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He appointed the ‘ Amiru-1- Umara who was Pay-Masfer-General of the Army to the office of Grand Vizir and Arairu-l-Umara’s father ‘Asafu-d-daulah ‘Asad Khan to the office of Vakil-i-Kul or Supreme Regent of the Empire. According to the established practice, the new Emperor sent message of confirmation to Nawab Jafar Khan. The aforesaid Khan, shewing submission, remitted presents and tribute to the Emperor. In order to assert his claim to the Imperial throne, Sultan Farrukh-sir, the second son of Prince ‘Azirau-sh-Shan, who resided in the Province of Bengal as Deputy Nazim of the Subah resolved to fight with Sultan Mazu-d-din, planned to start for Shahjahana- bad (Delhi), and demanded money and troops from Nawab Jafar Khan. The latter gave the following straightforward answer: “ I as an Imperial servant am subject to the Crown and Throne of the Sovereign of the Imperial Capital. To submit to any one save and except the person who descended from the Timuride House sits on the Throne of the Empire of Delhi, would be an act of treachery. Since M‘azu-d-din, your uncle, is in possession of the Crown and the Throne, the Imperial revenue cannot be paid to you.” Despairing of obtaining the treasures and troops of Bengal, but remembering the injunction in the Qoran “I put my trust in my Lord God” Farrukh-sir took heart, 3 and marched out with asmall force of old and new comrades who were in his company, on an were hearts of one faction, and their ascendency and their selfish polioy are folly related in the Seir-ul-Mutakherin. 1 See Seir and Irvine’s Later Muyhals, J.A.S. for 1806. 8 i.e., Jahan Shah and Rufvish Shan. 8 Farrukh-sir’s mother, Saheb-un-Nissa, was a brave and resourceful lady, and when Farrukh-sir contemplated flight across the sea, she inspired her eon with a noble ideal by addressing him thus: “If thy flight mast needs be across the sea, let it be the sea not of waters but of bloo^,’’ En¬ couraged by his noble mother’s inspiration, Farrnkh-sir at length defeated J vhandar Shah, at the end of 1712, and became Emperor. 269 expedition against Sultan M‘azu-d-din. Sumroo.xing his own army and artillery from Jahangirnagar, Farrakh-sir set out for Shahjahanabad, and by the time he arrived at ‘Azlmabad (Patna) a large army collected under him. Levying money in the way of tax from the bankers of that town, he reduced the Subalt of Behar to his subjection. Collecting paraphernalia of royalty,he mounted the throne, and unfurling the Imperial Umbrella he whirled it over his head. Raising the standard of march from Patna with Royal pomp and splendour, he cast the shadow of peace and tranquillity on the residents of Banaras. And raising a loan of one kror of rupees on the security of the Empire from Nagar Set and other leading bankers of Banares, he raised a levy of efficient troops. Syed Abdullah Khan and Syed Husain Ali Khan. 1 the two Syed brothers of Barha, who were Naziras of the Subahs of Oudh and Allahabad and were matchless in courage and heroism had been dismissed by Sultan M‘azu-d-dln, and conse¬ quently were smarting under a sense of wrong. They, therefore, espoused the cause of Sultan Farrukh-str, and tied the girdle of devotion and self-saorifice to the waists of their hearts. And in¬ tercepting the treasure from Bengal remitted by Nawab Jafar •Kb*n, which owing to the revolution in government Shujan-d-din Muhammad Khan, Darogha of Allahabad (unyoking the bullocks in the garden of the town) guarded with 300 troops, Farrukh-sir detailed a large force to guard it. Having satisfied himself about the security of the treasure and the efficiency-of the force which he had detached to guard it, Farrukh-sir bestowed the office of Vizarat on Syed Husain Ali Kbao, and had the fth utbah, of sover¬ eignty recited after his own name. “ When God wills a thing, the conditions for its accomplishment are also provided.” As Farrukh-sir was displeased with Jafar Khan, he appointed Rashid Khian,* elder brother of Afrasiab Khan Mirzai-Ajmirl, who was the scion of an ancient and noble family of Bengal and was brought up iu the Imperial household, and who in physi¬ cal prowess was equal to a Rustam or an Isfaudiar, and who used to hurl down rogu elephants—to supersede Jafar Khan in the Suhahdari of Bengal. It is said that when Sultan Farrukh- set out from Akbarnagar (Rajmahal) towards ‘AzimSbad l Sec Biir, Yol. II, p. 381. s fee Wilson’s Annals, Vol. II, p. 90. This was in 1712. 270 (Patna), the cannon of Malik Maidan 1 which required a maund weight of cannon-hall and 150 bullocks and two elephants to move it, was stuck in the mud in a hollow ditch near Sakrigali. Although an attempt was made to drag it out with the help of bullocks and elephants, it could not be moved. Farrnkh-sir himself going up to the cannon brought into requisition the ingenuity of Christian gunners, bub even that was of no avail. Mirza-i- Ajmlri making his obeisance, said : “If ordered, thy slave might try his strength.” The Sultan gave permission. Mirza-i-Ajmiri, tying the hem of his garment round his waist and putting both of his hands beneath the cannon-frame, lifted up the cannon together with its frame on his chest, and said “ wherever ordered, I will pub it.” The Sultan ordered it to be placed on a high ground. The Mirza removed the cannon from the ditch to a high ground. From the strain of his physical power, drops of blood were about to ooze out from his eyes. The Sultan applauded him whilst the assembly, sent up shouts of praise and choruses of applause to the skies. The Mirza at that very moment was rewarded with the mansab of a Sih hazfiri together with the title of Afrasiab Khan. Ra§]iid Khan set out with a large army for Bengal, and entered it vid the passes of Tiliagadhi and Sakrigali. On hearing the news of his entry, Jafar Khan shewed no signs of anxiety. Besides the regular war-establishment of thd Subah he mobilised no extra troops. Rashid Khan reaching three kroh distant from Murshidabad arrayed his troops for battle. Next morning, Nawab Jafar Khan detailed Mir Bangali and Syed Anwar Jaunpuri with two thousand cdvalry and infantry to encounter Rashid Khan, whilst the Nawab himself, according to his daily practice, set to copying the Quran. When the two forces encountered each other, a battle ensued. Syed Anwar, in the thick of the fight, was killed, but Mir Bangali, with a small force, bravely stood his ground on the battle-field, till the army of Rashid Khan surrounded him from all sides. Although these tidings reached Nawab Jafar Khan, the latter remained unconcerned and quietly went on with his work of copying the Quran. At last the news of Mir Bangali’s retreat arrived. It was then that the Nawab detached his special disciple, Muhammad Khan, who was Faujdar of Murshidabad and 1 He was apparently a Tnrk, as tl.o title Malik would indicate, but I cannot trace who this notable was. 271 an Officer of the Army, to reinforce Mir Bangali. The former with the swiftness of lightning and breeze joined Mir Bangali, and threw in the auxiliaries. Subsequently, Nawab Jafar Khan, after having finished his work of copying the Quran, recited the Fatiha-i-Khair and armed himself for battle. And mounting ait elephant, with a force of cavalry and a retinue consisting of kinsmen and Turkish, Georgian and Abyssinian servants he encountered Rashid Khan on the field of Karimabad outside tho City, aud commenced chanting the Duai-Saifi. 1 It is said that lie had so persistently practised the Duai-Saifi t that when ho commenced chanting it his sword of itself unsheathed itself from its scabbard, and through invisible help ho vanquished tho enemy. On the arrival of Jafar Khan, the courage and boldness of Mir Bangali and his army increased ten-fold and hundred-fold. With his clamorous force Mir Bangali attacked tho centre of tho enemy. Rashid Khan, who considered Jafar lOtan no match for himself, swaggering of swordmanship and his capacity to easily rout the enemy, mounted a rogue elephant, and charged Mir Bangali who was in the van. The aforesaid Mir who was an unerring marksman Placed a wooden arrow in his bow-string, And stretched his bow, and exteuded his arm-pit. When the arrow-notch came up to his ear, >, He shot tho arrow straight at the struggling enemy. As luck would have it, the arrow hit the enemy on forehead, And pierced right through the hind-head. That leader of the heroes was pierced by the arrow: That brave lion rolled on the elephant. At that juncture, the troops forming a solid column, Made one united rush at the enemy. The ground was trodden down into furrows by horses’ hoofs, The sky was cut to pieces by cannons and spears. With swords, daggers, iron-maces and spears, They charged tho enemy. 1 This dim or prayer, moaning literally tho “ prayer of the sword” is said to have been uttered by the Prophet at tho bntllo of Badr, when it is related angola deacouded to fight in his rauks, and tarnod disaster into victory. 272 Owing to profuse shedding of blood on that battle-field, The whole face of the earth looked crimson. A whole world was consigned to destruction, If any one survived, he was imprisoned. The enemy’s treasures and effects were looted, Jafar Khan won a glorious victory. Nawab Jafar Khan returning triumphant caused the music of victory to be struck up, entered the Fort, and ordered that a minaret should be raised entombing the heads of the slain on the highway leading towards Hindustan, so that it might serve as a warning to others. The prisoners of Rashid Khan’s army said that on the advance of Jafar Khan green-dressed soldiers with drawn swords descended from the clouds, attacked the force of Rashid Khan, and afterwards vanished.