English
In pursuance of this plan, he sent despatches to his Deputies and Faujdars in Bengal to the effect that on a cer¬ tain fixed date everywhere, they should by means of treachery or violence massacre all the English residents. And after perso¬ nally giving peremptory injunctions to the Generals of his army to kill and caoture and pillage and plunder the English, he return¬ ed to Monghyr. And when on the day fixed, the army of Qasim All Khan prepared to discharge their commissioned task, a battle tas of the English, and remitted duties on all goods, explaining that when the goods of richer traders were to be exempt from duties, it would be inequit¬ able to levy duties on goods of poorer traders who contributed only a fraction to the State revenue. The Council in Calcutta sent Mr. Amy tt as their envoy to the Nawab to Monghyr to settle matters (p.720, Beir, Vol. H) Mr - Vansittart also sent a friendly letter to the Nawab requesting the latter to concede the demand of the Council. The Nawab consulted his general, the Armenian Gurgan Khhn, who advised the Nawab not to listen to Mr. Yansittarts advice (p. 760, Seir, Vol. II). In the meantime, Gurgan Khan bad caused the flower of the Nawab’s Army to perish in a fruitless expedition for the conquest of Nepal (p. 717, Vol. 11, Beir.) The Nawab now solicited aid from Nawab Vizier Shujau-d-daulah and the Emperor i* order to repeH^ encroachments of the English (p. 718, Seir, Vol. II). The Nawab also wrote to his capable and loyal Faujdar of Birbbum, Muhammad Ta qi Jagat Set Mahtab Rai and bis brother, Maharaja Surupcljand, grand**, of Jagat Set Fatehchand, from MursJjidabad to Monghyr under proper^ Muhammad Taqi Khan accordingly sent them to Monghyr, where j ordered to reside under surveillance (p. 721, Seir, Vol. n )- “ ® an “* MrAmytt was coming to Monghyr, the Nawab sent Mir Abdullah and Urn Husain KMn (author of the Seir). who were intimate w.th Hr. lmj go and receire him, and to enquire into the object of hi. .aa See.8 , Vol. II, p-712). Mr. Amytt’s mission proved a failure (See Seir, Vol. , 7 1 The Biyal’s account i, not quite accerate. What actually happened l a x * in the Seir, the author of which was an actor in these scenes. of the Patna Pactery, tn 389 ensued with the English army 1 . At length after successive on* slaughts, Nawab Qasim All JQjan’s army friumphed, 8 and engaging prepare for war, and the latter, without waiting for any declaration of war by the Coanoil, quietly concentrated all the available English regiments in bis Factory, and suddenly attacked the Fort at Patna The Nawnb’s garrison who were quite unprepared for such an attack, were surprised, and the Fort fell partially into the hands of the English, whose troops plundered the houses in the Fort. (See Seir, Vol. II, p. 726). From Monghyr, reinforce¬ ments were hurried up by the Nawab, and with these reinforcements Mir Mehdi Khan. Nawab’s Deputy §ubadnr of Patna, vigorously assaulted the Fort, recaptnred it, also CA| tured the English Factory, when Mr. Ellison with Dr- Fullerton and other Englishmen and their troops fled to Ohapra and thenoe to the S&rju, whon they were taken prisoners by the Bengalee Ham Nidhi, Faujdar of Sar&n, and 8nmroo the Frenchman, and bronght to Monghyr, where they were thrown into prison. It was then (See Seir, Vol. II, p 727), that the Nawab sent despatches to all his Faujdars and generals, apprising them of the outbreak of hostilities between him and tho English, and directing them to put) to the sword the English, wherever found. Mr. Amytt was killed at Mursbi* dabad, in pursuance of the above order (See Seir, Vol. II, p. 727). The Riyot statement that the Nawab fixed a‘particular day’ for the massacre of tbe English, or that he instructed his officers to kill Englishmen by treachery- does not accord with the Seir’e version, which is more authoutio and reliable. 1 It is not dear to which battle the Riyai refers here. As would appear from .the note ante, the first battle in which the Nnwab’s army triumphed was fought, in order to re-capture the Fort of Patna after the English had suddenly surprised it. It does not appear from the Seir'* account that on this viotory, the Nawab slew “ all the Englishmen, ” but what he did was that he apprised his officers of the outbreak of hostilities between him and tbe English, and directed the former to pnt the English to the sword wher¬ ever found. (See Seir, Vol. II, p. 727). In pnrsnnnco of the above general order, Mr. Amytt was pnt to tbe sword at Murshidabad, and tbe Qnaimbazar factory was looted. (See Stir, Vol. II, pp. 727-728). Then the English Counoil assembled in Calcutta, and decided on war against the Nawab, and also proclaimed Mir Jtfar (who was in surveillance in Calcutta) as the Nawab Nazim of Bengal (See Seir, Vol. II, pp. 708-769). In the meantime, the Nawib had directed his Fnnjdar of Birblmro (ilnl.mmmad Taqi Khan) to pre. pare for fighting with tbe English, and had sent his officers, Jafar Khan. Alam Khan and Shaikh Hnibatn-l-lah with others to re-inforce Muhammad Taqi IQiin. The above three officers proceeded to Murshidabad, took ammu- nitions and armaments from Syed Muhammad Khan, who was Deputy Nasim of Murshidabad at the time, and encamped at Plaasey and Katwab, whilst Muhammad Taqi Khan, with his army, proceeded from Birbhum to Katwah (See Seir, Vol. II, p. 728). * The only real victory that Mir Qisim appears*to have achieved over the English, was in his re-capture of the Fort of Patna. The Riyat's 390 in capturing and killing slew all the English, and plundered their factories. But Sadru-l-Haq Khan, Faujdar of Dinajpur, and the Rajah of Bardwan held baok their hands from this wretched work. account of these events is neither so detailed nor so Incid as that of the Beiru-l-MutaMerin, whose author Ghulam Husain Khiin was an actor in, or actual spectator of, most of these scenes. From the Seir, it appears that after the re-capture of Patna, the next battle between the English and the Nawab’s troops was fougbt at Katwah. The Nawab’s Faujdar of Birbhnm, Muhammad Taqi Khan, fought at this battle most gallantly, but his gallantry was of no avail, as Syed Mohammad lOian, Deputy Naaim of Mnrshidabid, failed, owing to jealousy that ho bore, to support him, and prevented Jafar Khan, Alam Khin, and Shaikh Haibatu-l-lah also from re-inforcing him. (See SHr, Vol. II, PP- 729 to 731). After this, the Engl - ih with Mir Jafar entered Mnrshidabfvd (Seir, Vol. II, p. 731). The news of the fall of his brave officer. Muhammad Taqi Khan, disconcerted the Nawab, who hurried up re-inforoe- ments under Sumroo, Malkar Armenian, and ABadullah, and direoted them to concentrate at Soti with the vanquished troops of Katwah. Major Adarog commanded the English army. At the battle of Snti, the Nawab’s troops were defeated, aud the English won the victory (See Seir, Yol. II, pp. 732-733). On hearing of the defeat at Suti, the Nawab sent his Begams and ohildren to the fort of Rohtas, whilst he himself sot ont with his general, the Arme¬ nian Gurgin Khan, to re-inforce his army that was now concentrated on the banks of the Adlma nalla, a stream taking its rise from the hills north of Hajmahal and flowing to the Ganges. This position was considered to be of strategio importance and impregnable, as it was accessible by only one seoret passage. (See Seir, Yol. II, p. 734). On 24th Muharram in 1177 A.H., in the night, the Nawab marched ont from the Monghyr Fort. Suspecting trea¬ chery from his officers as well as from his prisoners, and his suspicion being fanned by the Armenian Gurgin KhSn, the Nawab before leaving Monghyr killed his prisoners, namely, Rajah RSmnarain, the quondam Naib $ubadar of Behar Rajah Riijhallab, the quondam Diwan of Nawib ghahamat Jang, Rai Rnian Umed Ram, Rajah Fateh Singh, Rajah Buniad Singh (zemindar of Tikari), Shaikh Abdullah, as well as others. The Nawab caused Ramnnra.n to be thrown into the river below Monghyr fort with a pitcher filled with Band tied to his neck. Gurgin Khan, not satisfied with this work of butchery, incited the Nawab to kill also his English prisoners, consisting of Mr. Elison and Dr Fullerton and others of the Patna Factory. The Nawab, however, refused to kill them and placed extra guard on them. Kamgnr E?an Mum also joined the Nawab, who was encamped at the (Jhampanagar nalla hnb was sent away to Birbhum by the traitor, Gurgin Eian. {Sen, Vol. II p 735 ). At this time, Mir Rnjn-d-din, son of the late Nawab Ha. yrito of Purniab, deserted Mir Qwim’s army, proceeded to Parmab, and Ta. himself its master, and opened correspondence with Mir Jafar K£n n. p. 736). At Adhuo, tho MM troop. I 391 When Nawab Qasim Ali Khan made his entry into Monghyr, he summoned to his presence all the officers of the Nizamat of were wont for some time to sally ont in the night by the Becret passage, aud to do havoc amongst English troops. Once they went so far as to attack Mir Jafar Khan’s Camp, Mir Jafar Khan having come to Adhoa with the English army. Mir Jafar was about to ran away, whon the English army re-inforoed him. The English were throwu into consternation by these dostrnctive night-attacks, and were at a loss to find out the passage by which the Nawdb's troops approached the English entrenchments. At this time, an English soldier who had long ago left the English army and taken service under the Nawiib, informed the English army of the secret passage (Seir, Vol. II, p. 737), and undertook to guide them to the Nawnb’s entrenchments at Adhaa. With the help of this man, Colonel Goddard, with an English regiment, moved to the Nawdb’s entrenohment in the night. The Xftwdb’s array wore in a false sense of security, fauoying the position impreg¬ nable, and thinking that the secretpaseage to it was unknown to the English.