English
Siraju-d-daulah treated all the noblemen and generals of Mahabat Jang with ridicule and drollery and bestowed on each some contemptuous nick-name that ill-suited any of them. 1 And whatever harsh expressions and abusive letters which added give 1170! (the date of Siriju-d-daulah’s murder by Mir Jafar and hi. eon Mixanj. The /6nxt seeme to have been written by some adheront of Nawab 8arfaraz Khan. 3 1 The 8*ir (Vol. II, p. 621), mentions that Sirija-d-daulah, on accession, ap. 364 epithets came to his lips, Siraju-d-d&ulah uttered them unhesita¬ tingly in the face of everyone, and no one had the boldness to breathe freely in his presence. Appointing a Kyeth, named Mo¬ hanlal, to be the minister and controller of all affairs, Siraju-d- daulah bestowed on him the title of Maharajah Mohanlal 1 Baha¬ dur, gave him a large bodyguard of cavalry and infantry, and ordered all his generals and nobles to pay respect to him. All did so, except Mir Muljammad Jafar Khan, a brother-in-law of Nawab Mahabat Jang, and the generalissimo of the army, who refused to pay respect to Mohaulal, and for some time ceased to pay respect even to Sitaju-d-daulah. But_Rajah Mohanlal, coiliDg himself round the brain and skin of Siraju-d-daulah, forgot himself so far that he fancied nobody else existed, appointed his own kith and kin to posts connected with the Crown-Domains and also to other revenue offices, and dismissed the old officers. For instance, Rajah Mohanlal sent a message to Nawab Ghulam Husain Khan Baha¬ dur 8 that if he accepted a pay of Rs. 200 a month, he might stay on, otherwise he should qnit the country. The latter, of necessity, ou the plea of visiting the Kabah , set out for Hugli. Inasmuch as before Mahabat Jang’s death, in the beginning of that year, on the 13th of Rablu-l-Awal, Nawab Nawazisb mad Khan Shahamat Jang, 8 who held the office of Diwan of Ben- pointed a Kyeth named Mohanlal as his Supreme Diwan. This elevation of an obscure Hindu to the highest oivil appointment naturally caused great offence to the old nobility, and especially to Mir Jafar, who conspired with other officers of the late Mahabat Jang in order to bring about a Revolution to destroy Siraju-d-daulah’s power, and to place himself on the masnad of 1 The Seir, the Ibrat-i-Arbab-i-Bafr, and the Riyat all condemn- Siriju-d- daulah for appointing this obscure aod insolent Hindu, Mohanlal, as his Sup¬ reme Minister, and mention the disgust it caused amongst the old nobility, w ho chafed under this indignity, and were therefore anxious to throw oil Siraju-d-daulah’s yoke. (See Ibrat-i-Arbab-i-Bafr, p. 26, Betru-x-Mutaihenn He was Author of the splendid Persian History of India entitled Jeiru-1‘ Uuta&erin. He was a partisan of Mir Jafar and the English East Ind.a Cotn- Siraiu-d-daulah had ordered his banishment from the country. P S He held the office of Deputy Governor of Jabangirnagar (Dacoa) un er , tv™, of Bengal though the practical work of Diw.n wo. .otnolly p- mwoos. Siehimot Jlng ha, 0U0 ot 365 gal, bad died, Siraja-d-danlah aiTested Raj&h Rajballab, PffshkSr of Shahamat Js.ng, on the plea that he Bbonld render np his accounts. Althongh Rajballab tried lmrd to pay up some cash and to com¬ promise the demands, Siraju-d-daulah did not consent, and kept him under surveillance . 1 Rajballab sent his family and children to Calcutta, to take shelter with the English. Siraju-d-daulah desired to arrest Rajballab s family also, and ordered Rajah Ram f head of his spies, to proceed to Calcutta, arrest Rajballab’s family, and bring them over. Mahabat Jang, whilst on sick¬ bed, had dissuaded Siraju-d-daulah, and directed him to post¬ pone the matter, and urged that after recovery he (Mahabat a Deputy Diwan in the person of Rijballab, in respect of the Qfcakla of Jahnn- girnagar or Dnccn, of which he (Shahamat Jang) was Deputy Governor. • The 8cir, the [brat-i-Arbab-i-Batr and tho Riynz mention that tho new Nawab, Siraju-d-daulah, inaugurated his regime by (1) tho plunder of Ghasiti Begam, (2) the dismissal of Mir Jafnrnnd the appointment of a Hindu, Mohan, lal, as the Supremo Minister, &o., (3) imprisonment of Rajballab, (4) tho con¬ quest of Calcutta, and (6) conqneet of Purniah. When dispassionately viewed, the particular measures noted abo*e (excepting one, namely tho appointment of Mohanlal) do not appear to have beon unjustified, thoogh they woro impolitic. Ghasiti Begam had no right to take away and appropriate tho State treasures held in trust by her late husband, Shahamat Jang, Ali Vardi’s Diwan, and Siraju-d-daulah who hid lawfully succeeded Ali Vardi wb, there¬ fore, justified in recovering them from her. Mir Jafar had proved unfaithful and treacherous even in the lifetime of Ali Vardi Khau in the strogglo with the Mahrattaa (See the Seir >; and Siriju-d-daulah was, therefore, not unjustified in suspecting him and dismissing him from tho responsible offioo of generalissimo of the army. Rijballab’s surveillance was a necessary political measure, as this crafty man. the Deputy Diwan or Peshkir of Jahangirnagar or Dacca under the late Shahamat Jang (Deputy Governor of Dacca) had failed to render his accounts, and as Siraju-d-daulah had reasons to bel.evo he (Rajballab) bad misappropriated a large part of the Public Funds m his charge. And when Rijballab’s son, Kishan Das, fled with the SUte treasures to Calcutta, the Nawab was obliged to advance against Calcutta to recover the State treasures and chastise his rebel subject, Kisjiau Ds. though ha u lG6S impQ,Bive and moro P™<lent, it i8 possible he EuvJuh Bu^t f t J6Ct ^ ° PCning dip,0matic correspondence with the ® remembered the Nawab was yet quite a boy, and had no good or reliable advisers about him. As for the conquest of Puraiah .t was a necessary political measure in self-defence, as £haukit Jang, at Mir Jafar’8 instigation, had publicly avowed his pretensions to the gadi of Bengal The only nowise measure was the elevation of an obscure Hind., „o * a Mohanlal, to tho highest oivil State offioe. This measure caused CTeat’d' * tp the old nobility, who ohafed under the insolenoe pf this, upstart. S66 Jang) would himself snmmon them. At this time, Siraju-d* daulah ordered Rajah Rara, head of his spies, to proceed to CaU cutta and arrest and bring over Rajballab’s family and children, and himself in the month of Shaban, on the plea of tonring, pro¬ ceeded towards Akbarnagar (Rajmahal). Whilst Sirajn-d-daulah reaching Dunahpur had encamped on the bank of the river Kala- pani, he received news that the English Chiefs in Calcutta had offered opposition, and prevented the arrest of Rajballab’s family and children. On the very receipt of this news, the fire of Sirajn- d-danlah’s rage kindled, and he summoned the officers of his army, and said : “ I intenff proceeding on an expedition against Calcutta. It is necessary that none of you should go back to Murshidabad, but that all should proceed straight from here to Qkunakhali and encamp there.” Next morning, setting out, Siraju-d-daulah reached Chunakhali, and from there proceeding by forced marches invaded Calcutta. In the month of Ramzan, fight¬ ing with the English, Siraju-d-daulah became victorious and triurn- phant, and the English Chief embarking on a boat fled. Sweeping the town of Calcutta with the broom of plunder*, and naming it Alinagar, Siraju-d-daulah left Rajah ManikoJjand with a large detachment as Governor of Calcntta. Posting Makhuah and Bajbajia (Bndge-Bodge) and ° ther ford ° for crossing and passage of English ships, S.rajo-d-dnalah at the end of the above month returned to Mursfeidabad. _ Sanlat Jang Faujdar of Pniniah, that year, previous to Maba- bat Jang’s death, in the month of Jamadi-l-Awal, had died, an 1 Rnlh the Seir and the Ibrat-i-Arbab-i-Bafr give his name as Mr. Drake. I Tt, t Siriin d-danlah plnndered Calcutta, is also meat.oned m tha lira . tT(p 29), „s well a. in tl,a Stir (p. 622, Vol. II); but non. o ,.Artab: B^ p '■ Musalman aooount, make any meat,on of Zl Hole - ia'cltnTgeoLlly associated with Sltaiu-d-daulab, con- “Tbrt-tbat Mr. Drake, tbe ^ number of English offleor. fledon atehtp. o * powder and mained behind in CaloutU, and' * thi , 6gbt, whilst a shot were not exhaus e . 7 d In tlliB connection, the Ser also number of their comrades were cap ^ ^ lnreA , B this fight were'well-t^a^^ by^a^n^iMunadHn noblmnan^ Miraa p^kJ^an^other end S— eoodect. (See Stir, VoU II, P. 622, Pars. text). 367 hie son, Shankat. Jang, who was a cousin of Sirajn-d-daulah, had snooeoded his father. At this time, Siraju-d-danlah desiring to displace Shankat Jang demanded the revenue of Pnrniah. 1 Sbankat Jang replied : “ Yon are lord of three Subahs (Provinces), whilst I am fallen iu this eorner, and am content with a bit of bread. Now it does not become your high aspiration to set the teeth of your avarice on this bit of bread, ” Siraju-d-daulah, on receipt of J The account in the Seir (Ten. text, Yol. II, pp. 624-632), is quite differ¬ ent, and is more reliable, aa its author wae attached at tho time as a Chief Adviser to ghankit Jang. It would appear from the Seir that Mir Jafar, in parsuanoe of his conspiracy to effect a Revolution, had written a letter to Shaukat Jang requesting the latter to place himself at the head of the revo¬ lutionary party in view of the prospeot of succeeding to the Nawabi of Ben- gal. Shankat Jang was a vain fool, and on receipt of Mir Jafar’s letter he openly talked in Darbar of his wild ambition to extend hia empire 4o Ghazni and Kandahar, and to conquer Bengal.