English
Towards the close of the year 1151 A.H., when Nadir Shah invaded 8 the Imperial Capital, and Samgaroa-d-daulah Kjhan-dfuiran fell in the battle 3 against Nadir Shall, Nawab Shuja‘u-d-daulah being ill and con6ned to bed permitted Yahya Khan and Dur- dauah Begam (son and wife respectively of Murshid Quli Khan) to go to Orissa, and proclaimed Sarfaraz Kbau as his heir. Ear¬ nestly exhorting the latter to condde in Haji Ahmad, the Rai Raian*and Jagatset, and always to respect their feelings, and entrusting to him control over the offices of the Nizamat, Nawab £huja‘u-d-din Khan died ou the 13th Zilbaj of the aforesaid year. After laying to rest Shuja‘u-d-daulah’s 5 corpse in the sepulchre which he (Shuja‘u-d-daulah) had in his lifetime erected at Deh- para, opposite to the Fort aud the City of Murshidabad, Sarfaraz 1 Bndi'u-z-zaman Khan of Birbhum, and Karatcljand of Bardtvan, uppenr to have been the two principal zaniindars in Western Bengal at the time. I un¬ derstand the descendants of Badi 4 u-z-zaman still survive at Birbhum, but are iu an impoverished condition. * A full description of Nadir Shah’s invasion will bo fonnd in all Indian histories, and also in Seiru-l^Afutakherin, Vol. II, p. 482. s This battle took place at Karual, 4 stages ( manzal) distant from §hah- jahanabad or Delhi, in 1151 A.H. Seo Scii\ Vol. II, p. 482. * That is, Bai Alauichand, §huja 4 u-d-din Khan’s de facto Diwan. Ho receiv¬ ed the title of 4 lta‘i Raiin’ from the Emperor, ou the recommendation of his master, Nawab Shuja 4 u-d-din Khan. See Seir, Vol. II, p. 471. * It should be noted that both 44 Si*uja 4 a-d-dm Khan” aud 44 Shuj^u-d- danl&h” signify one and the same person. These were his titles. This 4 Shuja‘a-d-daulah,* better known as 4 Shuja‘u-d*dm Khan’' must not be con¬ founded with the Nawab Vizier ghoji'a-d-daulah of later history. 308 Khan mounted the masnad of the Nizam at in the place of his father. -o- NIZAMAT OP NAWAB SARFARAZ KHAN. • • When Nawab Sarfaraz Khan mounted the masnad of the Niza- mat of Bengal, agreeably to the dying instructions of his father, he appointed Haji Ahmad, the Rai Raian and Jagatset to be his Councillors in respect of Revenue and Administrative affairs. But these meddling more than before in State affairs ignored the old officers of Sarfaraz Khan who expected promotions and man- sabs, and further intrigued to bring about their disgrace and over¬ throw. Although Nawab Sarfaraz Khan and the Begams were anxious to promote their old officers, owing to the opposition of the Triumvirate Council, they could not do so. The Triumvirate Council, after secret vows and stipulations, plotted to call in All Vardi Khan with his army from ‘Azimabad (Patna) under pre¬ text of visiting the Nazim, and then to instal him on the masnad of the Nizamat in supercession of Sarfaraz Khan. 1 And in deliberations over this plot they passed days and nights, but failed to mature any plan. At this time, Nadir Shah, the king of Per¬ sia, had defeated Muhammad Shah, captured Nizamu-l-Mulk, Burhanu-l-Mulk, Qamru-d-din Khan, and Muhammad Khan Bang- a5 h, Ac., who were the pillars of the Mughal Empire, 8 and en- l The author of the Maaseru-l-Umara states that Sarfaraz Khan rendered himself unpopular by adopting a policy of rigid economy and retrenchment, and by reducing bis army, and that this gave an opportunity to All Vard. Khan to intrigue, in concert with the latter’s brother, HijI Ahmad, who was SarfarSz Khan’s chief conncillor. Seep. 8U, Maasem-l-Umara, Vol. II, P-M* It should, however, bo added in justice to Sarfariz Khan’s memory that this policy was inspired by the faithless Trinmvirate Councillors, -whom Sarfaraz Khan trusted owing to the dying exhortations of his father, and that it formed a part of the despicable trap they were cunningly laying to “ andoverthrow their benefactor eon. Ono feefe eich to dl! - tales of vile treachery, for Sarfariz KhSn from all accounts appears to h TZ iirtoWiwM Soldier of "fortune. After capturing §hih Tahrn^p, sr i* 2 : 309 tering Shah-jahanabiid (Delhi) 1 with his Persian troops had plun¬ dered the palaces of both Hie Emperor and his nobles. In oonse- qnence, the whole Empire was shaken to its foundation. 8 The Triumvirate Council persuaded Sarfaraz Khan to introduce in Bengal the coins aud the Khutbah 3 of Nadir Shah, and about the same time they remitted the confiscated treasures of Shu- ja'u-d-dauluh and the Bengal tribute in charge of Murid Khan, who had arrived in Murshidabad on behalf of Qamru-d-din Khan 4 long before Nadir Shah's invasion. Haji Ahmad and All Yard! Khan intrigued with Murid Khan, and won him over to their sido. On the withdrawal of Nadir Shah, they carried tales of the introduction of tho Nadir Shahi coin and Khutbah to Nawab Quimu-d-dm Khan and to Nizaum-I-Mulk, and laid various other charges against Sarfaraz Khan. Aided by the machiuations of the Imperial ministers, 6 they seemed a royal patent granting to them the Niziimat of Bengal, and authorising the execution of Sarfaraz Khan, 6 on account of his treason in introducing the coin and Khutbah of Nadir Shah. When the Muhammad Shah could not put aside personal feolinga and oianniah jealouaiea —the great bane of all Moslem races and the grave ot so many Mu gal man Empires,—nor could combine loyally in one common aud sacrod onuso to repel tho enemy’s invasion of India. Burhann-l Mulk was the greatest delin¬ quent in this respect. Only Nizamu-I-Mulk and Qamru-d-din Khan ap¬ pear in better light, and seem to have worthily maintained tho high tradi¬ tions of their great offices. For Niza.nn-I-Mulk Asif Jnh, and Qamrn-d-dln Khan, aeo Muaseru-l-Umara, Vol. Ill, p. 837, and Vol I, p. 358. 1 For some gruesome details of tho sack of Delhi aud the general mnsea- ore of its population, see Seiru-l-AIutakhcrin, Vol. II, p. 485 . a Nidir Shah's invasion was one of the great external calamities that overtook the Mughal Empire aud hastened its rain. i> Khufba was also recited after Nadir Shah's name in all tho mosques of Delhi on his ontry there. See Scir. ♦ He w u nt tho time Chief Vizier or Primo Minister ot Emperor M a ho m . mad §hah. * priooipaI Im P erial Minister who sided with Haji Ahmad and All Vartl. Eian in their intrigue, was Matamu-d-danluh Ishaq Khiin. The L nTr Rt , l !; etimegreat inflaenC0 over Emperor Mnbammad §Ijah. See p. 489, Seiru-I-lfuta&erin. The Triumvirate Councillors were themselves responsible for this treason w ic was a part of their adroitly-laid plot to overtl.row Sarfari* Khan by ^ ng th0 ,atter bef ° re th6 Kmper ° r ^h. ’ It aLht the GOOd ’ ° WiDg t0 his ^ilelesHtieaa and look of in, eifght, Ooojd not see through their despicable game of villainy. 310 arrow of their efforts reached the bntt of their aim, the Triumvir¬ ate Council represented to Sarfaraz Khan that the resources of the State wore limited, whilst its expenditure was heavy, and thereby persuaded the Nawab to reduce the strength of his Army. They at the same time secretly sent instructions to All Vardi Khan to mobilise troops and collect arms, in view of the invasion of Bengal. Whoever was cashiered from the army of Sarfaraz K£an was straightway enlisted by Haji Ahmad in the service of Ali Vardi Khan, and sent off to Azimabad (Patna). Nearly one- half of Sarfaraz Khan’s troops were in this way disbanded. Ali Vardi San, having completed preparations for war and mobilised a large army consisting of Afghans, Rohilahs, and Bhalias, set out for Bengal; whilst Haji Al?mad sent his and his sons’ hoarded treasures amounting to several laks of rupees for the expenses of Ali Vardi’s army. When Sarfaraz Khan, from the despatches of his Political Agents at the Court of the Emperor, and from informations of emis¬ saries, came to be apprised of the machinations of the treacherous enemy, deemingit prudent to adopt remedy for the affair before it came to pass, he set himself to overthrow the traitors, and decided to bestow the Deputy-Governorship 1 of Azimabad (Patna) on his son-in-law, Syed Muhammad Hasan, in supercession of Ah Vardi Khan, and the Faujdaii of Akbarnagar (Rajmahal) together with the command of Sakrigali and Teliagadhi passes on Mir ^harfu-d- din Bakhshi, in supercession of A‘tau-l-lah Khan, son-in- aw o Haii Ahmad. Sarfaraz Khan also determined to appoint Munshi Jasunat Rai as Diwan in the place of the Rai Raian. Bu as yet this decision had not been put in force, when the mem¬ bers of the Triumvirate Council adroitly submitting a -presenta¬ tion about their long services, the heavy outstandings of the Im¬ perial Revenue, and their losses, persuaded Sarfaraz Khan to po pone their supercession and the installation of others ,n their places till their preparation of the Annual Balance-sheet, which fell after three months.* Sarfaraz Khan, who owing to guileless of ' “ “>“? "SI Atan-l-lah Brin to his son-io.law Jlosan g.-J^hibited „ lamest- S This is the old story of g i K ^ f ^ reprtsonl „ lioI1 of his faithless CMt him 311 his nature lmd already been victimised by the duplicity of the Triumvirate Council, once again suffered himself to be doped by their wiles. Ail Vardi Khan, utilising this short respite, secured the adhesion of Mustafa Khan, Sham slier Kl;an, Surdar Khan, U'mar Khan, Rahim Khan, Karam Khan, Sirandaz Khan, Shaikh Ma‘sam, Shaikh Jahangir Khan, Muhammad Zulfuqir Khan, Chidan HazSri (Bakhshi of the Bhaliahs), Bakhtawar Singh, and other Generals and officers of the Army. Under the false pretext of waiting on Sarfaraz Khan. A‘li Vardi Khan marched swiftly, crossed the passes of Tillagadhi and Sakrigali, and reached the frontiers of Bengal.