu kingdom of the Jats, which lay to the south and east of Delhi. The
fortress of Faridabad fell and was put to fire and sword, but subsequently
the Afghans were caught by a surprise raid and massacred. Sardar Jahan
Khan retaliated by sacking Ballabhgarh and plundering the surrounding