26 SOCIAL SCIENTIST plundered, all appealed to him for redress.6 Bahadur Shah was keen to restore order and summoned Mirza Ziauddin Ahmad Khan, Aminuddin Ahmad Khan and Hasan Ali Khan (uncle of the nawab of Jhajjar) to form an Executive Council to maintain law and order in the city. Hasan Ali Khan' s direct refusal foiled the King' s attempt at restoring order in the city.7 As an alternative, Mirza Moinuddin Hasan Khan, on the recommendation of Hakim Ahsanullah Khan8 was directed to restore order in the city and its suburbs.9 These measures were hardly enough to satisfy the terrified people, specially the shopkeepers, to resume their occupations. On being persuaded (or rather pressed) by the rebels, Bahadur Shah personally visited the city making appeals and giving assurances to the shopkeepers for their safety and asked them to resume their business.10 The King' s personal appeals also did not restore the confidence of the shopkeepers and they kept their shutters down.11 On the other hand disputes between the rebels from Meerut and Delhi over the distribution of plunder posed a newproblem. The King on returning from the round of the city found the agitated sepoys occupying the court-yard of the Diiwn-i Khas.u The rebels, unaware of the Court' s etiquette, addressed the King in a manner, which was deemed disrespectful.13 The behaviour of the rebels and their conduct in the city led Mirza Ghalib to explain that they (rebels) laid into dust both the honour and mansion of those who were distinguished for wisdom and good name while those who had neither power nor pelf shot into prominence. Men of valour were scared of their own shadows, and mere troopers ruled over all and sundry.14 On 13 May Mirza Moinuddin Hasan Khan was appointed Kotwal of Delhi and head of the Commissariate in the city. But this was a mere formality. Reports of rapine and plunder continued to come into the fort. Bahadur Shah shut himself up and refused audience to all on 14 May.15 Delhi remained at the mercy of the individual rebels and plunderers in the guise of rebels. Similar conditions prevailed even within the Fort, the King' s abode. A regiment of Native Infantry occupied the fort and placed its own guards without an officer to command them.16 On 15 May another effort to raise a police force of 100 men for the 'safet/ of the city failed to bring any result.17 Yet Bahadur Shah with all his limitations, was trying to restore order and punishing the offenders connected with the imperial service.18 To strengthen the city administration, he appointed Qazi Muhammad Faizullah and Abdul Hakim as city Kotwal and Naib Qazi for the administration of justice.19