English
It was only then that Shaikh Ghulam Qadir and his kinsmen and followers came to know of the arrival of the English regiment, and rose up to Before, however - those §b ai ^ 8 could arraDge their force in fighting array, the English regiment commenced firing their muskets, and killed Ghulam Qadir and his kinsmen, whilst others fled At this time Rajah Beni Bahadur asked Ghalib Khan, a notable of Delhi, whafc course he was to follow. Ghalib IQiau answered that if the Rajah cared for his honour, he must die fighting, or else must run away. Then for a t,me the Rajah engaged in fighting, but shortly after ehang.ng h,s mind, and pre¬ ferring not to die, ran away. In the meantime, hearmg the booming canons by the English regiment on the heads of Shaikh Ghnlsai ' *" Rajah Beni Bab.dnr, Shnje Q„li Khan's jealousy was aroused end fancying thit the booming proceeded from the Rajah's army, and that the Rajah wen soon achieve the bonoor of a victory, without stopping to enqmre into the matter, he forthwith s.llied out of bis position, advanced acres. S.mr' and Madak who in consequence had to suspend their cannonade, and waded rXiiif fail of mud. The English artiHery from front new quicken their cannonade, and Shnja Quli Khin and his soldier. jeleMly ^ their lives, having lost the cover of their own artilleiy. Ihe British reg. or otrated through the entrenchments of Rajah Beni Bahadur w o Z and SSL??:ling of the Nawib-Visier, a, the ground between wae , ’ , , V. v + ,j 0 foolish and disastrous iorward movement o §_ ] Theu y .be Nawl-Virier's army reeied and broke the Nawab- 11 Kntrlish troops, commenced plundenng h,s tents, uv V " rJSSTin the hands of the Nawab-Vizier had been released one day TeTore C hile, an, after the battle fled to Benares. (See dew, VI. * pp. 761*763). 395 Jagat Set Mahtab Rai, Rajah Sarup Qband (Jagat Set’s brother), the Zamindars of Dinajpur, Nadiah, Khirahpar, 1 Birbhum, and Rajshahi, <tc., and Dulal Rai, Diwan of Bhujpur, Fatih Singhi tiie Rajah of Tikari, koh of Rajah Snndar, and Ramnarain, De¬ puty' Governor of the Subnli of Azimabad, Muhammad Magum, and ManshI Jagat Rai and others, the Na.wab threw them into prison. And after strengthening the Fort of Monghyr, the Nawab sent a large army to Bengal. In the vicinity of Rajmahal, on the banks of the river Adhuah, he reviewed his army, and sent des¬ patches to the Faujdars and the Deputy Nazim of Bengal, direct¬ ing and instructing them peremptorily to fight with the English Amongst them, Shaikh Hidayitn-l-lah,* Deputy Fanjdar of Nadiah with a large army, Jafar Khan, and A lam Khan, Commandant oi tlie Turkish bodyguard of the Nawab, swiftly advanced to Katwah to fight. From the other side, the English army proclaiming Nawab Jafar Alt Khan as Silbadar of Bengal, and taking him in their company advanced to fight, and at a distance of two ka*oh entrenched itself at Dainhat.® On the 3rd of the month of Muhar- ram, both the armies arraying themselves for battle kindled the fire of warfare. The army of Qasim All Khan, after the fall of a number of men whose moment for death had arrived, being de¬ feated, fled to PalasI (Plassey) to Muhammad Taqi Khan, Faujdar of Birbhum. After two or three days, when the army of Bengal had collected together, the English Generals arrived pursuing them. This decisive victory at Baksar in 1764 (more than the battle of Plaasey) gave the English a firm foothold in Bengal, as a Ruling Power. It was soon followed by the Emperor §hah A lam’s grant of the Ditoani of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa to the English in 1765. (See Seir, Vol. II, p. 773). The English stipolated to pay annnally twenty-foor lakhs to the Emperor oo account of the Revenue of the above three Subahs. In this note, I have thought fit to summarise the evonts as narrated in the Seiru-UMutokhcrin, a contemporary record, the author whereof was oithor an actor in, or a spectator of, the many scenes enacted in those times. The note is long, but I have thought fit to give it, in order to follow the deve¬ lopment of the many important and stirring evonts that at length culminated in the transfer of the Ruling Power in Bengal from Moslem into English hand-. 1 Probably a misreading or misprint in tne printed Peraian text for Kharakpur. * In the flsir, his name is mentioned as Shaikh Haibata-Mah. (See Setr, Vol. II, p. 728, and n. ante ). e This most be the name of a market-place in Katwah itself. 396 Muhammad Taqi Khan, with a large army, advanced to fight, bu fell on being wounded with a gun-shot. His army being defeated, retired to Murshidabad. Syed Muhammad ©an, who held the office of Deputy Nazim of Bengal after the departure of Mir Turab All Khun for Monghyr, tame out of the City of Murghi- dabad with the troops at hand, and entrenched himself at ©una- Kbali. But when the news of the approach of the English army arrived, his troops (many of whom had already receivedwounds in their fightings with the English) without engaging in battle and without firing, their guns and muskets abandoned their entrench¬ ments, and fled to Suti. The army of Qasim All ©an arrived at Suti, where Sumroo the Frenchman, with other Generals and troops, was already from before. But the English not abandoning their pursuit followed them up, and a great battle ensued at Suti. In that the star of Nawab Qasim All Khan’s luck was waning, and the fortune of the English was in the ascendant, after severe fight¬ ing, in this battle also the English triumphed. The army of Nawab Qasim All Khan, unable to stand the cannonade of the •English artillery, were defeated, and retired to the banks of the Adhuah nalla , which was their camping ground from before. There all the troops of the Nawab collected together, and renewed fighting. At length, many of the Generals of Nawab Qasim All Khan’s army, including Gurgin Khan, Commander of the Nawab’s Artillery corps, as well as others, conspired with the English. The English, thus freed from anxiety, made a night-attack, and broke the Nawab’s army, which fled. A severe defeat was thus sustained by the Nawab. The defeated army in a worsted con¬ dition retreated to Monghyr. Nawab Qasim Ali ©an, on receiv- incr news of this defeat, lost heart, and was thrown into consterna- tion. In view of the disloyalty and treachery of the traitors who had e&ten his salt, the Nawab felt himself unequal for a contest, and abandoning all ideas of warfare he set out lu . an J“ 10 ^ 8 mood for Azimabad. The Nawab now killed Gurgin ©an on account of hi., treachery, and also slew Jagat Set and hie brother who were the plotters of this treacherous conspiracy, and who had sent out secret messages inviting Jafar Ah Khan and the Chns tian English and whose treasonable correspondence had been intercepted. The Nawab a,so hilled other Zamindars, Ac who r r; were iu prison, and each of whom was unrivaU d n his day for hatching plots and intngnes. After arrival 3$ 7 Azimabad, there, too, not finding himself secure, the Nawab sent his Begams to the Fortof Rohtas, whilst he himself proceeded to the Sabah of Oudh to the Yaziiul-Mulk Nawab Shujau-d-daulah Bahadur. There also he fell out with the Nawah-V.zier, who confiscated much of his treasures. From thence departing, the Nawab retired to the hills, and in those tracts he lingered some years in various mishaps, and at length died. 1 NIZAMAT FOR THE SECOND TIME OF JAFAR ALl EHAN BAHADUR. After Qasim AH Khan’s defeat, the English Chiefs again placed Nawab Jafar All Khan on the masuad of the Nizamat of Bengal. Ten annas of the revenue of the Provinces were allotted to the Euglish for their service as Diwan, whilst six annas of the same were held by Nawab Jafar All Khan. This time also for a period of three years, after displaying great feebleness in his Nizamat, in the year 1178 A.H., Nawab Jafar All Khan died. The English Chiefs placed on the masuad of Nizamat his son, Najrnu-d-daulah, 8 and appointed Nawab Muljammad Riza Khan Bahadur Muzaffar Jang to the office of Naih Nazim (Deputy Nazim). Najmu-d-daulah, after sitting on the masuad of Nizamat for two years, passed to the regions of eternity. After Najnau-d-daulah s death, his youn¬ ger brother, Saifu-d-danlah 8 succeeded to the mas7iad of Nizamat, whilst Nawab Muzaffar Jang continued to hold the office of Naib Nazim. Saifu-d-daulah after holding the Nizamat for two years died of small-pox ; and another brother of his, Muburiku- d-danlah, succeeded to tbe masnad of Nizamat. The English Chiefs removing Nawab Muhammad Riza Khan Muzaffar Jang from the office of Deputy Nazim, have fixed sixteen laks 4 of rupees as an annual allowance for the Nazira. This amouut the English pay each year. The English have now acquired domination over the l For some time, Mir Qasim stayed in the Rohilla country, subsequently left Uterjjhanaidi (the Afghan tract) and proceeded to the country of the Rana Gahad; theuce he proceeded to Rojpntana, wheuce again ho moved to the trnct between Agra and Delhi, where he died in distress. Seo Seiru-l- Mutatherin, Vol. Ill, p. 933. * See Seiru-l’Zfutak&erin, Vol. II. p. 771. ® See Seiru-l-MutakAcrin, Vol. II, p. 776. * In the 8eir, “ twenty-four lakhs,” Seir Vol. II, p. 781. 398 three Subahs, and have appointed Ziladars 1 (District Officers) at various places. They have established in Calcutta the Kbalisah Kachari (the Court for Crown-lands), make assessments and col¬ lections of revenue, administer justice, appoint and dismiss Amils (Collectors of revenue), and also perform other functions of the Nizaraat. And up to the date of the completion of this History, namely 1202* A.H., corresponding to the thirty-first year of the reign of Emperor Shah Alam, the sway and authority of the English prevail over all the three Subahs of Efengal, Behai-, and Orissa.