English
But as fortune did not favour him, He could not stand his ground on the battle-field. He was vanquished, and lie lost his treasures and effects, Misfortune, like a post-boy, ran towards him. When the eagle of victory and triumph cast its shadow on the army of Emperor Akbar, and Daud Khan fled from the battle¬ field, the heroes of Khan Jalmn’s army, not abandoning Daud’s pursuit, followed him up, and at length Daud Kliau was captured, and brought to Khan Jahan. The latter, considering Daud’s life to be a source of disturbance and insurrection, ordered him to be killed. 1 His head wasicut off with the sharp sword, From the blood of Daud, the ground underneath reddened. The Royal throno (of Bengal) becamo emptied of kings, From Bengal, Royalty vanished ! Junaid Khan, son of Daud Khan, who receiving a mortal wound, had fled from the battle-field, some two or three days subsequently also died. Khan Jahan reduced to subjection as much of the country as was in the possession of the Khan-i- Khanau, and sent all the elephants captured from the Afghans, together with other booty, to Emperor Akbar. And Muzaffar Khan, striking up the kettle-drum of return, proceeded to Patna, and in 981 A.H., turned to the conquest of the fort of Rohtas.* I One cannot help noting the entire absence of chivalry on the part of this Mughal General, Khan Jah&n. If he possessed one-quarter of the chivalry of his own predecessor in office, the Khan-i-Khanan, ho could avo never extended bis hand to the perpetration of this brutality, which was as ferocious os it was ungallant. A worthy and heroic foe like Daud Shah le8 ervcd a better fate, and it is a pity that Khin master, the Grca Akblr, should not have provided against such a nusdeed, wh.ch must reflect adversely on the Emperor’s memory itself. . Tib. renowoed Fort in South Behar iu 945 A.H. passed mto the hand of gher Shah. (See Baia oaf for a desoriptioo of .t, aa ,l ““ ted ^ .. v rmrinz his reien and that of his son Salim Shah, Fath Si 8 * 1 Batni'commanded the Fort. Subsequently, it came into the hands of hula - 165 AN ACCOUNT OF THE EXTIRPATION OF CERTAIN GRANDEES OF DlUD KHAN. When Muzaffar Khan planned to return to Patna, on the way he detached Muhammad Ma’sum Khan* to conquer Husain Khan 8 Afghan who was in those parts, and he causing Husain Khan to flee, came to the Parganna which was his jayir, and entered the fort. And Kala Pahar coming with 800 corps of cavalry, besieged Ma’sum Khan. The latter seeing a breach made, battered down the rear-wall of the fort, sallied out, aud gave battle to Kala Pahar. As ill-luck would have it, in the heat of warfare, the war-elephant of Kata Pahar, with its trunk, flung down Ma’sum Khan’s horse, and threw down Ma’^um Khan on the ground. In the meantime, the Mughal archers hit the elephant-driver with the arrow, and the elephant, being without its driver, turned round and attacked its own army, and killed and trampled down numerous Afghans. From this cause, the Afghans were vanquished, Kala Pahar was killed, and his elephant turned back. The province of Orissa and Katak. Benares, the whole kingdom of Bengal and Beliar, by the efforts of Khan Jahan, were annexed to the Empire of Akbar; and the fortune of the kings of Bengal terminated, and no other king in that kingdom thenceforth minted coins, or had the Khutbah read after his name. And the leading Afghan grandees, like Husain Khan and Kala Pahar, as related above, were totally extirpated, and 6ome fled to the jungles in the tracts of Bengal. 8 In the nmn Kararani and Jnnaid Kararani. The latter appointed Syed Muham¬ mad Commandant of the Fort. Tl.o latter being hardpressed by Muzaffar Kh<m. Mnghal Governor of Bchar, fled to fchabbaz Khan (wto had been deputed by Akbar to chastise Rajah Gajpati. Sec Ain-i-Akbari, Bloch. Tr., Vol 1. p. 399), and handed over the Fort to him (984 A.H.) In the same year Akbar appointed Hubbub All Khin Rahtari Governor of Rohtas, and Shahbaz’ Khn made over the Fort to him. (See Bloch. Tr. of Ain, Vol I p 422) Tr See Particulars of his career in Bloch Tr. of Am, Vol. I p 431 n and also in Badaoni and Maasir-ol-Umara. * See p. 439, Bloch. Tr., Ain, Vol. I. * After the battle of Akmahal o BaimAhnl a n \ • , . , % “7?- Kn* o, Bengal, y lvea at time, defeated remnants of Tinnd’o 166 year VS7 A.H., Khan Jaban died, 1 and the Afghans, whose names and traces had been lost, now issued oat from all corners, and tried to re-occupy and re-conquer the country. Amongst these, ono principal Afghan commander, named ‘Osman Khan, combining with other Afghans, raised an insurrection. Emperor Akbar appointed Khan ‘Azim Mirza Kokah,* together with other princi¬ pal Omra, to the Government of Bengal nnd Behar. And he made meedworthy efforts to destroy and extirpate the Afghans. And when he did not succeed in completely extirpating them, Shahbaz Khan 3 came with re-inforcements, ns an auxiliary to the Imperialists; and then engagements ensued with ‘Osman Khan, The ferocious Imperialists did not stay their hands from the slaughter, capture and extirpation of the insurgent Afghans. In short, in the life-time of Akbar, the fortune of the Afghans declined, but as their extirpation was not completed by the time of the death of Emperor Akbar, which took place in 1014 A.H., ‘Osman Khan rising again, re-sharpened his sword. And mobilising nearly of Dand, Bengal was by no means thoroughly conquered, as troubles broke out in Bhati (Sundarbans including tracts along the Megna), where the Afghans had collected under Karim Dad, Ibrahim and ‘Isa m,an, whom Abul Fazl calls . Marzban-i-Bhati.” (See Ain-i-Akbari, Bloch. Tr., Vol. I, PP . 330 and1 343). . lie died at a town called Sihatpur (the ' Sanitarium ’) which ho had founded near Tandah. 5 In 988 A.H. Aziz was promoted by Akbar to command of Five Thou- sand, received the title of Azam KM-, and was in 988 AH^detached a lareo army to Bengal and Behar, to qocll diaturbanccs. In 990 A.H. he was again sent there, ^hen ho occupied Tcliagadhi, the " key " to Bengal. Ho fought against the robeU Ma^om-i-Kabuli and U.j.on ghin, and against tTe Afghan Qotlu, who had oceupiad Or.ssa and a porton B g I. He took ill, retired to Behar, leaving tbo command ,n Bengal to ^ h Khira Kambii. Of him, Akbar used to say Between mo and i. s .s a . S“milk which I cannot cross.” (See Blochraann s Tr., Am, Vol. I, p. 3. details of his career and also Mosrir-ahh-nore) Ain-i-Akbari, : For interesting detail, of hrs career see fled lo Vol. I, p- 399 and Ifoos.r-ai-P-mtrs. 3Ia?am K ghihbis Bhati, and took refuge with the Marsh, - “ '°“7 ed ed hi Bakht^ur ^Bin”. residooco, occopiod Sonargaon ganj) plundered Bakht arp ta—^ -lei Bin made pro- and ecam P ed on the banks or #n Imperia i Resident was rsUy°atTuL W gaot Ma' ? um ^wed 167 20,000 Afghans, he had the Kliutba in that tract read after his name, and from the pride of being at the head of numerous followers, he became aggressive. And taking no account of the Imperial officers who were stationed in this country, he raised his hand of conquest on the Imperial dominions. -o- Now I adorn my rarity-depicting pen with the chronicle of the accounts of the Nazims of Bengal, who were honoured with the khilPat of the Nizamat of Bengal from the lofty presence of the Chagtai 1 Kmperors, and who raising the standard of authority, freed this country from the weeds and thorns of rebellions. l i.e., Mughal Emperors. See note ante. 168 CHAPTER III. AN ACCOUNT OF THE RULE OF THE NAZIMS WHO WERE APPOINTED TO THE NIZAMAT OF BENGAL BY THE TIMURIDE EMPERORS OF DELHI. NIZAMAT OR VICEROYALTY OF RAJAH MAN SINGH. • • When on the 19th Jamadi-ul-Sani 1014 A.H., Nuru-d-din Muhammad Jahangir Badshah, in the fort of Agra, ascended the Imperial throne, inasmuch as from official despatches, news-letters, and the correspondence of officers, news of the insurrection of ‘Osman IQ)an was continually received, on the very day of his accession, the Emperor, bestowing rich khill'at with charqal , and a sword set in jewel, and a splendid horse, appointed Rajah Man Singh to the Nizamat of the Subah of Bengal, whilst Wazir ghan was exalted to the office of Diwan and Auditor 6 his Province.' After their arrival in this country, the refractory ‘t man advanced to fight, and a battle ensued. ‘Osman with great shrewdness opened secret negotiations. As the war was protracted, and the extirpa¬ tion of the Afghans was not accomplished, in that very year of accession, Rajah Man Sing * was recalled from office, and 1 For the first time, we hear of the oflicea of Na*im and Diwan. Hither¬ to we heard of Military Governors, called “ Sipasalars ” or “ Sirlaghkars or “ Hakims ” appointed by the Mughal Emperor. It is obvious that, hitherto, Bengal under the Mughals waa under a sort of Military Government, presided over by Military Governors. When the back-bone of Afghan opposition waa broken, in the time of Emperor for the firsb time, under Mngha! rale, Bengal waa placed under Civil Government by the Maghal Emperors, who appointed two distinct func¬ tionaries, one being the Nasim (in charge of executive government) and the other, tL Diwan (in charge of Revenue and Finance,. **£ Government, though actually enforced in Bengal in Jahangir s time, must have been matured towards the end of Akbar s reign. ..... f 8 He was a son of Bhagwan Das, and Akbar bestowed on him the title> of farzand " or “ Son, ” and raised him to the Uansab of Haft Hatan. See 169 Qutbu-d-din Khan Kokaltash was exalted to Iiis place, being the recipient at the same time of khil’nts with a belt set in jewels, and of a horse with gold-mounted saddle. The Viceroyalty of Rajah Man Singh lasted eight mouths and a few days. -o- NIZAMAT OF QUTBU-D-I)lN KHAN.