English
™* too £ t W united forces, and retired towards Bitiah, where of a night Muwn —^killed by lightning, whilst sleeping in his tent. (See Seir. Vol. , P- WW 381 Khan spurred on hi6 elephant with liis feet, and shot arrows. Nawab Sadiq All Khan received a wound, being hit by an arrow. At tbis moment, a big cannon-ball hit Qadirdad Khan on the left side of the chest, and finished him up. On seeing this mishap, Kamgar Khan and others reining back their horses fell baok to their own lines. The army of Sadiq All Khan, on ascertaining this, made a fresh onslaught, attacked the Imperialists, and struck up the music of victory. The Imperialists were defeated Rahim Khan and Zainu-l-Abidin Khan, who had made a dolour towards the rear of Sadiq Ali Khan’s army, on hearing the music of victory, made a flank movement towards the right wing, and attacked it. But owing to the cannonade of the English artillery, they were unable to stand their ground, and were defeated. After defeat, the Imperialists retired towards Bardwan, and Sadiq Ali Khan, pursuing them, followed them up to Bardwan vid Qhakai, 1 * Kbauti,* and Birbhum. From this side, Jafar Ali Khan also marched expeditiously to Bardwan, and on the banks of the river 3 * 5 below the town of Bardwan, a battle commenced with a cannon¬ ade. The Imperialists not being able to hold their own there, marched back to Azimabad. Jafar Ali Kb*n and §adiq Ali Khan now set. themselves to con¬ fiscate the treasures and effects of Nawab Siraju-d-daulah and the Begams of Mahabat Jang, <fco. Rendering the latter hard up for even a night’s sustenance, they had already sent to Jahangiruagar (Dacca), the Begam of Mahabat Jang' with her two daughters, one named Amanah Begam,* mother of Siraju-d-daulah, and the other named GhasitI Begam, widow of Shal.amat Jang, to¬ gether with other ladies of Mahabat Jang’s harem. Jafar Ali Khan and Sadiq Ali Khan now sent Baqir Khan, the General, to Jahangirnagar (Dacca) with a corps of one hundred cavalry, and wrote to Jasarat Khan, Faujdar of Jahangirnagar, peremptorily directing the latter to capture and make over Ghasiti Begam and l In the printed Persian text ‘ Jakni, which would apparently seem to bo a misreading or misprint for Qhakai, in Monghyr district, which would bo on the line of route. 3 ‘ Khanti * or Contai is in Midnapur district. I think this must be a mis¬ print or misreading in the Pers. printed text, as Khanti does uot appear to lie on the line of ronte from Bihar to Bardwan ; probably Knndi is meant 5 That is to say, Dmudar river. * In Seiru-l-ilutal&erin, ‘ Amanah Begn- ' 382 Aminah Begam to Baqir Khan, as soon as the latter arrived. Ou the arrival of Baqir Khan at Jahangirnagar, Jasarat Khan 1 was obliged to pass the necessary orders. The Begams were placed on a boat, which was taken ont some karoh from Jahangir¬ nagar and there sunk in the river. It is said that when the Begams were taken out to the boat, and became aware of their fate, they repeated their prayers, held the Holy Qorfln in their armpits, embraced each other, and then plunged into the river. 0, Gracious God, what inhuman barbarity was this ! But at length, Sadiq Ali Khan also suffered retribution for it in bis own life-time. 8 At this time a misunderstanding had set in between Sadiq Ali Khan and Khadim Hnsain Khan, on account of levy of revenue aud also of other matters. $adiq Ali Khan, resolving to expel and extinguish Khadim Husain Khap. plauned an expedition to Purniah. Khadim Hnsain Khan advancing with his troops from Purnifth, entrenched himself at Gandahgolab (Caragola) for fight¬ ing. Then, all of a sudden, news arrived that the Imperialists had besieged the fort of Azimabad (Patna), and were fighting with Ramnarain. Consequently, §adiq Ali Khan, abandoning his contemplated expedition to Purniah, set out for Azimabad. Khadim Husain Khan, not considering himself a match for him, set out for the Imperial Capital. From this (i.e., the south¬ ern) side of the Ganges, the army of Sadiq Ali Khan, and from that (i.e., the northern) side of the Ganges, Khadim Husain Khan 1 To the oredit of Jaeirat Khan, Faujdar of Dacca or Jabingirnagar, it u related in the 8eir that he had declined to be a party to such a diabolical murder, and had offered to resign his post. It appears from the Seir Mir Jafar subsequently hoaxed Jasirat Oin, and induced the latter to make over Baqir KhSn the two Begams, on the plea that they would_ be safely lodged at Murshidabad, now that Minin had left that place for Bihar. . a That Mir Jafar aud his son, Miran, were despicable tyrants, is sufficient y attested by this diabolical marder. There i. nothing to match such rnhuman barbarity io the record of the much-abnaed Straja-d-daolah. See MutakAerin, Vol. II, p. 089. It appears Ammah Begam, before P 1 "”** * the riser prayed to God that Miran might meet with retribat,oa aud be tailed ty lightaiog for his barbaroos inhumanity ia causiag her aed her s.ster . death if is farther etated ia the Seir that Miraa wa. ta.ied by.ghta.ng.o .^ the same eight that Ghaeiti Begam and Ammah Begam (dngUar. j Khin Mahahat Jang, and wives of Shahamat Jang and He, bat Jang respeo tirelyi met with a watery grave ia the'river below Dacca. 383 marched up. And when news of the approach of Sadiq All Khan spread at Azimabad, the Imperialists raising the siege of the fort of Patna retired by the highway towards Munir. Sadiq All Khan, thus finding himself at leisure, crossed the river, and marched in pursuit of Khadim Husain Khan. Khadim Husain Khan marched forward with the swiftness of ligbtuiDg and wind, whilst Sadiq All Khan hotly pursued him from behind, making forced marches. At this juncture, a storm of wind and rain came on and disabled both the horsemen and the horses from action. Khadim Husain Khan reached the bank of a river, 1 to ford which was difficult, and to cross which without a ferry boat was impossible. The army of Khadim Husain Khan, like the Israelites of old, finding the river in front and the enemy in the rear, despaired of life. Finding all ways of escape cut off, Khadim Husain Khun of necessity flung his treasures and heavy baggages amongst his soldiers, and placiug his trust in his God and looking up to the Infallible Artist, looked out for supernatural help. The army of Sadiq All Khan, having had to march through mud and clay and being drenched through by a heavy shower of rain, were rendered unfit for fighting, and halted that day at a distance of 2 karoh from Khadim Husain Khan. In that the cup of the life of Khadim Husain Khan and his companions was yet not full to the brim, at midnight a lightning fell on Sadiq All Ithan, and killed him and his personal attendant. This mishap occurred in 1173 A.H. Khadim Husain Khan, thus getting providentially rescued from tho claws of certain death, marched away with the speed of lightning and wind, and went to tho Subah of Audh (Oudh). Rajballab 8 and other comrades of Sadiq Ali Khan rubbed the ashes of sorrow and anguish on their heads, and together with the English array retired to Azimabad. There they directed their attention towards the Imperial army, includ¬ ing the Emperor’s Mahratta Contingent, who were encamped at Hilsah, and commenced warfare. The Imperialists were again defeated, and the French General 8 who was in the company of 1 This was the river Gandak, as would nppear from the description in the Seir. * Riijbnllab, a native of Dacca, was Pcshknr of Husain Quli Khan, whilst tho latter was Diwan of Rli ah am at Jang in Dacca. After Hus&iu Quli Khan’s death, Rajballab rose to be Diwnn of Sh&linmat Jang. He was continued in the same office under Alirnn. 8 This was Mona. Las, as would appear from the Seir. 49 384 i the Emperor was captured, whilst Rajballa 1 ' followed up to Bihar. When the Imperialists marched towards Gya-Manpur and Earn* gar Khan fled to the hills, Rajballnb thought of returning. But at this moment, news arrived to the effect that Nawab Jafar All Khan was a prisoner, and that Nawab Qasim All Khan 1 had acquired the Subah of Bengal, ns will be related hereafter. The period of the Nizamat of Nawab Mir Muhammad Jafar All Khan lasted about three years. -o- NIZAMAT OF ALIJAH NAS!RU-L-MULK IMTIAZU-D- DAULAH QASIM ALT KHAN BAHADUR NASRAT JANG. Nawab Jafar Ali Khan had sent to Calcutta his kinsman, Mir Muhammad Qasim, 2 * * S who was a son of Nawab Imtiaz Khan, snr- named Khalis, to represent him at the Conference regarding the Administration and settlement of the apportionment of 10 annas of the revenue to Jafar Ali Khan and six annas to the English, and regarding the enjoyment of the office of Diwan by Jafar Ali Khan. On the death of Sadiq Ali Khan, the Army demanding their pay which had fallen into arrear for some years mutinied in a body, besieged the Nawab in the Chihil Satun Palace, and cut off supplies of food and water. In consequence, the Nawab wrote to Mir Muhammad Qasim Khan to the effect that the army had reduced him to straits for demand of arrear pay. Mir Muham¬ mad Qasim Khan, in concert with Jngat Set, conspired with the English Chiefs, and induced the latter to write to Nawab Jafar Ali Khan to the effect that the mutiny of the army for 1 Mir Qasim wns a son-in-law of Mir Jafar, who had conferred on the former theFaujdari of Porniah in addition to that of Hangpur. Mir Qasim went on some State business to Calcutta, and there mado an impression on Mr. Vansit- tart, who had now succeeded Clive as Governor of Calcutta. At this time, the pay of the army being in arrear, the latter besieged Mir Jafar in his palace. With the help of the English Council in Calcutta, Mir Qasim now became Nazim of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, in snpercossion of Mir Jafar, who had proved himself an incapable ruler. (See Scir , Vol. II, p. 695).