The Seven Cities of Delhi
Ahmad Khan once again occupied Delhi, but soon retired after sending his salutations to Ali Gohar, the heir-apparent, who had previously
fled from Delhi to Lucknow, fearing, and with good reason, the designs of Ghazi-ud-din upon his life.
SHAH ALAM, as the new king had termed himself on receiving the news of the assassination of his father, did not reach Delhi until ten years later, after having kept up some sort of a court at Allahabad, with the aid of an annual subsidy of twenty-six lakhs of rupees from the East India Company. His son, MIrza (or Prince) Jiwan Bakht was meanwhile, by permission of the Mahrattas, regent at Delhi over a very small territory. At the end of 1763 Suraj Mai, the Jat chief, after occupying Agra, and seating himself on the throne of the Moghals (which at once cracked), advanced to Ghazi-ud-din Nagar, eighteen miles from Delhi, but was taken by surprise and killed. The sight of his head on a lance was sufficient for the discomfiture of his troops when they arrived too late. His son then allied himself with Malhar Rao Holkar, and was able to besiege Delhi for three months, until Holkar came to an understanding with their enemy, suddenly left him, and the siege was raised. In 1767 the Sikhs threatened Delhi.244
