The intelligence of Beni-bahadyr’s escape shocked the English, and surprised the General; who nevertheless had so much regard for the sincere attachment which Shytab-ráy had for him, that he forbore saying any thing of the matter; but this did not satisfy Shytab-ráy, who anxious for his own character, thought proper on the first news of Beni-bahadyr’s defection, to wait upon the General and to supplicate him in these terms. “Sir, I was Beni-bahadyr’s security for the performance of his agreement; and now he has acted in such a manner, as confounds all the world. Should you be called to an account for this affair by the Council of Calcutta, please to send me thither, as I am the only culprit to this affair, and not you.” This short address had its effect. The General and the other English Commanders sensible of Shytab-ráy’s fidelity, and pleased with the sincerity and frankness of his behaviour, did every­thing in their power to make him easy. Nothing was thought of now, but war; and Shudjah-ed-döulah having on his side effected a junction with the Marhatta Malhar-ráo, was preparing The English disappointed in their nego­tiaton, think only of push­ing the war. to fight the English. These had made an acquisition some time before this. It was that of the Radja Balvent, Zemindar of Banares, whom they brought over to their party; and this was effected by Shytab-ráy’s mediation, and by the management of Noor-el-hassen-qhan the Belgramite, a servant of Shudjah-ed-döulah’s, but a friend of Beni-bahadyr’s, and who now was in the office of Sazavul at Banares, that is, of enforcer of pay­ment. And it was by Belvent’s advice that the English resolved to besiege Chennar-gur, a fortress famous for strength and security, as being seated at ten cosses south of that city, upon the top of a rock that commands thither both sides of the Ganga. A number of troops were sent under the command of a Major, who had with him several Captains, with many Lieutenants, ensigns and Sergeants, and some battering* cannon. The They besiege Chen­nar-gur. Major having assembled his troops and necessaries, marched to the fortress, and surrounded it. But first of all he produced an Imperial order, in hopes that the garrison would submit on the intimation of the Imperial threats. However, as soon as he saw that these did not make any effect, he brought his cannon for­ward, battered the walls, and pushed the siege with vigour. The Governor of the place, Mahmed-beshir-qhan, a principal Lord of the Vezir’s Court, was in his heart ill affected and wavering. Nevertheless the garrison, which had resolved to stand a siege, stretched out the feet of firmness, and attached themselves to the defence of the place. But as their Governor seemed dissatisfied, they contrived to get him out of the walls in the manner he wished, and to have him conducted to the road that led to Shudjah-ed-döulah’s camp; after this, they made a brave defence; but yet there remained but a few days respite to the fortress. For part of the wall having been ruined and beaten down by the violence of the cannon, the English in a dark night, prepared a number of proper troops, and gave an assault to the place. They climbed the rock, and were encouraging each The English repulsed at an assault. other to descend into the fort by the ruins, and the scattered loose stones of the breach; when they were overheard by some of the garrison, who being put upon their guard, waked their companions so expeditiously, that the garrison was up in a moment, and ready at the breach; from whence they made such continual discharges of musketry, as disabled most of the assaulters. The latter being confounded both by the darkness of the night, and by the slipperiness of the loose stones, fell down in shoals; and rolling from the top of the breach quite down the brow of the rock, they carried along a number of others that had yet a firm footing; and these too rolling down in heaps amidst a quantity of loose stones and rubbish, numbers of men were wounded and maimed, in this attempt. The Major himself was in that condition. He was wounded by a ball, and had fallen speechless and senseless. His men being discouraged, fell back, and retreated; nor was it but after somewhile, that they thought of their Commander, who was then sought out, and found under a stone. With much precaution and silence they brought him down from thence; but he was already senseless; and in a little time, he departed this fragile world. The General hearing of Raise the siege and march on the enemy. this miscarriage, thought proper to recall his troops, as he had certain intelligence, that Shudjah-ed-döulah was advancing; and after having effected his junction with them, he marched on in quest of the enemy.

It was at this time that Mirza-nedjef-qhan, whom we have mentioned already as a man dissatisfied, just arrived from the Bundel-cand, and took party with the English, whom he joined with his Moghuls. And it was at this time also that the English Commanders sent some troops under Major Ustubert (Stibbert), to Lucnow, with orders to take possession of that city, and to gain a knowledge of the province of A8d, as well as of the adjacent parts. This officer appointed Mahmed-acber qhan to the Cutvaaly of that city, on the recommendation of Shytab-ráy. After this arrangement, the General, with his whole army marched to Ilah-abad, with Shytab-ráy and Nedjef-qhan, resolved to besiege its citadel. Nedjef-qhan, who knew the strong and weak parts of the fortress, as having long resided in it, pointed to a part where the wall had no rampart behind; and this being soon brought down by the battering cannon, which had been seized in plundering the Vezir’s camp, Aaly-beg-qhan, the Governor, soon found that he had but little time left; and he offered to surrender on Shytab-ráy’s promising that the honour and properties of the garrison should remain untouched, excepting only whatever should prove to belong to the Vezir himself. And he assured the besieged, that they would come to no harm, whether they attached themselves to the English, or not. These condi­tions The fortress of Ila-abad surrenders to the English. having been agreed to, he brought them out of the citadel; and the place was immediately taken possession of by the English. Aaly-beg-qhan, with his garrison, and other servants of Shudjah-ed-döulah’s, received a safe conduct, with which he repaired to his master.

After this conquest, Radja Shytab-ráy was proposed to regulate the contributions and government of the two provinces, with Radja Belvent’s assistance, especially of that of A8d. And as it was necessary to send rulers in the most distant dis­tricts, or even in all, it became expedient to support them by taking in the English service most of the Commanders that had once served in Mir-cassem’s troops; for instance, Mir-roshen-aaly-qhan, Sheh-ferhat-aaly with his body of troops, and Sheh-savar-beg, the same that had slayed Mr. Amyatt; and these were stationed everywhere for the management of the whole country. After these reglements had taken place, the General hearing of the Vezir’s approach, advanced with Shytab-ráy and Mirza-nedjef-qhan to give him battle; for he had already eased his mind by stationing rulers and tax-gatherers in the most con­venient places, where they were properly supported by the new raised troops: a business in which he was ably assisted by Shytab-ráy, a man who had not his equal in the art of settling and regulating the new provinces; indeed he rendered eminent The whole of Shudjah-ed-döulah’s
dominions submit to the English. services in undermining a dominion that had been established almost these fifty years, and in oversetting a sovereignty, that had become hereditary in Shudjah-ed-döulah’s family, so earely as the times of Burhan-el-mulk-saadet-qhan, his maternal grandfather. But every part of the new conquests was not thoroughly pacified; for to keep down some ungrateful servants, and to carry a tight hand over some restless Zemindars, and especially over Radja Belvent-sing, proved a business of much labour and difficulty.

We have left the Vezir occupied in effecting a junction with Malhar-ráo, the famous Marhatta General. As soon as he had Shudjah-ed-döulah joined by Malhar-ráo, marches against the English. eased his mind on that head, he advanced to attack the English, although the Afghans who had promised assistance on the Mar­hatta’s effecting his junction, contented themselves with spread­ing a report of their marching; but did not advance one step. He was only joined by Umad-el-mulk, who came to camp with a small number of men, but who in fact proved only a mere spectator; for he was a man equally incapable of thinking of a scheme, or of doing any execution. But he was not alone in that case. Not one man in that army had a head to plan, or a hand to execute, any thing; nor did any one think of wiping from one another’s face that air of consternation, which their defeat had stamped thereon. For as soon as the two armies came to an action in the plains of Corra, and they had some skirmishes together, the Marhatta Malhar-ráo who had never been exposed to the fire and violence of cannon, was at once confounded, and appalled by such a storm of fire; and after having galloped up and down, like one desirous to do something, he put spurs to his horse, and continued his gallop without once turning about to look behind; he galloped on until he found himself in the country of Goaliar which was the centre of his government. As for And is worsted after a few slight skir­mishes. Shudjah-ed-döulah himself, he became now fully sensible of the faithlessness of his people, and of the general discouragement that had spread amongst them; and as he did not spy the face of success in the glass of hope, he retreated from the field of battle. It is observable that whilst the English were moving from Ilah-abad in order to attack the Vezir’s army, they had been surrounded by bodies of Marhatta cavalry, who faithful to their own wonted custom, encircled them at one time, and gave them some inquietude, by scouring and plundering the whole country round them. At another time they had very nearly seized Shytab-ráy, who with a handful of men, chanced to be hemmed in by them; he was very near being killed. But the man, without being dis­mayed by the extreme inferiority of his numbers, encouraged bravely his people, and having brandished his spear in the field of braves, he maintained his honour, until he was rescued from imminent danger by some English troops that hastened to his assistance. The truth is, that this man was endowed with many valuable qualities; and it may be said, that at this particular period of time, he seemed superior in merit to all the eminent men of Hindostan. But we hope soon, if it pleases God, to give an account of most of his good qualities; and this shall be, when we come to give a detail of his way of life, of his system of government in the province of Azim-abad, and of his style of command.