It may be asked what has become of Bimba-dji and his Marhatta Cavalry, of which we have said not a word. And the answer will be short. The man, like a true Marhatta, contented himself with scampering about at the beginning of the action, and then remained motionless like any common spectator; so that when he saw that victory had turned towards Hossëin-aaly-khan, he galloped over, and presented him his Nuzur as did all his officers. And all this while his Marhattas having broke in the enemy’s camp, were plundering every thing they could lay their hands upon. Nevertheless, there still remained much booty for the victorious army; and the whole of Dä8d-khan’s equipage, money, horses and elephants were seized for the Viceroy’s use, a small part of which only he vouchsafed to send to the Emperor, and that, too, after a length of time.

Da8d-khan had left at Ahmed-abad a consort, by whom he was tenderly loved. She was the daughter of a Hindoo Zemindar, or great Landlord of that kingdom, where it was a standing rule, that some of those Gentoo Princes should give their daughters to the Viceroy in being. This lady who had been initiated in the Mussulman religion, on her entrance into the seraglio, was now pregnant, and seven months gone with child; and she had entreated for the liberty of following her husband, of whom at his Strange anec­dote of Dä8d-khan’s Radj­poot consort. departure, she had obtained his poignard, as a token of his love. The news of his death in the middle of a victory having now reached Ahmed-abad, she took the poignard, and opening her own belly with a precaution and dexterity that amazed every one, she care­fully drew out the child, and tenderly recommended it to the by-standers, after which few words, she expired.*

The report of this victory soon reached the capital, and it was remarked that the Emperor could not conceal his concern and regret. He even said in the Vezir Abdollah-khan’s presence, “That it was a pity that so heroical a man as Dä8d-khan should have been slain,” and he added, “that he had been unworthily used.” Severe answer of the Vezir to the Emperor, on the latter expressing a concern for Dä8d-khan’s death. This expression was taken up by the Vezir, who answered, “That had his brother been slain by that savage of an Afghan, his death, he supposed, would have appeared very proper, and at any rate would have been more welcome to His Majesty.”

When dialogues between the Emperor and the Minister could be tainted with so much acrimony, it was not difficult to conjecture how far matters might proceed, and this was soon put to the test by two events that happened immediately after this conversation: These were the sudden dismission of a body of choice men which the Emperor had ordered to be raised with a high pay, from forty to nine hundred rupees per month, a pay which was to be assigned on Crown-lands, or Djaghires, and in expectation of which they had been promised one with another fifty rupees in ready money; but twelve months had already elapsed since that creation, and they had as yet touched nothing, when at once the body was broke and dismissed, and its Paymasters were told, that at present there was no money in the treasury. The second event is the sudden arrival of Emir-djemlah from Azim-abad, where over and above the standing troops of his Government, he had raised a large body of Moghuls, and other foreigners; and as the revenues of the country, very ill-managed by him, could not afford to maintain those additional troops, they subsisted by pillaging the flat country, and exercising violences even in the middle of its capital, where they put under contribution the poor people, as well as the nobility. Such enor­mous disorders could not but render Emir-djemlah’s administra­tion an object of universal detestation; but as he had also most extravagantly squandered away the public money, and no resource remained for him against the insolencies of those people who threatened his person, here is the expedient, he imagined, would extricate himself. He got into one of those veiled-chairs that are used to convey women, and without imparting even a hint to his most intimate friends, or even to his menial servants, he fled towards Dehli, where, terror adding wings to his flight, he arrived in fifteen days; and where, in the very middle of a dark night, he suddenly made his appearance at the castle-gate, like a ghost from his grave. This was at a time when terrible reports were spreading everywhere throughout the city, as if schemes were actually in agitation about seizing the Vezir’s person. And, indeed, as the Emperor had now conceived a rooted aversion against the two brothers, a rumour ran, that Emir-djemlah had been sent for underhand. This much is certain that, when that Gover­nor made his appearance at Court, he was ill-received; and that this reception having only added to the bad opinion which the world had conceived of his character, he turned himself towards Abdollah-khan, to whom he commenced paying an assiduous court­ship, as he was, said he, resolved, henceforward to devote him­self solely to his family. But all these protestations were attributed to artifice by the public, and even to a concerted scheme of seizing the Vezir’s person. It was even suspected, that the unexpected dismission of the eight thousand troopers, together with the vast crowds of Moghuls, and other disbanded soldiers, who arrived daily in shoals from Azimabad, and went everywhere armed and mounted about the streets, and especially to the palaces The dissen­sions between the Emperor and the Vezir rise higher than ever,and the latter for­tifies his quarter, and raises new troops. of Mahmed-amin-khan, the Paymaster-General, and of Emir-djemlah, and of Qhandö8ran, were nothing more than so many contrivances to circumvent the Vezir; and they raised supicions in every one’s breast, as if all these manœuvres meant no more than to fall unexpectedly upon his palace. That Minister, at last, came to think so himself; and now giving way to his apprehen­sions, he ordered his quarter and his habitation to be put in a state of defence, and a number of troops to be raised. It happened that his nephew, Ghäirat-khan, who had been appointed Fodjar of Narnö8l, and had gone out of the city with a strong body, to take possession, came soon to hear of these disturbances; and he turned about, and took his quarters round his palace, not only with what troops he actually had with him, but also with some new levies which he made by the way, and chiefly with a large body of Sëids of Bar, who had flocked into the city, on hearing that the Vezir, whom they looked upon not only as their country­man, but also as their kinsman, was in danger from his enemies. Such terrors were spread everywhere, and such apprehensions conceived, that Abdollah-khan’s friends, who had fortified them­selves in his quarter, or in its neighbourhood, were now sitting upon their elephants the whole day, and standing to their arms the whole night, the more so as shoals of disbanded soldiers were now seen armed and mounted in almost every large street. But what looks very singular is, that it was such a time of mistrust and confusion, that Emir-djemlah, at a loss what to do with his own person,chose to refuge himself in Mahmed-amin-khan’s house,after having rendered himself not only odious, but even contemptible and ridiculous by his thoughtless behaviour. It was with such a pusillanimous conduct, and in such an abject state of body and mind, that he still harboured thoughts of not only contending with such mighty men, as the victorious Hossëin-aaly-khan, and the Vezir Abdollah-khan, the pole of the Empire, as well as with the late Zulficar-khan, the Prince of Princes, but also of overtopping them in the state. Amidst all these movements and troubles, the Emperor who felt his own inability as well as his favourite’s incapacity, and who through his innate levity of mind had already grown sick of these commotions and preparations, undertook to put an end to the whole by discarding Emir-djemlah. He was dismissed to his native country of M8ltan, and Ser-b8lend-khan appointed to his Government of Azimabad-patna. But all this repentance, and all these changes produced no conviction in any mind amongst discerning men; and the Emperor’s insincerity was now so publicly known, and suspicions had taken so deep a root on that head, that whenever the Emperor went out a hunting, or the least motion was observed in his household, the report was presently spread that the Vezir had been seized. No wonder after that, if that Minister continued to raise troops, and to prepare every thing for his defence.

Death and admirable character of the old Vezir, Assed-khan.

This year, which was marked by so many troubles and dis­sensions, became also memorable by the demise of Assed-khan— the venerable Assed-khan—that wise Assef* of the State, who had been so long Prime Minister to Aoreng-zib. He departed to the mansions of eternal mercy, after having completed the ninety-fifth year of a virtuous life, full of merits. It was the sixth of Feroh-syur’s reign, and the seven hundred and twenty-ninth of the Hedjrah. He may be said to have been the seal and last member of that ancient nobility of Hindostan, that had done so much honour to the Empire. He had every qualification that can constitute a character equally eminent in public, and amiable in private; of a placability of temper, and of a benignity of disposi­tion so endearing, that to this very day, his name is affectionately remembered by every one. Without of the having ever stooped to any Lords of the recent Courts, he lived with dignity and splendour to the very last, conserving uninterruptedly his bound­less influence over every part of the Empire, where, to his immortal honour, as well as to the emolument of all contemporaries, he never ceased to employ his credit, as well as purse, in obliging any one that presented himself, whether a friend or stranger.

“Merits or demerits, that is the whole of what we can carry to the grave:

Happy he who shall go thither perfum’d by his merits.”*