English
And also at the beginning of each year he sent to the Emperor elephants, Tangan horses, buffaloes, domesticated deers, and game dressed specially at Jahangirnagar (Dacca), wolf-leather shields, sital pati mats mounted in gold, and mosquito curtains 1 made of Ganga jali* cloth of Sylhet, through which serpents could not penetrate, together with other rarities, such as ivory, musk, musical instruments, and European manufac¬ tures and presents received from Christians, &c. At the time of sending the remittance, he used to accompany it on horse¬ back together with his staff up to the Suburbs of the City, and used to have the fact recorded in the Court-Record as well as in the News-sheet. And the procedure for despatch of remittances was the following. When the waggons, loaded with treasure, passed into the limits of another Subah, the Suba- dar of that place sending his own men had the waggons of treasure brought into his fort, and relieving the waggons and their ’Jescorts reloaded the treasure into fresh waggons, con¬ voyed by fresh escorts furnished by himself. And the same procedure was adopted by succeeding Subadars, till the trea¬ sures with the presents reached the Emperor Aurangzeb. And when the Khan’s efficient administration met with the approba¬ tion of the Emperor, the former received fresh favours from the Emperor, who raised his rank and bestowed on him the title of Moatamauu-l-Mulk’Alau-d-daulah Jafar Khan Nasiri Na§ir Jang. He was also rewarded with the personal Manual) of a Haft Hazari together with the Insignia of the Hahi Order, and was raised to a higher class of the Peerage. No appointments to offices in Bengal were made without his advice. And Imperial Man?abdars bearing that the country of Bengal had been turned into a fertile garden without thorns, sought for offices in Bengal. Newab Jafar Khan appointed the applicants to offices under him. One Therefore *>/ would seem to mean ‘ weighing the coins’ or'testing rind counting them/ or “ pntting them in cloth bags.” I Here get a glimpse of some of the old industries and arts of H0, T Oangajal wns a kind of cotton-stuff manufactured in Bengal in the tiroes of the Mnghala. See Ain-i-Akbari, Vol. I, p. 94 (Blochmann’a tranB.) 2G1 of these was Nawab Saif Khan * whose application for‘appoint¬ ment being received through the Emperor, Nawab Jiifar Khan conferred an office on him. A short account of Saif Khan’s career is mentioned in the body of this History. Nawab Saif Khan was alive till the period of the Nizamat of Nawab Mahabat Jang. As he was the scion of a very noble family, he never visited Nawab Mahabat Jang. a Although the latter sought for an interview, Nawab Saif Khan did not visit him. Whenever Nawab Mahabat Jang whilst out on a hunting excursion went towards Purneah, Nawab Saif Khan advanced with his troops and blocked his progress. But whenever Nawab Mahabat Jang had need of auxiliaries, Saif Khan furnished efficient contingents. After Saif Khan’s death, his son, the Khan Bahadur, succeeded to the office of Faujdar of the tract of Purneah and its environs. Nawab Mahabat Jang gavo in marriage the daughter of Nawab Said Ahmad Khan Bahadur Saulat Jang, his nephew, to the Khan Bahadur, 3 but that lady died four days after the wedding. On account of this, confiscating the treasures and effects of the Khan Bahadur, Nawab Mahabat Jang kept the latter under surveillance. The Khiin Bahadur of necessity was obliged to mount a horse and escape to Shah Jahanubad (Delhi). Nawab Mahabat Jang bestowed the tract of Purneah on Saulat Jang. The latter proceeding there with a large force, devoted himself to itsS administration, and held sway. After Saulat Jang’s death, his son, Shankat Jang, succeeded him. Nawab Siraju-d-daulah, who was the latter’s cousin, during the period of his Nizamat, killed Shaukat Jang iu battlo, and deputing Diwan Mohan Lai, con¬ fiscated Shaukat’s treasures and effects. What was I saying ? and to what have I digressed ? Where lay the horse ? and where have I galloped away ? I now return to my story. Nawab Jafar Khun was seeking 1 Ho received the office of Wifi hazari, and was a eon of Kabul. See 8ir, Vol. II, p. 574. Faujdar of Pnrneah, held the rank of ‘ Uindutu-I-mulk Amir Khan, Subadar of wna Jan *i T? 8 tiUe ° f NaWSb AU Vardi ^ ,5n ; h, ' s actni ‘ I name was Mirza Muhammad Ah. See Scirul MutaMcnn, Vol. II p 470 iw. , , 3 In fcW Jr*.*™. Vol. II. p. r,52. the name mentioned ns Fakhruddin Husain Khfm. — ,s 262 au opportunity to avenge himself on Darab Narain Qannngo, who, during the Nawab’s incumbency of the office of Diwaii, had declined to sign the accounts. Inasmuch as the office of Qanungo corresponded to the office of Registrar of the Con¬ quered dominions, and the Diwan’s Statements of Account aud Revenue-roll without the Qanungo’s signature were not accepted by the Central Imperial Diwan, the Nawab sought for an opportunity to tarnish Darab Narain’s reputation, by doubling the sphere of Darab Narain’s authority over the affairs of adminis¬ tration. With this object in view, the Nawab entrusted to him control over the affairs of the Khalaah (crown lands). And when Diwan Bhupat Rai, who had come with the Nawab from the Imperial Camp, died, and his son, Gulab Rai, could not satis¬ factorily discharge the duties of the office of Diwan, the office of Peshkar of the Khalsah was also bestowed on Darab Narain. And leaving to his control the Assessment and Collection of the revenue and other Financial and Internal affairs, the Nawab made him supreme. Although the abovementioned Qanungo by minute attention to details raised the Revenue of the Hialeah (crown lands) to one kror and fifty lakhs, made Revenue Collec¬ tions, and under every Head of Income shewed considerable in- crease, and presented a Budget with a larger Surplus of Impena Revenue than before, still the Nawab, gradually wresting authority from him, imprisoned him together with the Statements of Accounts and Estate-ledgers, and employing various tortures killed him And he allotted ten anuas of the Qanungo-sh.p toUarab Narain’s son, Sheo Narain, and six annas thereof to Jai Narain, who at the period of the Nawab’s Diwani, when the Nawab was setting out for the Imperial Camp, had shewn good-will, ttnd Signed the Nawab’s Statements of Accounts. And dismissing Ziau-d-din Khan, Faujdarof Hughli,' he with the Emperor s sane- tion brought the Faujdari of that Port under Ins immediate aotho- 1 The office of Faujdnr of Doghli was hitherto directly under the Emperor, and was -**-**££ ^Un^^oThisla Khan succeeded m reducm,I „ ilh the English mer- immediate subordinate. lor Morshid 297 290,268. The chants, see Wilson’s W*. VoL I. PP- "‘J** appointed English merchants secured a great pa ron in Admiral of all the sea- by Shah Alam in 1710 to be Faujdar ^“ugh.^d Adm. a. ^ ports on the coast of Coromandel. See Wilson a Annul*, Vol. 1, PP 263 rity as an appendage to the Nizamat, and appointed Wall Beg on hie own authority as Faujdar of that place. The above- mentioned Khan, on the arrival of Wali Beg, relinquishing the fort, came out of the town to set out for the Imperial Capital. Wali Beg summoned to himself Kankar Sen Bengali, who was Peshkar of the dismissed Faujdar, for submission of papere relating to receipts of revenue and the office-records, together with the clerks and subordinate officers of the office of Faujdar'.' Ziau-d-din Khan turned to Kanker Sen’s assistance; and thereon Wali Beg opposed the Khan’s march. In consequence, between Ziau-d-din Khan and Wali Beg a quarrel ensued. The above- mentioned Khan with his army, on the field of Qbandanagar (Cbandenagore) between Chineurah and French Qhnndanagar, with the help of the Christian Dutch and French, constructed redoubts, and prepared to fight. Wall" Beg also on the field of the ‘ Idgah, 1 on the bank of the tank of Debi Das, to a distance of one and a half kroh, drew up his forces, con¬ structed entrenchments, and transmitted an account of the state of affairs to Nawab Jafar Khan. And both the quondam and the new Faujdars were busy fighting from behind their respective entrenchments, and reviewing their forces. Mulla Jarsam Jurani, Deputy of Ziau-d-din Khan, and Kankar Sen, secretly obtaining help of guns, gunpowder, and armaments Irom the Dutch and French, advanced to the battle-field, and assumed the offensive. Wali Beg, waiting for auxiliaries, assumed the defensive. At this juncture, Dalip Singh Uazari with a force of cavalry and infantry came from Nawab Jafar Khan to the assistance of Wali Beg, and also brought a maudato containing threats addressed to the Christians. Ziau-d-din Khan, on the advice of the Christians, opened negotiations of peace with Dalip Singh, and put him off his guard. Early in the morning, sending by way of a ruse a false message to Dalip Singh through an agent, Ziau-d-din Khan instructed the latter to hand tho°messago to Dalip Singh and to get back the reply, and placing one red lhawl for recognition on the head of the agent despatched the latter on 'f?' 3 . 41 ', J Q “' : B °‘ P™pUy dismissed j. mi (See Wilson ■ Annals, pp. 22 and 123, Vol. II. p. 28). . 1I fou " d th0 **9 ah ®* i8 ng when I was at Hnghli in 1887 to 1891 An Idgah is a place whero the 'Id prayer is offered. 264 his errand. And an English gunner whose aim was unerring directed a large bronze 1 * * * S gun (the range whereof extended over one and a half kroli) towards Dalip Singh’s camp, and by means of a telescope kept in view the agent’s shawl. Arriving at a time when Dalip Singh was bareheaded and barebodied and was engaged in rubbing oil in order to bathe, the agent handed the message to Dalip Singh.