English
1 Obtaining sanad from Nawab Jafar Khan, they erected mud-walled houses, established themselves there, and laid the foundation of a factory with strong towers, surrounded by a deep and broad moat, into which the river water flowed, and wherein sloops could move about. Working day and night, and spending much money, they set about building the same. Placing obliquely the cap of vanity on the head of pride, they gave themselves airs at the expense of other Christian nationalities, and bragged they would sell woollen- stuffs, velvet, and silk-stuffs 8 at the rate of gunny-cloth.® The English and Dutch Christians, seeing the loss in their own markets, 1 This place is marked betweon Ichapur and Qhank, on the map in Wilson’s Annals, Vol. I, p. 130. 9 ye**' 0 is a silk-staff with figures of leaves and branches woven on it. The Ain-i-Akbari (Blochmann’s tr., pp. 92—96) gives a list of the gold-stnffs, cotton-fabrics, and woollen-Btoffs current in India in Akbar’s time. It would appear therefrom that out of 28 gold-stnffs only two were imported from Europe, ont of 39 silk-stuffs only seven were imported from Europe, out of 29 cotton-stoffs nil was imported from Europe; whilst ont of 26 woollen-stuff* only one was imported from Europe, all the rest being either manufactured in India, or imported from Asiatic countries, like Arabia, Peraia, China, . • Richardson’s Dictionary does not aeem to give the word but. occurs in the following charming does of the groat Persian poet, Omar Kliyara ... * 277 conspired to have the former’s factory closed, intrigued with thd Mughal merchants, and undertook to pay themselves their nazare. Relating to Ahsanu-l-lah Khan, Faujdar of the Port of Hooghly,tales of their bloodshed and oppression in Europe and also exaggerated accounts of their having erected forts and towers with moats at Bangibazar, and of their past misdeeds in the Emperor’s domin¬ ions, they induced Ahsanu-l-lak Khan to write to Nawab Jafar Khan, and themselves petitioned the latter to issue mandates in the name of the above Faujdar to close the factory of the Danes. Al¬ though Ahsanu-l-lah Khan sent agents to close the factory, the Danes not relying on their message, failed to close their factory; at length the Faujdar deputed his own Deputy, named Mir Jafar, to the Danes. The Chief of the Danes, who was styled a General, mounted cannons on the heights of the ramparts, and prepared to fight. The aforesaid Mir, erecting entrenchments facing the ramparts, commenced fighting with cannons, rockets, arrows, and muskets. But the soldiers of the Mir could not ap¬ proach the factory, owing to constant shower of cannon-balls and rockets. And the ways for the ingress and egress of the vessels of merchants in the river became closed. The Christian French secretly leagued with the Danes and assisted the latter with sup¬ plies of shot, powder, and armaments. The Danes captured, with the secret help of the French, Khwajah Muhammad Kamil, eldest son of Khwajah Muhammad Fazal, who happened to pass and repass the river by boat. Owing to this, all the Mughal, Armenian, and other merchants made great exertions to effect bis release, and fearing lest he might be slain, for two or three days a truce was arranged. The aforesaid Khwajah, agreeing to pay a large ransom, and also promising to bring about peace, was released from the custody of the Danes. Then the Christian French, dreading the resentment of the Faujdar, deserted the Danes. Mir*Jafar, advancing his entrenchments, with volleys of cannon¬ balls, rockets, arrows, and musket-balls, reduced the garrison to straits, and cut off all supplies both by land and by water. When the garrison were reduced to starvation, their Indian servants all fled, and the General alone with thirteen Danes remained in the factory. Though reduced to such straits and numbers, ^ ^ a*. ^±±1^ Sa. ^b i*. 278 they with their own hands kept up a perpetual .shower of cannon-balls and rockets, and allowed no opportunity to the attacking force to lift up their heads, and far less to advance out of their entrenchments or to assault the factory. For some time the fighting continued in this wise. By chance, a cannon-ball discharged from Mir Jafar’s entrenchment hit the Danish General on the right arm, and broke it, and his hand became in consequence useless. The General 1 was obliged, in conse¬ quence, at dead of night, to scuttle out of the factory, and, embark¬ ing on board a vessel, he set sail for his own native country. Next morning, the factory was captured; but save and except somecannon- balls, nothing of value was found. Mir Jafar, rasing the gateway and the tower of the factory, returned victorious and triumph¬ ant. About that time, news arrived that the Afghans, Shuj'flit Khan and Nijat Khan, zamindars of Tonki Sarubpur, 8 in the Sarkar of Mahmudabad, who were notorious for their lawlessness, bad plundered the revenue of Mahmudabad amounting to sixty thous¬ and rupees, whilst on its way to Mur§hidabad. Nawab Jafar Khan, who thirsted for the blood of thieves and robbers, hearing this news, appointed a Superintendent of Dacoity with spies under him, and after ascertaining the reality and origin of this affair, he issued an order to Afisann-l-lah Khan, Faujdar of the Chaklah of Hughli, directing their arrest. The aforesaid Khan, ostensibly marching out on a hunting expedition, like a sudden calamity, surprised their stronghold, arrested and captured all the brigands, put them in chains and fetters, mutilated their hands and feet, tied them Strongly and securely with pieces of stirrup-leather, and sent them to Nawab Jafar Khan. The Nawab imprisoned them for life, and confiscated their treasures. After they were thus banished and extirpated, 3 the Nawab settled their aforesaid zaminddri with Kara Jivan. Levying indemnity equal to the plundered revenue from the landholders of the neighbourhood, the Nawab credited it to tbe Imperial treasury. During the Nawab’s administration the names of free-booters, night-marauders, and assassins -reblotMou from the annals of the Bengal Satrapy, and the dwellers, both . l The Danish Chief’s name appears to be Mr. Attrnp (See W.lBons Annals, Vol. II, p- 200). This happened in 1714. 8 This is a place about five miles from Jossore head-quarters. 8 There is still a Pathan family in Sarubpur, though .mpovenshod. 279 towns and villages, lived in perfect poace and comfort. The Thanahs of Katwah and Murshidganj, on the highway leading to Bard wan, were established by the Nawab, in the early part of his Nizamat, whilst he held the title of Mnrsjiid Quli Khan. He established these Thanuhs for guarding the above highway, and their control and administiation was entrusted by tho Nawab to his special disciple, Mahammad Jan. In that, in the environs of Fanachor, which is on the highway leading from Nadia to Hnghli, in the plantain groves thefts took place in broad daylight, Muhammad Jau established an outpost at Piipthal, subordinate to the Thanah of Katwah. Capturing the thieves and robbers, and chopping them into bits, Mahammad Jan hanged them on the trees of the highway, to serve as warnings to others. As in his retinue, hatchet-men used to go ahead, he became known as Muhammad Jan Kolharah. Thieves and robbers used to tremble on hearing of his name. As a propagator of Muhammadan religion, as a strict observer of the religions injunctions, as a friend of scions of good family, as a reliever of the distressed, and as an exterminator of oppressors, Nawab Jafar Khan was a second Amira-l-Umara Shaista Khan. He was strict in the enforcement of his orders, and faithful in tho fulfilment of his engagements. He never neglected saying his daily prayers five times, and fasted for three months in the year, aud nsed to completely recite the Qoran. On the 12th and 13th of the lunar months, he used to fast, and on Thursday nights he was vigilant in his prayers. Many nights he used to pass in reciting certain select portions of the Qoran, and he slept little. From morning to midday, he devoted himself daily to transcribing the Qoran. And he used to send, every year, copies of the Qoran transcribed by his hand, together with votive offerings and gifts, through the headmen of the pilgrims and other caravans bound for pilgrimage, to Mecca; Medinab, Najaf, Karballa, Baghdad. Khorasan, Jidah, Basrah, and other holy places, like Ajmir, Panduah, &c. For each of these places, ho allotted votive offerings, endowments, and reciters of the Qoran. The humble author of this History has seen a torn copy of the Qorau, every chapter of which was detached, in the shrine of Hazrat Makhdum Akhi Siraju-d-din, at S'adu-l-lahpur, 1 written in large characters in the handwriting 1 I do not know if that copy is still there. See also uoto ante. 280 of Nawab Jafar ICban. The Nawab had in his employ 2,500 reciters of the Qoran, who completely recited the Qoran daily, and corrected what the Nawab transcribed from the Qoran; and their meals were .supplied twice daily from the Nawab’s own kitchen, and comprised game, birds, and other animals. He shewed a great predilection for the company of Syeds, Shaikhs, the scholarly, and the pious, and he deemed it meritorious to serve them. And from the 1st to the 12th of the month of Rabi’u-l-Awwal, which is the anniversary of the death of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be on him!), daily he used to feed the excellent and the venerable Shaikhs, the Ulama, the pious saints, and inviting them from the environs of Murshidabad, he used to receive them with great respect at his banquets, and till they finished their dinners, he used to staud before them in a respectful posture, and to serve them.