“My grandson, Mahmed-muéz-eddin*, has been writing to me to recommend N. N. Remembrancer, of such a province. Of course something must be done for him; but yet, the man is to be dismissed from that office directly, that the Gazetteer may remember to write Gazettes no more.

But the answer he sent to that grandson himself, is still more curious. Here it is:

“Dutiful sons, that are acquainted with their father’s temper, do not write recommendations in behalf of Gazetteers, and such sort of people. Your request is granted, and the man has been promoted accordingly; but yet, he has been dismissed from that office. Do not commit the like offence again.”

In short, as amongst the arts of government, information, and knowledge of the state of the land and of its inhabitants, hold a principal rank; and the interest of the Legislator’s in gathering knowledge, is always to tranquillise and quiet the people of God, by whose providence the Princes and Rulers have come to have the command and power over them; and as the happiness and ease of the subject is their main concern; so, to obtain the above end, no less than four persons have been appointed to discharge the duties of this one office of intelligence, to wit, the Vacaäy-nugar or Remembrancer, the Sevanah-nugar or Gazetteer, the Qhofiáh-neviss or Secret-writer, and the Harcara or Spy, to the end, that should any one or any two of them attempt to send in writing an unfaithful account, still the truth and real state of things might soon be investigated, by comparing their information with the accounts written by the two or three others; a discovery always followed by the disgrace of the faithless or uninformed writer, who never failed to be dismissed from a post of honour and affluence, and to be consigned to shame and distress. Now all those offices being suppressed it comes to pass that, not only in villages, but in towns and in renowned cities, the servants, the favourites, the dependants, nay very often, the very spies and emissaries of a Zemindar, having wriggled themselves into the service of Government, commit upon the inhabitants a variety of opressions and exactions, and always with the utmost safety; nor is there found a single man to ask them what they are doing; so far from there being any one to inflict a condign chastisement upon them. It is then worth an observer’s while to examine what kind of Gov­ernment existed then, and how matters stand now; and what were the circumstances of the subject then, and what they are to-day.

The Fodjdars were next in rank to the Nazems, or Military Governors of the provinces, and men of great distinction and note. Some of them exerted themselves so meritoriously as to leave behind them the very Nazems themselves, in whatever could promote the Imperial service. Their exertions were so continual and so strenuous, that those officers were sometimes more in favour with the Court than the latter, and often obtained more credit, and became objects of graces without number. These officers were fixed in each Soobahdary or Viceroyalty, according to its extent, and the number of refractory Zemindars or great Landlords in it; and several of these had under their commands bodies of some hundreds of troopers, and were decorated with the military degrees of a thousand horse, some of a thousand five hundred, of two thousand, of two thousand five bundred, and some few of three thousand, and as far as four thousand, with a number of effective troopers, according to their stations, or the necessities of their post. They marched in state, with standards displayed, and kettle-drums beating, and lived with splendour and dignity in those towns and fortresses, which were fixed and reserved for their residences. All these, together with the Mansoobdars, the Paymasters, the Remembrancers, the An infinity of persons in each province, who were unders the orders of the Military as well as Civil Governors, although independent from them. Gazetteer, the Secret-writer, the Head Spy, the Cazy or Judge, the Mufty or Bishop, the Sadr or Grand Almoner, the Muhtasib or Clerk of the Market, the Imperial Divan, and the Daroga or Superintendent of the Justice-office, down to the very head mes­senger or Mirdaha, and down to his peons or messengers, and to the very Book-binder of that spot; all these were immediate servants of the Crown. Every one of these held their offices immediately under the Emperor, but were attached to some particular part of the country, and fixed to some particular duty; but in such a manner, however, as to be totally independent from the Nazem; nor could any great man or Gov­ernor-General divest the lowest of them, or turn him out of his office. As to the officers of the Divany, they were dependants of the Imperial Divan, or General-receiver, in whatever related to revenue and finances; but the Mansobdars or Military dig­nitaries with their paymasters and troops, were all dependent on the Fodjdar, who gave orders about arraying and marching their corps, chastising malefactors, or coercing turbulent people. The Fodjdar’s special business was to take care that no over­grown Zemindar should make provisions of war instruments, such as musquets, or wall-pieces, in any great quantity, or should put in repair any old fort, or raise a new one on his own account. But if notwithstanding all those precautions, the Zemin­dar should avail himself so far of some neglect or connivance, or chance, as to compass any such design, then the Fodjdar was to require him to surrender the above articles, and to dismiss his troops. And in case of obedience, the Zemindar was to be forthwith removed from that spot and Zemindary; but in case he attempted to resist, then the Fordjdar was to attack him Extensive duties expected from Fodj­dars. immediately, to chastise him with severity, to demolish his castle, and to act with so much expedition and vigour, as that the refractory land-holder should be reduced to extremity, and henceforward obliged to wear in his ear the ring of obedience, as well as to carry on his shoulders the trappings of submission, in such a manner, as to have it no more in his power to disobey or to resist. The Fodjdar was to drive the delinquent from that spot, and never to suffer his residing again in it, unless by a special order from higher authority; still less was he to suffer him to recover a footing in his former possessions. But in case he had been able to lay hold of him, he was to send him to the Governor-General, prisoner and chained, or to keep him confined until he might receive orders respecting the disposal of him. These he was to put in force, and to execute in a time of tranquil­lity; and meanwhile his business was to be attentive lest other Zemindars should turn refractory likewise, and invade the little Djaghirs and possessions of those promoted to the enjoyment of Aimas, Amlacs, and other charity-lands.

Another business of the Fodjdar was to give chase to banditti and highwaymen, so as to prevent their finding a place of retreat; he was to hunt them down wherever he could dis­cover any of their footsteps, and to put them to the sword as soon as he had seen them. In short, wherever he could perceive a malefactor, he was to pursue him incessantly, until he had torne up by the roots the hairs of his existence and power; and in case any one of those banditti should assemble in troops, and dare to appear in such bodies as might bafflle or elude the exertions of one single Fodjdar, then the neighbouring Fodjdars were, upon his requisition, to join him forthwith, and to fall together upon the malefactors, driving them from post to post, and giving them combat upon combat, and engagement after engagement, until they had extirpated the whole of them. Nor did any banditti in those times dare to shew their faces in any of the lands belonging to the Revenue-office, or in the Amlacs, and Altimghas given to necessitous people; nor did they attempt to oppress or plunder even the lowest of the tenants or farmers resident on them.

With regard to the particular stations appointed to the Fodjdars in other provinces, I have not any information sufficient on that head, nor would such a list answer any great purpose. But as to the stations heretofore appointed to them in the prov­inces of Bengal and Azim-abad, I know something of them, as numbers of them have lived, for years together, with honour and splendour in their offices, and they had formed friendships and alliances with the Governors of these countries. Now as our family has enjoyed commands and offices in those two provinces, I can afford a thorough notice of them; and as a mention of them would be proper here, and in its place, it is hereby offered to the public, and is as follows: The eight Sercars, or grand divisions of the province of Azim-abad were Shah-abad and Rhotas, Mongher and Bahar, Champaran and Sarun, Tirhoot and Hadjipoor. These had Fodjdars stationed, each of them with a body of from five hundred to one thousand five hundred cavalry, or more or less, with a proportional number of those Imperial officers mentioned just above, every one of whom were immediate servants of the Emperor’s. Those Fodjdars, upon any sudden emergency of importance, used to leave deputies in their stations, and to join together, in order to repair in a body to the Nazem or Governor-General. Nay, when the matter became past their united power, the Nazems of two or three con­tiguous provinces joined together, without waiting for an express order from Court, and they provided for such an emergency,as the case required; or if the matter chanced to be of such a magnitude as exceeded their united efforts, it was provide for by the Emperor himself, who receiving daily information from every part of the Empire, dispatched distinguished Generals from his Court, oreven, if he saw fit, Imperial Princes, with considerable armies and large trains of artillery, who had orders to exert themselves with vigour in pursuing the expedition to a succesful issue, or as long as any breath remained in their bodies; and were exhorted to exhibit their attachment to the State, as well as their personal valour, in bringing to an end an affair of that consequence. Nevertheless, as some one happened sometimes to shew a remiss­ness in the discharge of such a duty, such a one was forthwith exposed to the Emperor’s displeasure, to the contempt and derision of his equals, and to a chastisement adequate to his demerits.