Sáyd-ahmed-qhan, the Governor of P8raniah, had received from the Viceroy an invitation to meet him on the road; and he had therefore come down as far as Carangola, where he had prepared a set of magnificent tents, and a sumptuous entertain­ment for his noble visitor; he also sent me, the poor man, some cosses beyond Carangola, to receive that Prince on the southern shore of the Ganga; but on hearing that he had excused himself on account of his illness, and that he had continued his route to M8rsh8d-abad by the middle of the stream, without touching at either shore, he dispatched his own physician, Mir-mahmed-messih, to attend him, and himself followed immediately; but at his arrival at M8rsh8d-abad he found his task changed into felicitations for the recovery of that precious health. He therefore kissed his grandfather’s feet, venerated his glorious face, and returned his acknowledgments to Heaven for so important a recovery. This unexpected visit furnished Nefissa-begum, mother to the late Nawab Ser-effraz-qhan, with an opportunity of pro­moting a scheme which she had much at heart. This Princess, who had been taken into Nevazish-mahmed-qhan’s family, where he had given her such a full command over his whole household, that his consort herself, although daughter to Aaly-verdy-qhan, (it was Mehr-en-nessa-begum, better known by the name of Gahassity-bibi), paid her the utmost deference; and both hus­band and consort were vying with each other in soothing her grief by every demonstration of respect and attention. Nefissa-begum had adopted as her son, a boy born to Ser-effraz-qhan, the very day he was slain at the battle of Gheriah. His name was Aga-baba; and he had become the darling of her heart, and the consolation of her old age. She intended to marry him to one of the daughters of Sáyd-ahmed-qhan, to whom she sent a message by Bibi-Gahassity herself. The Prince declined the match at first; but overcome by the vivacity of her entreaties, and by those of her husband’s, he gave his consent. But as such a match could not be celebrated properly on the part of Sáyd-ahmed-qhan, without assembling his whole family, parentage and kindred, at the head of which was Aaly-verdy-qhan himself; and decency required that the family, parentage, and kindred of the late Ser-effraz-qhan should not be forgotten; it became probable that all that multitude would not choose to repair to P8raniah; and of course it seemed expedient to celebrate the nuptials at M8rsh8d-abad, where Sáyd-ahmed-qhan promised to return for that ceremony, as soon as he should have finished his prepara­tives at P8raniah, whither he was going for that purpose. In a few days he set out accordingly, loaded with presents and caresses from his father-in-law, with which he returned to his capital, where we shall leave him at present to finish his preparatives, as the conclusion of this affair shall find its place in the sequel, and we must now revert to the affairs of war.

The troops left at Midnip8r under command of Radja D8l8b-ram and Mir-djaafer-qhan, were numerous and sufficient to fight the Marhattas, and to drive them not only from Balasser, but from the whole Oressa. Nevertheless such was the slender opinion entertained of the abilities of the one Commander, and the doubts conceived of the courage of the other; and such was the damp thrown upon the spirits of the army by the very report of their invincible master’s illness, that this same army was now thought unequal to the task; and although circular letters had been sent everywhere to announce his recovery, still they were thought both by friends and foes to be no better than so many contrivances, and so many strokes of policy to conceal the real state of things. It was from such a cause that the troops could not be brought to face the enemy with their wonted alacrity; and the same cause had rendered bolder and adventurous an enemy, who ascribed this backwardness to some other origin. Such a state of things rendered Aaly-verdy-qhan still more anxious to make his appearance in the field. Weak therefore, as he was yet, and feeling still the remains of his illness, he put himself at the head of a numerous body and marched to Midnip8r; The Vice­roy againat the head of his troops, forces the Marhattas to a retreat. whilst Radja D8l8bram and Mir-djaafer-qhan advanced from that town to meet their lord in the plain of Bardevan, where they had the honor to kiss his feet. It was in the year 1164. And as the Marhattas on the strength of the Aaly-verdy-qhan’s illness had advanced to Midnip8r, that Prince who always wished for an opportunity to engage them, marched up to them, and the two armies meeting, an engagement took place; when the enemies, according to their rooted custom, fled and left the Prince master of the field of battle. The freebooters unable to stand the brunt of troops accustomed to break their ranks, took to flight; and taking a circuit, they retired into the hills and woody countries that stretch along the west of Bengal. The Viceroy pursued; but as soon as he had approached near enough to come to blows, they fled again, still pursued and still flying; nor did the Bengal army afford them time to take breath, or to stand awhile. At last the Marhattas tired with so obstinate a pursuit, faced about, and returned into the Oressa by the country behind the hills; whilst Aaly-verdy-qhan, disappointed in his pursuit, but resolved to root them out of the country, postponed his expedition to the next year, and with his victorious troops took the road to M8rsh8d-abad, and encamped at Catwa.

This retreat afforded Mir-habib and the Marhatta Generals leisure to consult together on the state of things, so as to be weary of a warfare that had lasted already so many years without producing for them anything but continual toil and endless losses. “They observed that it had served only to inure Aaly-verdy qhan’s The two parties tired of a two years war. troops to hardships and to victory; and at last they concluded that instead of spending their strength in such fruitless cam­paigns, it was better to come to some terms with the enemy. And as on the other hand, giving up totally their pretensions on the Oressa, and abstaining totally from their views upon Bengal, seemed dishonourable to Rhagodji-bhoslah’s dignity, it was thought proper to submit the matter to Aaly-verdy-qhan himself, under certain conditions.” In consequence of this resolution Mir-habib sent some trusty persons with a message to Mir-djaafer-qhan, who transmitted the same to Court in a proper style and at a proper moment. The Viceroy, accustomed to success and victory, thought it hard to admit such conditions, but yet he submitted to them on a variety of reasons. “The declension of his health, and the necessity of consulting, above all, the ease and tranquillity of his dominions, required such a sacrifice at his hands. He considered that he was now in the seventy-fifth year of his age, broken with the fatigues of ten repeated cam­paigns against the Marhattas, in which time he had also fought mighty battles with Mustapha-qhan, with Shimshir-qhan, and with some other Afghan Commanders, whose vanquished troops had only served to increase the number of his enemies. That this latter by a warfare which consisted in avoiding all decisive engagements, and in burning the villages, spoiling the harvest, and slaughtering the husbandmen, had contrived a way of manag­ing so as to render his very victories equal to so many defeats. Lastly, the inhabitants of the south of the Ganga, exhausted with eternal ravages, and yearly migrations, panted after some release from their toils, and wished to live henceforward in safety, and in a freedom from endless apprehensions in their homes.” To all these motives may be added that his own inclination was now for peace. “He pronounced a sentence of the Coran relative to the subject, and wrote to Mir-djaafer-qhan, giving him leave to send some trusty persons to Mir-habib’s camp; and he agreed that should any man of sense and char­acter come from that General with such proposals as would be found admissible, they would be listened to; or else, the envoy would have leave to return in all safety.” In consequence of this consent, Mir-djaafer-qhan returned Mir-habib’s envoys in company with two others of his own, namely, Mir-hassen-aaly and Mir-gho8ss-aaly. These two gentlemen informed Mir-habib that Aaly-verdy-qhan consented to listen to an agreement; and that it was now his part to pitch upon a proper personage for treating properly of an affair of that moment. Mir-habib, who did not expect so much condescendence, so sooner heard of this intelligence, which he thought to be an unexpected piece of good luck for him, than he acknowledged it to be now incum­bent upon him to carry on his shoulders the trappings of obe­dience and submission to Aaly-verdy-qhan, and to approve himself submissive to his commands. Pleased with this overture, he appointed Mirza-saleh, a gentleman of character, to accompany Mir-djaafer-qhan’s two envoys; and he gave him order to avail himself of that nobleman’s mediation, to gain access to the Vice­roy’s presence. The envoy had orders to profess “his master’s submission to His Highness’s commands, and his firm resolu­tion henceforwards to be obedient to whatever he should be pleased to prescribe.” The envoy having been introduced by Mir-djaafer-qhan, whilst the Viceroy was encamped at Catwa, had the honour to pay his respects, and to follow his stirrup, that unerring guide to success and victory; and it was in his retinue he arrived at M8rsh8d-abad.

Treaty of peace with the Marhattas.