Three months were already elapsed since his departure, and the season of rain was already over, when Zin-eddin-ahmed-qhan conceived the scheme of becoming independent, as had done Mustapha-qhan, and of submitting his two brothers to his own power and influence. In his late journey to M8rsh8d-abad, he had cast a prying eye on the power and wealth of his two brothers, and on the Court of his uncle; and having reflected on the weak­ness of the two former, and on the old age of the latter, he had concluded that he would prove an overmatch for both. Full of this idea, he sent an agent to his uncle at a time when the cold season was setting in. The old Prince had come out of the city, and encamped at Amany-gundj, with intention to chase the Mar­hattas that had nestled themselves in the District of Midnip8r. The Governor Azim-abad aspires inde­pendence. The agent was one Mir-abdol-maaly, who had once been steward to Saadet-qhan, and lived now in Azim-abad, highly respected by the Governor. The purport of his speech was this: “That Shimshir-qhan and Serdar-qhan, the two dismissed Afghan Commanders, who on the supposition of their returning to live retired in their country of Deherbanga, had been suffered to repair quietly thither, were now inlisting vast numbers of their own countrymen, so far from dismissing those whom they had brought over from Bèngal with themselves. That to drive these people out of the province, was not without its difficulty; and to suffer them to fortify themselves in the heart of it, was highly impolitical, and full of danger. That, if His Highness should approve of the scheme, he thought that a middling way would be the safest, namely, that of attaching them to the service. For which purpose, he asked leave to retain those two officers with three thousand of their best horse; but that as the province of Azim-abad could not afford that additional expense, he submitted it to his pleasure, whether it might not be expedient to have the pay of those additional troops made disbursable by the treasury of Bengal.” This message seemed unwelcome to the Viceroy; and he appeared displeased with it at first. Nevertheless, he admitted the expediency of the scheme, as he saw some advantages likely to result from it, and he did not choose to disoblige his son-in-law. The envoy therefore having carried his point, returned to his master, with a very favourable answer to his request. And the Governor, being now at liberty to act, sent three persons of weight to invite the Afghans to take service with him. These were Aga-azimái, Taky-c8ly-qhan, and Mahmed-asker-qhan, now all three deceased; and it was by their channel that the whole negotiation was carried forwards. The envoys having gone over to Deherbanga, proferred their advantageous proposals to the two Commanders; and as these, on the other hand, had a mighty design of their own in their heads, the proposals were soon accepted; and soon reciprocal promises were confirmed by tremendous oaths on both sides. So that at the end of the month of Zilhidj in the year 1161—A.D. 1747, the Afghans marched down in great numbers towards the Ganga, and encamped over against the city of Azim-abad, where the The Governor takes the disbanded Afghans in his pay. Governor-General’s people as well as the citizens soon intermixed with them. They were commanded by four chiefs; Shimshir-qhan; his nephew, Morad-shir-qhan; and Serdar-qhan; and Baghshy-bó8liah. These four men pretended to be afraid of going to Court, where they apprehended some such fate might await them as that which had befallen both Abdol-kerim-qhan and Roshen-qhan in the beginning of the Viceroy’s administration, as well as that of his nephew’s. And as these apprehensions of theirs were not without foundation; and the Governor was not without some inquietude about their great numbers, and their being close to his capital; he went to make them a visit, his views being to shew how much confidence he reposed in their integrity, and how much he wished to dispel their apprehensions by so open a proceeding. This intention of his was sudden; nor did he impart it to any one; nor was he accompanied, as usual by his guards, or by any other troops, nor even by his household. He had with him only his younger son, Mirza-mehdy, and the poor man’s second brother, Sëyd-aaly-qhan, to whom the Prince had betrothed his daughter. He had also Mahmed-asker-qhan, his favourite; and getting upon one of those elegant boats of twenty or thirty oars, called Perendas,* he went to make a visit to Shimshir-qhan, whose tent was pitched on the other side of the river. That officer having descried his noble visitor from afar, came out of his tent, and received him at the landing place, where he made a profound bow, and presented his Nazur; after which he conducted him to his tent, made him sit in the Mesned, and after having made another bow, he went at some distance, and remained standing, as one in his service; nor would he sit down unless after repeated entreaties, and then only at a distance. A moment after M8rad-shir-qhan entered with some other officers; and in a moment the tent was thronged with Afghans that came to make their bows. M8rad-shir-qhan had his sabre in hand, as had all the others, and this was no more than conformable to the custom. However as soon as he was seated, he asked Shimshir-qhan whether he should fall on the Governor, immediately. This was in the Peshto language,* which is the vernacular tongue of the Afghans. Shimshir-qhan without uttering any answer, put his hand into his beard, as if to scratch himself, and shook his head very hard in token of disapprobation: and the sign was immediately understood. Séyd-aaly-qhan, my brother, who was present, told me all these particulars, on my return from Shah-djehan-abad. As to the Governor, he did not observe either the asking leave, or the sign of disap­probation; for fate had blinded him thoroughly. Shimshir-qhan a little after, produced in compliance with the custom, some horses and an elephant, for which he entreated his acceptance. The Governor excused himself, and getting up much to his own, and as he thought, much to their satisfaction, he commanded the Superintendent of the river to afford the Afghans as many boats as they should want, and to facilitate their passage; after which he returned to his palace. Boats were immediately brought, and numbers of Afghans being ferried over, they encamped at Djaafer-qhan’s garden, the chiefs passing first with their private retinues. The next day the Governor getting into his Paleky, almost alone, and without any other retinue, but two or three servants, went out of the city to look at them from Nedjm-eddin’s buildings. As soon as he was descried from afar Serdar-qhan marched up with his corps, and paid him his respects, which he did with a deal of cordiality; and indeed, it appeared after­wards, that he was not of the plot, and not so much as privy to it. For that officer being in the sequel on a visit to Shah-maham­med-zamin and Shah-rustem-aaly, openly disclaimed his know­ing anything of the conspiracy. These were the principal Fakyrs or religious of those parts; two venerable personages, equally sincere and candid, and who had also the gift of knowing by intuition men’s innermost thoughts. That officer was heard to protest of his innocence, and to say that he knew nothing of the action intended by those two senseless impudent fellows, (for such was his expression) meaning thereby Shimshir-qhan and M8rad-shir-qhan; else, added he, I would have quitted their company, and abstained from their society. Now it is out of my power to part with them; and were I to do it, no man would believe me; moreover, my retreat would be attributed to cowardice and to unworthy motives. Out of a principle of honour, therefore, and out of regard to the name of Afghan, which they bear in common with me, I am obliged to stand by them; but it goes much against the grain.” These were Serdar-qhan’s expressions. But I have this anecdote from a person of weight and veracity, who has asserted that in fact, Serdar-qhan knew nothing of the plot; and that this was so far true, that the con­spirators after having finished the Governor-General, intended likewise to fall upon that officer too, as upon an inimical man, whom it was proper to put out of the way before they should take possession of the country and Government. Be it as it will, at the end of the ten holy days of Muharrem, being the begin­ning of the year 1161, the conspirators resolved to go to the Governor’s palace, at a time when they knew that Mehdi-nessar-qhan, uncle to the poor man, an officer extremely trusted by the Governor-General, and sincerely attached to his person, was to repair to Seress and Cootombah, to bring to order the Zemindar of that country. And as most of the principal Commanders, like Qhadum-hassen-qhan and Ahmed-qhan-corèishy, and some other men of note, together with Radja Sunder-sing, Zemindar of Ticary, were under orders to attend him in that expedition, they were all absent from Court; and by a strange fatality, even those that might have attended, could not go thither, as the Governor to shew his thorough confidence in the Afghans, and his intire freedom from any designs that might give them umbrage, had sent the preceding day a Circular Order throughout the city, that no officer, no soldier, and no military man, should attend on the day appointed to receive the obeysance of the Afghans: a strange order indeed, so contrary to order, so opposite to the ordinary rules of decence, and which had never been issued, had not the unfortunate man been actually under the impulse of an inevitable destiny, that had blinded his understanding, and made him give precise orders for the very measures which were to operate his ruin. For so far was he from being deficient in intellects, that it may be said that having taken his uncle for his model and pattern, he had added that accession of keenness and judgment to his own stock of good sense and penetration; in so much that he seemed to have gone in those two qualities some degrees even beyond his prototype. It was myself absent at this very conjuncture, having been for a length of time abroad to pay my respects to my glorious father, who had received from Ghazy-eddin-qhan, (son to Nizam-el-mulk) the Government of Berheily and of some other neighbouring districts, that were of his Djaghir; and as he was not there, I advanced two or three stages farther; when by one of those singular events, that seem unaccountable to-day, I heard a voice which mentioned that Zin-eddin-ahmed-qhan had been killed by Shimshir-qhan. I was alone. It was noon-day; nor could I discover any speaker either far or near; and this happened the very day he was killed. But the day after, as some wounded men whom I knew to belong to the Superintendent of Bodjp8r, chanced to come to Merli about Ghazip8r, I heard them say positively that the unfortunate Gov­ernor was killed, and that the Fodjdar of Shah-abad had been plundered by the Zemindars of those parts, who did not fail to avail themselves of the confusion that followed that nobleman’s death to commit their accustomed disorders. This event hap­pened in the following manner:—