English
The Nawab's army under Aeadullah Khan, the Frenchman Samroo, the Armenians, Malkar and Antony, were surprised by this night-attack of the English and defeated ( Seir , Vol. II, p. 738), and dispersed on 26th Safar, 1177 A.H. On the second or third day, the news of this disaster reached the Nawdb, who now moved to the Monghyr Fort. After halting there two or three dnys, he left that place with Gurgin Khan and others, placing the Fort in charge of one Arab Ali Khan, a yroteae and creatnfe of Gurgin Khan, and reached the Rohua n alia. At this time, a leading nobleman named Ali Ibrahim Qian counselled the Nawab to release the English pri¬ soners, named Messrs. Etiaon, Jee, and Luslungton and others, or at least to send their wives by boat to Major Adame. The Nawab referred Ali Ibrahim Qian to Gargin Khan, the Aimenian evil genius of the Nawiib. The Arme¬ nian said no boats were available, and refused to listen to the humane counsel of Ali Ibrahim Khan. On the way, Gargin Khan was hacked to pioces with the sword by some horseman, whose pay was in arrear. The Nawab moved from Kolinn n alia to Barh, where Jagat Set and his brother Sarnpchand were put to the sword nnder Nawab’s orders. From there the Nawab moved to Patna, where he received news that Arab Ali Khan, commandant of the Monghyr Fort, and a creature of Gurgin Khan, had accepted a bribe from the English, and treacherously made over the Fort to the latter. (Scir, Vol. II !>. 741). The Nawab was oxnsperated ; he was filled with suspicion, and his annoyance knew no bounds, lie ordered the Frenchman, Sumroo, to kill the English prisoners. This Sumroo, though of one religion with the English prisoners, willingly accepted this murderouB errand, and on the night of the last day of Rabi-al-Awal, U77 A.H., he shot down the English prisoners, who were lodged at the time in the house of the late Hnji Ahmad, brother of Malia- biu Jang. That honse has sinco become the English burial-ground in Patna (See Scir, Vol. II, p. 739). None escaped except Dr. Fullerton (Seir, Vol. II p. 710). The Nawab accused Dr. Fullerton of treachery, which tho lutter 50 392 Beugal, and aet himself to the /ork of administering the several disavowed. The Nawab then spared his life. Dr. Fnllerton subsequently escaped to Hajipnr and joined the English army there (Seir, Yol. II, p. 741). The English next invaded Patna, and stormed the fort there (Seir, Yol. II, p. 742). The Nawab now crossed the Karamnassa river, and entered the terri¬ tory of Nawab-Vizier SVjnjan-d-danlah. (Seir, p. 743). The Nawab (Mir Qasim) now met the Nawab-Vizier Shujau-d-daulah and the Emperor nenr Allahabad, and induced them to help him in driving out the English from the $ubahs of Behar and Bengal (Seir, Yol. II, p. 745). The Emperor, the Nawab-Vizier and the Nawab now marched to Benares where they enoamped for some time, in order to invade Behar (p. 746 Seir). Dreading the approach of the Nawab-Vizier Shujau-d-daulah, the English with Mir Jafar, who had gone in pursuit of Mir Qasim, now retired from Baksar towards Pntna. Shujau-d-daulah with his huge army and with Mir Qnsim now overtook the English near Phulwari (p. 749, Seir, Yol. II). There were skirmishes, follow- ed by a battle in which the English nrmy reeled, but the result was indecisive, owing to absence of concerted action between Mir Qasim and .Shujau-d-daulah (pp. 749-750, Seir, Vol. II). At the same time, Mir Mehdi Khan, who had before fought so bravely for Mir Qiisim and re-captured the Patna Fort from the English, now deserted his old master, Mir Qasim, and joined the English (p. 750, Seir, Yol. II). The Nawab-Vizier with Mir Qasim now retired to Baksar (Sexr pp.7ol). At this time, from the English side, Dr. Fnllerton used Ghulam Hnsain Khan, the author of the Seir. as a spy. and wrote .o him to induce the Emperor to ge his support to the English, and to withhold his support of the Nawab^z e fp 751 Seir, Vol. II). Ghulam Husain Khan and his father Hedait A1. K£ who held jagin at Hus.inabad in Monghyr strict, held a pedlar P"*™ at tho time. They professed friendship both for Dr. Fullerton and be En^ ,i.h, and also for Mir QMm and the Nawib-Vizier. They’Were, i hmg. to all men, and enjoyed friendship nod indnonce amongst both the host, parties. They opened secret correspondence with the Emperor, and mdneed the latter to give his moral sopport to the English (p. 751, Seir, o • conference Z now held between Ghni.m Hnsain Khtn who role of an English spy and between Major Carnao, Dr. Fnll t f - n A a reulv was sent through Ghulam Hosain Khan and oth P to the Emperor. In the meantime, Shujau-d-daulah fell out with M,r , 7621 Mir Qasim now assumed the garb of a faqv, but was • tbn inTZalperpetrator of the Frlch'In and was paid up and dmcharged by the latter ^ ammQD - tion of took service under §iiu]ao- - anla^ ^ The NftW - ab . vizier 8 hamo- bis old master, l >r peop , ede80rfc ed the latter, except lossly imprisoned Ins refng Q J> who clung to his old his ono old brave and loyal office Ah Ib a ’ when raMter with a fidelity uncommon m those treach-rou 393 Provinces. And summoning to Monghyr, one hy one, the Rai d-daulah spoke ill of Mir Qasim, and wondered why All Ibrahim Khan clung to Mir Qasim, in spite of the latter speaking ill of All Ibrahim, the latter returned a manly and dignified answer which brought tears even to the eyos of the mean Nawab-Vizier. All Ibrahim said : 1 To my knowledge, I have not been guilty of any dereliction in duty to my master (Mir Qasim), except that after the events at Patna, whilst his other officers counselled him to go to the Dakhin, and secure support of the Mahrattas, I alone insisted on Mir Qnsim to Beek shelter with you, the Nawab-Vizier, and with the Emperor ! (p. 757, Vol. II,. Seir.) At this time, Mjor Munro, commander of the English array in Patna, wrote through Dr. Follerton to Ghulnm Husain lOian, the author of the Seir, to use his influence in acquiring the Fort of Rohtas for the English. Ghnlain Husain IQjan tampered with Mir Qasim’s commandant Rfijnh Sahmel, aud induced the latter to make over the Fort of Rohtas to Captain Goddard of the English army (p. 758, Seir, Vol. II). Mir Jafar now returned to Murshidabad, where ho died (Seir, Vol. II, pp. 758 759), on 14th §haban, 1178. Mir Jafar before setting out for Calcntta had left his brother, Mir Mohammad Kazim Khan, as Deputy Nazim of Patna, with Dhiraj Nnrain (Kamuaiain's brother) as Diwan under the latter. Mir Jafar appointed Nondo Kumar as his Diwan (p. 759, Scir t Vol. II), and imprisoued Muhammad Kiza Khan, Deputy Nazim of Dacca (Jahangirnagar), who was son-in-law of Rabia Begam and Ataullah Khan Sabat Jang. From fear of the prestige and power of Shujau-d-daulah and from fear of the odium they would incur by engaging in a war with the Emperor, both Mir Jafar and the English seriously contemplated patching up a peace with the Nawab-Vizier and th© Emperor, leaving to them the Behar Provinces, and stipulating to pay them a fixed revenue for Bengal (p. 760, Vol. 11, Seir). This was, however, not to be, owing to the Nawab-Vizier’s ambition which would accept of no compromise, bnt aimed at an exclusive domination over the whole Empire. Whilst Mir Jafar was yet alive in Calcutta, Major Munro succeeded Major Carnac in the command of the English army, and was ordered in $afar 1178 A.H., to proceed to Baksar to fight with the Nawab-Vizier &hnjaa-d-dauloh, who was offensive in his correspondence with the English Council in Calcutta.' Tho Nawab-Vizier and his army were in a sense of false security and were immersed in pleasures, frivolities and amusements, as if they had come for a picnic. On Major Munro's arrival, the Nawab-Vizier with his army hurriedly took np a position on the north-west of a jhil or marshy sheet of water. The English army rested on the south-east of the jhil. The Nawib-Vizier posted Sumroo and Madak with eight guns and eight regiments of Mir Qisim to cover his front. The Nawab-Vizier’s army was composed of three wings. The right wing was commanded by tho Nawib-Vizier himself, his centre was commanded by Shuja Quli Khan with six thousand Mughal troops, and his left wing was under the command of R5jah Beni Bahadur, Nawab-Vizier’s Deputy Subadar in Oudh and Allahabad. The left flank of the left wing rested on the banks of the Ganges. The battle opened with a cannonade, * h,Ch WaS hnM 7 kept upon both side*, and which did its destructive work 304 Raian Uroid Rai, bis son, Kali Par^had, Ramki^hor, Rajballab, on both sides. Then the Nawib-Vizier with his Mughal and Duranian troops made a flanking sally from towards the right of his own .artillery, assaulted Major Munro’e cavalry and camp, and worked havoc in the English army. From the brisk cannonade kept up by Madak and Sumroo, and from the repeated assrf<s of the Nawab-Vizier, the English army was hard-pressed. Major Munro grasping the crisis and finding a frontal attack impossible, owing to the muddy jhil lying in front of him, quickly detached a corps under Cuptain Nau to make a flanking movement from the side of the river, in order to attack the Nawab-Vizier’s left wing, commanded by Rajah Beni Bahadur. This corps approached slowly, and reached the plain of the ruins amidst which Rajah Beni Bahadur’s troops lay. Shaikh Ghulam Qadir and other ShaiUi Zadas of Lucknow who formed the van of Rajah Beni Bahndur’s army, stood with guns behind (wwall amidst those ruins. The English regi¬ ments slowly and circumspectly, without disclosing themselves, crept up to the summit of the wall, and it was only when they rolled down stones on the heads of the Rajah’s troops that rested behind the wall at its foot, that these woke up from their slumber.