The Seven Cities of Delhi
himself of Alamglr before his power to do so vanished. He therefore caused it to be reported to the king that a holy man had taken up his quarters in the Kotlla of Firoze Shah; it was suggested that Alamgir should visit him there. The king had a partiality for religious mendicants, and readily agreed, but there awaited him
only an assassin, who killed him with his dagger,cut off his head, and threw the headless trunk on to the river sands below, whence it was taken and buried on the platform of Humayun's tomb. The Durani chieftain at once moved on Delhi, Ghazi-ud-din had to flee, and eventually he was deported to Mecca, in 1780, by the British police of Surat. He returned and died in retirement about 1800.
Not finding any one else to punish, Ahmad Khan visited the retribution of the crime on the innocent inhabitants of Delhi, now almost deserted ; he ordered a seven days' slaughter,sacked the city, and then, leaving a garrison in the palace, retired to Anupshahr.
The Mahrattas and the Jats now combined to drive out the Mahomedans and establish Hindu rule. After sustaining one defeat by the Duranis they forced them to retire, and easily took possession of Delhi, proceeding to strip the palace of all that was valuable, and that had been left by242
