English
Then the gunner directing his aim at the 6hawl fired his gun, and the cannon-ball hit Dalip Singh on the chest and scattered his body to the air. Praise is due to that unerring magician, for no harm ensued to the agent. Ziau-d-din Khan rewarding the gunner attacked the enemy’s entrenchment. When Dalip Singh Was killed without delay, Ziau-d-diu rushed to fight. Like the tumultuous river, histtrmy moved, And flight ensued in the ranks of the other side. Not only were the soldiers killed, But the eutrenchment was also stormed. Wali Beg fled from that place, And in an anxious mood took refuge in the Fort. Ziau-d-din Khan, free from all anxiety, set out for the Im¬ perial Capital, and after arrival at Delhi died. . After his death, Kankar Bengali, who was the root of all this disturbance, and had his residence at Hughli, returning from the Imperial Capital, arrived in Hurshidabad, aud fearlessly waited on Nawab Jafar Khan, and with the left hand saluted the latter, wishing to convey that with the band that he had saluted the Emperor, to salute Jafar Khan would be profane. Nawab Jafar Khan retorted by saying : “ Kankar is under the shoe.” And Kankai* with fata 1 on both the and the Bakun of the & and ) in Hindustani means “ a gravel.” Nawab Jafar Khan, feigning forgetfulness of l It would appear the French, Dutch, and English were all backing up the dismissed Faujdar Ziau-d-diu Khim against the new Faojdar, Wal, B_ ee Wilson's AnnaU. Vol. II, PP . 66, 72, 75, 79, 81, 82. Ihe sk.rm.shes between Ziau-d-din Khan and Wali Beg occurred in 1712 A.C. Murshid S Kankar ” means a “ pebble” “ a gravel” or a ‘‘bnck-bat. Mura Quli Khin was punning on the Hindu Naib's name of * Eankar. So.. ■^ seem that Murshid Quli K^n, the stern iron-man,could nowand then on himself and receive humourous flashes. 265 Kankar’a past and present misconduct, and outwardly shewing reconciliation, appointed him to the office of Chaklghdar of Hughli. At the close of the year, at the time of auditing the Annual Abstract Accounts, the Nawab put him in prison on charges of misap¬ propriation of the current and arrear revenue collections and 8 air duties, and put this cat into breeches, and forced him to swal¬ low some laxative, and set on him a harsh collector of revenue. In the breeches continually easing himself, Kankar died. At that time Syed Akram Khan who held the office of Diwan of Bengal died, and Syed Razi Khan, husbatj of Nafisah Khanam, a daughter of Shujau-d-din Muhammad Khan, (Nawab Nazim of the §ubah of Orissa and son-in-law of Nawab Jafar Khan,) who was the scion of a leading Syed family of Arabia, was appoint¬ ed Diwan of Bengal. And lie* was a^igoter’ and short-tempered man, and in collection of dues was extremely strict, and by adopting harsh measures collected the revenue. It is said he prepared a Reseiwoir full of filth, and as in thelangunge of the Hindus Para¬ dise is called ‘ Baikant,’ he sneoringly named this Reservoir “ Baik- ant .” He used to thrust into this Reservoir the defaulting Zarain- dars and defaulting Collectors of Revenue. After torturing them in various ways, and making them undergo various privations, he used to collect in entirety the arrears. In that year, news of the insurrection of Sitaram Zamindar, and of the murder of Mir Abu Turab, Faujdar of the Chaklah of Bhusnah, in the Sarkar of Mahmudabad, was received. The details of this affair are as follows:—Sitaram, 8 zamindar of Parganah Mahmudabad, being sheltered by forests and rivers, had placed tho hat of l The text is ambiguous. This sentence refers probably to Mnrshid Qoli Khan. * 8itaram had bis residence at Muhammadpur or Mabmudpur, at tho junction of the Barasia and Madhumati rivers, in Jessoro district. See Westland’s History of Jesaore. Muhammadpur is now a polioe circle. Rains of his tanks still exist there. Bhosna lies near Bonmaldiah (formerly in Jessore now in Faridpnr district), an old Musalman colony, on the Qhandana river. Ruins of a fort lie at Bhosna. Close to Muhammadpur or Mabmudpur, lies an old Musalman colony at Shirgaon, on the Barasia river. Bee also Wilson’s Annals, Yol. II, pp. 166, 167, 168. Sitaram was ‘executed for murder and rebellion’ by Mnrshid QulFs order. 8itarams family and oliildren who had taken refuge in Caloutta, were in 1718 surrend¬ ered by the KngliBh to Mir Na;ir, Fanjdar of Hughli, for being made over l> Mnrshid Quli Khin- 34 266 revolt on the bead of vanity. Not submitting to the Viceroy, he declined to meet the Imperial officers, and closed against the latter all the avenues of access to his tract. He pillaged and raided the lands adjoining to his Zamindari, and also quarrelled with the Imperial garrisons and Faujdars. Mir Abu Turab, Faujdar of the (Jhaklah of Bhusnah, 1 who was the scion of a leading Syed clan and was closely related to Prince Azimu-sh- shau and the Timuride Emperors, and who amongst his con¬ temporaries and peers was renowned for his learning and ability, . looked down upon Nawab Jafar Khan. Mir Abu Turab tried to capture Sitaram, but was not successful. At length, he detailed his General, Pir Khan, with 200 cavalry to chastise Sitaram. On being apprised of this, Sitaram concentrating his forces lay in ambush to attack the aforesaid General. One day, Mir Abu Turab with a number of friends and followers went ont for hunting, and in the heat of the chase alighted on Sitaram’s frontiers. Pir Khan was not in Abu Turab’s company. The zamindar (Sitaram) on hearing of this, fancying Mir Abu Turab to be Pir Khan, suddenly issued out from the forest with his forces and attacked Mir Abu Turab from the rear. Although the latter with a loud voice announced his name, Sitaram not heeding it i nflicted wounds on Abu Turab with bamboo-clubs, and felled him from his horse. When this news reached Nawab Jafar Khan, his body trembled from fear of the Emperor’s resent¬ ment. Appointing Hasan Ali Khan who had married Nawab Jafar Khan’s wife’s sister and was descended from a noble family to be Faujdar of Bhusnah, and supporting him with an efficient force, Nawab Jafar Khan directed him to capture that trouble¬ some villain (Sitaram). The Nawab issued mandates to the Zamindars of the environs insisting on their not suffering Sitaram to escape across their frontiers, and also threatening that should the latter effect his escape across the frontiers of any one, not only he would be ousted from his Zamindari, but be punished. The Zamindars from all sides hemmed him in, when Hasan Ali Khan arrived and captured Sitaram together with his women and 1 It whb formerly in the Jessore district, bnt is now mcmaed in the more modern district of Faridpor. Close to Bhueuah, on the banks of theQhando- na river, lie eeveral other ancient colonies of Syeds or Mirs, such os those at liaumaldih and Dakbinbari, etc. 267 children, confederates and adherents, and sent them with chains round their necks and hands to Nawab Jiifar Khan. Tho Nawab enclosing Sitaram’s face in cow-hide had him drawn to the gallows in the eastern suburbs of Mtirshidabiid on the high-way leading to Jakangirnagar and Mahmudabad, and imprisoned for life Sitnram's women and children and companions. Bestowing his Zamlndarl on Ram Jivan, the Nawab confiscated to the State Sitnram’s treasures and effects, nnd extirpating his family, root and branch, he sent an account of the affair to tho Emperor. As the Em¬ peror 1 * Aurangzeb ‘Alamgir had died in the Dakhin on Friday, 28th of Zilqadh 1119 A.H., Muhammad Mu'azzam Shah 'Alim Bahadur Shall 8 ascended the Imperial throne of Delhi. Nawab Jafar Khan sent presents with the tribute of Bengal, nnd received an Imperial Patent confirming him in tho Viceroyalty of Bengal. The Nawab was also honoured with the gift of a IQiillat including a fringed palanquin. Prince Azimu-sh-Shan, leaving Sar-bland Khan as his Deputy at ‘Azimabad, 6ct out for the Imperial Capital. And that very year Sultan Fnrrukh-sir, prior to the accession of Bahadur Shah, came to Murshidiibad from Jahangirnagar (Dacca) at the invitation of Nawab Jafar Khan, and put up at the L'al Bagh palace. Tho above-mentioned Nawab, paying proper deferenco to tho princely rank of his guest, rendered him due services, and defrayed tho expenses of the Prince and his household ; whilst according to tho established practice he remitted the Rovenue with the tribute to tho Emperor Bahadur Shah. After a reign of five years and one month, in the year 1124 A.H., Emperor Bahadur Shah died, and his eldest son, Sultan Mazu-d-din, under the title of Jahandar Shall, 3 * * * * became Emperor, and in concert with his two younger brothers 1 Emperor Aurangzeb died in the 52nd year of his reign, at the ago of ninety-one, in 1118 A.H. or 1707 A.C. at Ahmadnagar, and was buried nt Aurangabad. See Seir Vol. II, p. 375, nnd Khnfi Klian. He left tho following eonsMuhammad Muazzam (at Kabul), 2, Muhnmad Azam (at Malwah) 3, Kara Balchsh (at Bijapur.) * Muhammad Muazzam alias gh&h 'Alum the eldest son became Emperor in 1707 with the title of Bahadur §hab, after defeating aud killing hie two brothers. Ho died in 1712.—See Seir, Vol. II, pp 378-379, and history of Khnfi Khan. 8 Tbo great Timnride House was at this timo torn nsnnder by factions and waB badly served by venal ministers and officers. The Syed brothers 268 killed Prince ‘Azimu-gh-Shan. 1 After removing the causes of anxiety, and with the exertions and help of Asad Khan the Prime Minister and Arairu-l-Umara Zu-l-fuqar Khan, the new Emperor killed his other two brothers. 8 Indeed, after Bahadur Shah’s death, within the space of eight days, he killed almost every on 9 of the Imperial scions numbering more than thirty persons, and after torture and imprisonment of those who escaped the sword, Jahaudar Shah mounted the throne.