English
His sons were Zabardast Khan (who chastised the rebel Afghan, Rahim Khan) and Yaqub Khan (who became $ubedar of Luhor). He was recalled from Bengal in 1109 A H. (in the 41st year of Anrangzeb’s reign), when Shahzadah Mnhammad Azirti, alias ..zimn-sh-Rhun, was appointed in his place. (See Maasir-i-AUitngiri, pp. 71, 163, and 387, and Maasir-ul-umara, Vol. I, p. 295). The English merchant styled him “the moat famously juat and good nabob" (see Wilson’s Early Annul* of the English Bengal, Vol I, p. 124), as he allowed them to return from Madras and finally settle at Sntannti (fnfro Calcutta) in the first year of his Viceroyalty (1690), after Emperor Aurangzeb had that year granted a general pardon’ to the Eoulish merchants, on their making a moat humble (aJTT ffT “ d ° n th6ir ‘ pron,iHiDg 40 W a fine of Rs. 150,000* v Hee Banter s India, Vol. 8, pp. 265-266). 230 (Dacca) and dqvoted himself to administrative affairs. He nn- furled to the oppressed the gates of justice and clemency, and did Jamal Kh an. Serandaz Kh an. Qnramal Khan and Unhammad Beg, to re¬ inforce Abul Hassan, to co-operate with the latter and occnpy Sandip (Sondip), and to extirpate its znmindar, Dilawar. Ibn-i-Husain with this re-inforcoment moved np to Noakhali, which is in front of Sandip, and halted there with Mohammad Beg, in order to blockado the passage of the Arrakanese fleet. Abul Hassan with others then attacked Sandip, wounded and captured Sharif, son of Dilawar, and captured also, after severe flghtiDg, Dilawar with his followers, and sent them prisoners to Jahangirnagar (Dacca) in charge of Manuar, zamindar of Jahangirnngar, and subdued Sandip. Nawab Shaista Khan, on getting news of the conquest of Sandip, appointed Abdul Karim, brother of Rashid Khan, to the charge of Sandip, with 203 cavalry and 1,003 infantry. The Feringis (Portuguese) wero at this time siding with the Arrakanese, so Nawab Rljaista Khan first took steps to detach the Feringis, and for this purpose sent out letters to some of the leading Feringis. Some of these letters falling into the hands of Karam Kibri, a Mag, who with a fleet was in the environs of Sandip, the latter com¬ municated it to the Rajah of Arrakan, who lost confidence in tho Feringis, and ordered that the Feringis should be deported from Chittagong to Arrakan. The Feringis of Chittagong getting scent of this set fire to many of tho Arrakanese fleet, and fled to Noakhali in the Mughal dominions. Farhad Khan, Commandant of Blialnah ont-post, kept somo Feringis with himself, and sent their leaders to Nawab Shaista Khan to Dacca (Jahangirnagar). Tho latter treated them generously. The Nawab then sent out an expedition to Chittagong in charge of his son, Bnzurg Umed Khan, ofIkhti$a? Khnn Barha, Sabal Singh Sinsudiah, Mianah Khan, Karan KhajI, with 2,000 cavalry. Orders were sent out to Farhad Hian, Thanadar of Bhalnah, to move up with Ibn-i-Husain and Manuar zamindar, with the fleet, and to Mir Murtaza, Superintendent of Artillery, to join Farhad iaan and to cover the latter’s front. Captain Moore, Chief of the Portuguese in Chittagong, with his fleet was directed to render loyal services. Kamal, son of the former Rajah of Arrakan who had taken shelter in Dacca in the reign of Emperor Shah Jalinn, was also directed to go with Mir Murtaza, and to send conciliatory messages to the Mag Commander of Chittagong. Farhad Khin and Mir Murtaza proceede bv the land route, whilst Ibn-i-Hnsain, Muhammad Beg, ^ ’ ed by the river route. These reached (setting out from Nookhd.) Thana Jagdiah, on 16th Rajab; on the 18th Rajab, Farhad ^n with h,s followers crossed Finny river (Phani), snd on the 24th Enj.b reached near’ a **£■ Which was one day’s distance from Chittagong, and then waited for the General-in-Chief, Bnzurg Um,d ©in. The latter on 21st Rajab crossed Finny river, and on 25th Kajab reached a point which was 10 *rh dmtant * IDDy A r Itmk from Farhad Khans encampment. The : r0m ria“ g : jf- iliSr J£, 20 'von. Bnzorp. v'Z Khan’s encampment. On 27th Baj.h, two naval engagements were 231 not allow an ant to be oppressed. As Emperor Aurangzeb was engrossed in fighting for twelve years in the Dakhin with Abul Hasan 1 alias Tana Shah, the Ruler of that Province, and with Siva and Satnbba* Mahrattas, rebellious zamindars of Sattara, &c., disturbances 8 broke out in several parts of the Empire owing to the Emperor’s protracted absence from his capital. In the Subah of Bengal, in the district of Baldwin, Subha Singh, zamindar of Chitwah* and Bardali, revolted, whilst Rahim Khan the cut-nosed, who was leader of the Afghans, joined the former with a contingent of Afghans. Kishan Ram, zamindar of Bardwan, 5 who smarted under the former’s oppressions advanced with his force to encounter him, and was killed. And i/he latter’s wives and children, together with all his effects and fought, in wfuen the Arrnkancse were dofeated. The Arraknnese fleet then moved op to the Karanphuli river. Under orders of Bnznrg Umcd Khin, Mir Murtaza cutting down the jnnglea, and laying down a road, moved np by land to near the Karanphuli, to re-inforce the Imperial fleet, Buzurg Umod Khan himself eimilarly moving up. A Bevere naval engagement took place in tho Karanphuli river, in which the Mags wero crushingly defeated, and Bnzurg Umed Khan stormed Chittagong fort, captured tho Arrakaueao flot, and subdued the whole tract of Chittagong, and 132 Arrakaueao war-vessels, with gnna, armaments and elephants, were captnrod. Emperor Aurangzeb ordered Chittagong to be named Islamabad, and conferred gifts on Nawab Shaista Khin, and raised his son Buzurg Umed IQian to the rank of Hazar-o-Pansadi, and Farhad Kh an to the rank of Hazar-o-Pansadi, and conferred on Mir Murt&za the title of 1 Majabid Khan,* and on Ibn-i-Husnin tho title of Muzoffar Klin, and raised Mannar zamindar to tho rank of Hazar-o-PantaJi. This conquest of Chittagong took place in tho 8th year of Aurangzeb’s reign. See Alamgimamah, p. 956. 1 See pp. 259, 144, 143, 244, 245, 269, 285, ond 309, Moasir-i-Alam- giri . 8 See pp. 142, 211, 319, 332, 308, Maanir-i.Alamgiri. 8 The text does not narrate another disturbance that had previously broken ont on the Assam frontier. The Assamese had attacked tho Imperial garrison at Ganhati, and killed its Fanjdur, named Sycd Firnz Khan. For tho purpose of chastising tho Assamese, an Imperial expeditionary force was sent out by Aurangzeb to Assam ( Uoagir-i-Alanyiri , p. 64). * Chitwa or Chatwah is mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari (see Jarrct’s Tr. Vol. 2, p. 141) as a pargana or mahal under Sarkar Madnmn. I havo failed to trace Burdha, which may be a misprint in the text for Bulgarin, another mahal under the same Sarkar, or for Bharkondah (vur. Bhargouhn), a mahal under Sarkar fiharifabad (see Ain , Vol. 2, p. 139). Sharifibad' V,lD nPP0arS ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 139) “ “ ’ nahal uuder Sarkar 232 treasures, were captured, aud his son. Jagat Rai, taking to his heels, fled to Jahangirnagar (Dacca), which was the Viceregal capital of Bengal. Ou hearing of this, Nuru-I-lah Khan, 1 Faujdar 2 of the Clmklah of Jasar (Jessore), Hugli, Bardwan, and Mednipur, who was very opulent and had commercial business, aud who also held the dignity of a Sehhazari, marched out from Jasar s in order to chastise and subdue the rebels. From the din of the enemy’s march, considering himself unable to stand the onset, he retired to the fort of Hugli, and sought for help from the Christian Dutch of Qhuchrah (Chinsurah). The enemy, on getting news of Nurullah’s cowardice, promptly set to besiege the fort, and after skirmishes reduced the garrison to straits. Aud that coward, acting on Shaikh S‘adi’s couplet: n When you cannot vanquish the enemy by your might, You ought to close the gate of disturbance, with largesses,” throwing away his treasures and effects, considered it lucky to save his own life. With a nose and two ears, clad in a rag, he came out of the fort; and the fort of Hugli, together with all his effects and property fell into the enemy’s hands. From the occurrence of this disaster there was a universal commotion. The leading gentry and nobility of the town and suburbs, and the merchants and residents of the environs, together with their effects, took refuge in Qlmchrah (Chinsurah), which was a place of security. The Dutch leaders sailed up to the foot ol the fort with two ships loaded with soldiers and armaments and by a shower of canuon-balls, they battered the buildings of the fort, and flooded the harvest of numerous lives with the torrent of destruction. Subha Singh, not arranging terms of peace, fled to Satgaon, close to Hugli, and there, too, not finding 1 This Nurullah Khan appears to have been subsequently promoted by aurnngzeb to the post of Deputy ?uh*dar of Orissa (See Maasir^Alamgxn, P * Ain, II, says : “ In the same way that His Majesty (Emperor Akbar), for the prosperity of the Empire, bus appointed a Commander of the forces for each Province, so by his rectitude of judgment, &c , . . p?™**™** veral pargannahs to the care of one of Ins trusty, just and d.s.uterestod sei vants, called a Faujdar." (See Ain fAklan, Vol. 2, p. 40). S Apparently, Jessore or Jasar at| the time formed the head-quarter elation of the Mnghal Faujdar of the Chaklah or Division, including Jessore, llughli, Bardwan, and Mednipur districts. 233 it practicable to tarry, retired to Bardwau, and under the lead of Ra^im Khan marched thence with his rabble towards Nadia and Mnrshidabad, which was then called Makhsosabad. Amongst the women and children of the slain Kishan Ram that were captives in the oppressive grip of Subha Singh, the former’s daughter was adorned with the ornaments of beauty and elegance and of chastity and modesty.