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dar i„g hie administration, enjoyed perfect peace end happiness. See Se,r —- tiv„... 289 courage was unique in his day, and who in point of liberality and generosity was matchless in his time, was born at Burhanpur. 1 As he ascended the maenad of the Nizamat of Bengal in his old age, ho felt compassion for the condition of the Bengal Zarmndars, who being in duress from the time of Nawab Ja‘far Khan had never, even in dreams, beheld the faces of their Wives and children. He set them at large, and permitted them to return to their homes, after lovyiug from them Nazars over and above the amounts of revenue assessed by Nawab Ja‘far Khan. By this stroke of policy, over and above the profits of Jdglrs and fees on ware-houses and factories, he easily raised one kror and fifty laks of rupees, which he remitted to the Imperial Treasury through the Banking Agency of Jagat Seth Fatifc Qiand. And selling off at fancy prices to Zamindars the jaded horses, cattle, and other live-stock, as well as damaged carpets and curtains belonging to the privato estate of Nawab Ja‘far Khan, he sent another forty laks of rupees, besides elephants, to Emperor Muhammad Shah. And after tho Abstract Balance-sheet of the Annual Accounts was prepared, he remitted to the Imperial Capital the stipulated annual tribute of tho Nizamat, besides tho Imperial Revenue, according to tho established usage. And sending to the Emperor, at their proper seasons, ele¬ phants, Tfingan horses, special cotton-fabrics * and qushkhana 8 and enjoyed by Bengal daring the vigorous regimes of Marsh id Quli Khan and liis successor, Rhaj5a-d-din Khan (whilst tho whole of Upper India was con- vnlscd and torn by fratricidal wars and foreign invasions which converted those fair regions into human shambles), would in a large ineasuro account for the existence of a comparatively largo Musalman population in Bengal, contrasted with that in Upper India, without having recourse to theories of u more or loss fanciful character, for which thcro appears littlo or no historical warrant. i Burhanpur is described in the Ain (see Vol. II, p. 223) as “ a largo city, three kos distant from the Tapti, in Subah Dandes or Khandes. It was em¬ bellished with many gardens, inhabited by pooplo of all countries, and hnudi* craftsmen plied a thriving trade.” * Khafah is mentioned in tho list of cotton-fabrics manufactured in India. Seo .fin, Vol. I, p. 94, for a list of cotton, silk aud woollen manufactures of India, in Akbar’s time. Emperor Akbar took great paius to improve all indi¬ genous manufactures. “ Skilful masters and workmen were settled in India to 8 urr* means “ small-bodied (man).” I do not exactly understand what signifies. It was apparently some sort of cotton or silk-stuff manu¬ factured in Bengal, with human figures wovou thoroon. 290 other manufactures, he attested thereby his loyalty to the Imperial throne, and was in consequence invested with the titles of Mauta- manu-l-Mulk, Shuja‘u-d-daulah, Shuja‘u-d-din Muhammad Khan Bahadur Asad Jang. He also received the personal Manual of a llaft Hazari, with seven thousand troopers, besides a fringed Palki, together with the insignia of the Mahl Order, and a k&ila't consisting of six pieces of robes, precious stones, a jewel-mounted sword, and a Royal elephant with a horse. He was further con¬ firmed in the office of Nazim of Bengal. H e surpassed his pre¬ decessors in office in paraphernalia of royalty and armaments, and though his prime of life had passed, he did not scorn life’s plea¬ sures. Dismantling the public buildings erected by Nawab Ja‘far Khan, as they seemed too small according to his lofty ideals, he built instead a grand and spacious Palace, an Arsenal, a lofty Gateway, a Revenue Court, 1 a Public Audience-Hall, 8 a Private Office, 3 a Boudoir for Ladies, a Reception-Hall, 4 a Court of Chancery 6 and a Court of Justice. 6 He lived in magnificent splendour, and used to ride out in right regal state. He attended constantly to the well-being of his Army, and to the happiness of his subjects. On his officers, he lavished largesses amounting to no less than one thousand or five hundred rupees in each case. Constantly animated by a scrupulous regard for justice, and always inspired by fear of teach people an improved system of manufacture. The Imperial workshops, the towns of Lahore, Agra, Fathpnr, Ahmadabad, Gujrat, turn out many master-pieces of workmanship; and the figures and patterns and knots, and variety of fashions which now prevail, astonish experienced travellers. His Majesty himself acquired a theoretical and practical knowledge of the whole trade, and on account of the care bestowed on them, the intelligent workmen o this country soon improved. All kinds of hair-weaving and silk-spinning wore brought to perfection, and the Imperial workshops furnish all those s which are made in other countries....” Seo Abi-i-AJcbari, Blochmann s runs lation, Vol. I, pp. 87, 88. _ l ‘ The Diwan Khanu ’ is a building containing the office of Diwau or l inancc Minister. t * A 'Chihel Satun' means literally ‘ forty-pillared. ing, intended as a Public Audiencc-Hall. 8 ‘ Khiluat Khhana ’ means a‘Private Chamber/ 4 < J„lus-]Chana ’ means “ Office-room or building.” 6 Khalisah Kachcri means the “ Court of Exchequer,” or Revenue board in respect of Crown-laud Affairs. 8 Farmanbari means a * Court of Justice.’ It was a large or the Revenue build- Courl 291 God he uprooted from his realm the foundations of oppressions and tyrannies. Executing Nazir Ahmad and Mured Fanash,the employes of Nawab Ja‘far Khan, who were notorious for their high¬ handedness, he confiscated their effects. Nazir Al?inad had laid the foundation of a Mosque with a garden at Dehpara on the banks of the liver Bhagirati. Shuja‘u-d-daulah, after executing him, finished the mosque and garden, and named them after himself. And ho tastefully embellished the garden by building therein grand palaces with reservoirs, canals and numerous fountains. It was a splendid garden, compared with which the spring-houses of Kash¬ mir paled like withering autumn-gardens; nay, the garden of ham} itself seemed to draw its inspiration of freshness and sweet¬ ness from it. Shuja‘u-d-daulah used frequently to resort for pro¬ menades and picnics to that paradise-like garden, and held there pleasure-parties and other entertainments. Every year in that beautiful garden, he used to give a State Banquet to the educated section 8 of his State Officers. It is said that owing to the superb charmfulness of that garden, Fairies used to come down there for picnics and walks, and to bathe in its tanks. The guards on get¬ ting scent of this, informed Shuja‘u-d-daulah. Dreading mischief from the genii, the Nawab filled up the tanks with earth, and dis¬ continued his picnics in that garden. Being fond of ease and pleasures, Nawab Shuja‘u-d-daulah en¬ trusted the duties of the Nizamat to a Council, 8 composed of Haji 1 ‘Iram* or fjl “is the celebrated bat fabulous garden said to have been anciently laid oat in Arabia Felix by a king named Shadad-bin-i-Ad or I ram bini-Omad. Frequent mention of these gardens is made by the Eastern poets, who describe them as a perfect model of Paradise. * It is significant that even in those declining years of the Muglial regime , towards the first quarter of the eighteenth century, scholarship and intel¬ lectual attainments hud not ceased to command esteem amongst the Mu gh al Pro-Consuls. 8 See slightly varied account in the *(Seirul*j!futai£eri,’ which shews that Mirza Ali VardI Khan was the leading spirit in Shujan-d-din’s Coun¬ cil or Cabinet. See Seirul-lliUcMerin , Vol. II, p. 473 Pers. text. On ascend¬ ing the gadi of Nizamat, Shojin-d-din Khan constituted a Cabinet of Advisers or Council of State, consisting of (1) Mirza Muhammad AH Vardi Khan alias Mirza Bandi, (2) Haji Ahmad, brother of No. 1, (3) Bai Raian *Alam Ohand (formerly Shnjin-d-din’fl Diwan in Orissa), (4) Jagatset Fateh Qh&nd,* the banker. In all important matters, he used to consult them beforo passing orders. His first measure was to releaso the Bengal Zemindars who had been imprisoned by Ja*far Khan. This measure brought him not only 292 Ahmad, Rai A'lamcliand Diwan, and Jagat-SetFatehchand, whilst the Nawab himself indulged in pleasures. 1 Rai A‘lamchand Mukhtar,* popularity bat also an increase to the revenue (aa Nazar was levied), and at the same time contributed to the fertility of Bengal, the Jinnatu-l-Bilad. (See Seiru-l-AIutakherm, Vol. II, p. 473). For purposes of administration, he main¬ tained his son Sarfaraz Khan as the nominal Diwan of Bengal, conferred tho Subahdari of Orissa on his son (by another wife), named Muhammad TaqI Khan, the Deputy Nizamat of Jahangimagar or Dacca on his son-in-law> Murshid Quli Khan II, the Faujd&rship of Rangpur on Sayid Ahmad Khan (nephew of AIT Vardi Kh an), the Faujdarl of Rajmahal or Akbarnagar on Zainu-d-din Ahmad (another nephew and son-in-law of All Vardi Khan); Nawazigh Mhd. Kh&n (another nephew of Ali Vardi) was created Generalissimo of the Army. See Seiru-l-UtUakherin, Vol. II, p. 472. 1 This preference of personal pleasures to the performance of pnblic duties by the later M ughal pro-consuls and sovereigns of the 18th century, mn rks a sad moral collapse, and was one of the causes that hastened the downfall of the Great Mughal Empire in India. Preferring their own personal ease and pleasures, these later Moslem Satraps and Emperors delegated the unchecked control of their State concerns into the hands of ministers, who often proved unscrupulous, venal and treacherous, and scrupled not to barter them to intriguers for tho sako of what they deemed to be their individual and personal self-aggrandisement.