The second of those two illustrious men, which remain to us from the former times, is the Prince of those that fear God, and are attached to the rights of his Pontiff, the Cream of the Learned in the true Science, Hadji-bedi-eddin (Whom God may long conserve at the head of the Mussulmanism, that we may long refresh our thirst at the cooling waters of his virtues and learn­ing!). He was born in the district Sarun, about Azim-abad, and is renowned amongst those pious men, who fearing God, live retired; but with honour and decency. After having acquired a knowledge of the sciences, he resolved to spend his days in the service of his God, and in subduing his flesh. For this purpose he attached himself to Qhadja-mahmed-djaafer, the forgiven,* who was a Religious of distinction and fortune; in whose service he remained for a long time, as his friend and as his disciple; and where he acquired such an intense love for the house of God,* and for the tombs of the illustrious martyrs, that he joined society with Hadji-ahmed-aaly, son-in-law to Moluvy-nassyr, the forgiven, and made haste to perform his pilgrimage, and to visit the sublime gates. On his returning from thence, he went to kiss the venerable Rezevian threshold (on which be grace for ever!); and after having enjoyed that happiness, he returned to India, where he now lives with his children and family in Mustapha-abad, a village of his wife’s purchasing. He is solidly pious, deeply versed in the Coran and its commentaries, as well as in jurisprudence, and in all the matters relating to faith. Although noways a stranger to the prophane branches of knowledge, the sublimest doctors reckon him one of their number; and the forgiven Sheh-mahmed-aaly paid him a great deal of regard, and used to say, that there was but one Azim-abad in India, and but one Hadji-bedi-eddin. One day as the Hadji, in his way from Banares to his place of residence, had advanced to Azim-abad merely to see the venerable Shah; the latter con­ducted him to his very door, where he made a fervent prayer for him. The Hadji passes whole days and nights in prayer; nor is it known that he ever missed the night-prayer called Tehedjud or watching. His time was regularly divided; but with so much vigilance upon himself, that no man living can accuse him of having done an action contrary to law, or unworthy of his age. He is now in his eightieth year, and regrets that whilst not one of the Imams or Pontiffs (on whom be grace for ever!) has arrived at such an age, his own life should have been protracted to such a length. May God conserve so worthy a man, with all those that resemble him, that they may bring down the blessings of heaven upon earth, and refresh our remembrance of those that have preceded him in the paths of piety and virtue!

After such a digression in behalf of science and piety, the thread of our history requires that we should return to Seradj-ed-döulah. That young Prince having taken possession of the sovereignty of Bengal, Bahar, and Oressa, spent some time in his mourning, and then took his seat on the throne of dominion Seradj-ed-döulah com­mences his reign by strip­ing and con­fining his own aunt, Biby Gahassity. and command. The first operation of his government was that of ordering a number of his forces to march to Moti-djil, with injunctions to bring his aunt, Biby Gahassity, from thence, and to confine her in some other place; after which the Commanding officer was to seize every thing belonging to her, jewels, money, as well as furniture, and to carry it to his own treasury. It was then that the silly woman found the consequence of having so liberally distributed her money. The Commanders and troops, who had, some time before Aaly-verdy-qhan’s demise, received so much gold and so many presents from her, under solemn promises of fighting for her cause against Seradj-ed-döulah, now finding not in themselves any stomach for fighting at all, had already retired to those places of shelter which they had purchased with her money; and the Commanders being already gone, soon were followed by the multitude; so that there remained with her but a small number of men; who no sooner saw themselves invested, than they seemed confounded, and like men that had lost their wits. Mir-nuzur-aaly* was as much frightened as any other. This man who had been the author of those schemes of resistance, and who cut so great a figure in the heart of that Princess, as well as in her household, no sooner saw himself surrounded, than being out of his mind as well as others, he engaged in his cause by large presents, two Commanders of character who interceded in his behalf with the new Prince, and found means to procure his escape. These were Dost-mahmed-qhan and Rehem-qhan; but every thing found in the house of that Princess was registered, and sent to the public treasury; and that short-sighted woman, who instead of hating her nephew, ought to have considered him as her own son, received in that day her just retribution, for her having consented to Hussëin-c8ly-qhan’s unjust death; and for having been guilty of an infinity of infamous actions, with which she had dishonoured her character and family. She was disrobed of her rank and honour, striped of her wealth, and put under confinement. Rabia-begum, her sister, had on her side full reason to be frightened; but she escaped with little hurt, by the means of her daughter, relict of Ecram-ed-döulah, who had been brother of the reigning Prince.

This expedition against Moti-djil was followed by very great changes at Court. Mir-djaafer-qhan, who had enjoyed these many years the office of Paymaster-General of the forces, lost his office, which was bestowed on a new man, Mir-meden, a gentleman sent for purposely from Djehanghir-nugur-dacca, where he was one of those attached to Hassen-eddin-qhan, nephew to Hueséin-c8ly-qhan. Mohun-lall,* Divan to Seradj-ed-döulah’s household, was appointed Divan-General, and Prime Minister, with full power over every branch of administration; the title of Maha-radja, or Great Prince, was added to the investi­ture, together with a kettle-drum, a fringed Paleky, and the grade of five thousand horse; and so much trust was reposed in that man, as well as so much power lodged in his hands, that the Grandees and Commanders, who had already conceived a dislike to the new Prince, on account of his levity, and his profligacy, as well as his harsh language, and the hardness of his heart, finding themselves subjected to those two new men, and especially to the latter, whose arrogance they could not bear, now set no bounds to their discontents; and every one of them sowed in his breast the thoughts of getting rid of so improper a Ruler; in so much that none remained attached to him, but a few young men, as profligate and as giddy as himself, all of whom had been suddenly raised to power and influence by his means. For as to the principal men in the city and army, every one of them, shocked to see such a man on the throne, were only intent on finding out the means of overturning his power, whether by art, by force, or by treason. And soon fortune favoured their wishes.

Seradj-ed-döulah had, a little after his accession to the throne, Cause of the war which he declares against the English. conceived in his heart the design of wrenching the country of P8raniah from the hands of Sháocat-djung, his own cousin, son to the late Sáyd-ahmed-qhan; and with this view he had repaired to Radj-mahl. Such a sudden arrival threw Sháocat-djung, as well his favourites and Ministers into dismay. They were seized with a panic; and as he did not trust his Ministers as yet, he turned himself towards the religious and pious men of that city, whose prayers he requested, to the end that the imminent evil might be averted, and Seradj-ed-döulah might alter his mind, and return to his capital. But whilst Sháocat-djung was thus employed, news came to Seradj-ed-döulah at Radj-mahl, that Kishun-bohl8b, son to Raja Rahdj-b8llub, heretofore Divan to Nevazish-mahmed-qhan, had given the slip to the guards that had been sent to Djehanghir-nugur-dacca to seize him, and had made his escape to Calcutta, where he was protected by Mr. Drake, the chief man of that town.* On hearing this, Seradj-ed-döulah gave up his design against Sháocat-djung, and returned to M8rsh8d-abad; where, after writing many sharp letters and reprimands to Mr. Drake, the messages and literary correspondence ended in a declared war; and Seradj-ed-döulah assembled an army against Calcutta. But this Prince, whose head was so much disordered by the fumes of pride and igno­rance, as to commit an infinity of errors, continued, even after having declared war, to welter in the miry eddies of presump­tion, levity and insolence. He neglected, and daily insulted those ancient Commanders, that had served so faithfully and so bravely, Aaly-verdy-qhan, his uncle; so that intimidated now by his grandson’s character and foul language, they did not dare to open their mouths, or to take breath in his presence. Most of them, shocked at the dishonourable expressions made use of in speaking to them, and incensed at the insolence of the upstarts that had taken possession of his mind, were so far from offering advice upon the posture of affairs, or upon the manner of pro­ceeding in this expedition, that they were in general ill-inten­tioned, and wishing to see its miscarriage, as well as their Ruler’s downfall; and whilst himself, on his side, made it a point not to ask any one’s opinion; on the other, those he consulted (and these were no other than those which he had lately pro­moted), being most of them incapable and inexperienced, did not choose to mention in his presence any advice that might shock his sentiments, and thereby endanger the power and authority to which they had been so lately raised. As for him­self, he was ignorant of the world, and incapable to take a reasonable party, being totally destitute of sense and penetra­tion, and yet having a head so obscured by the smoke of igno­rance, and so giddy and intoxicated with the fumes of youth and power and dominion, that he knew no distinction betwixt good and bad, nor betwixt vice and virtue. His imprudence was so enormous that, in the middle of a military expedition, he would set daggers in the hearts of his bravest and ablest Commanders, by his harsh language, and his choleric disposition. Such usage naturally rendered them regardless, and utterly neglectful. Else, this dispute with the English might have been terminated by a few words in a conference, by the least of his Ministers and Commanders, without it becoming necessary to recur to force and to war. But it having been decreed by Providence, that the guilty race of Aaly-verdy-qhan should be deprived of an Empire that had cost so much toil in rearing; of course it was in its designs that the three provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Oressa should be found to have for masters two young men, equally proud, equally incapable, and equally cruel, Seradj-ed-döulah, and Sháocat-djung; in consequence of their behaviour, equally cruel and thoughtless, smoke was already seen to rise from out of Aaly-verdy-qhan’s generation and house. In one word, Seradj-ed-döulah, after having given his orders for assembling an army and a field-equipage, set out at the beginning of Ramazan, on that ill concerted, ominous expedition of his own contriving; and without consulting any one, he by hasty marches arrived in that field which destiny had sown with thorns and evils for his family. The English being certain now, that Seradj-ed-döulah wanted to go to war with them, resolved, although unprepared for such an attack, to stand to their defence; they shut up some streets of their town, fortified some houses stronger than the others, prepared their ancient factory, and bravely waited for the enemy. Seradj-ed-döulah, who had a numerous artillery, and as numerous an army, soon took possession of those fortified out­posts. In a little time, and without much trouble, he soon became master of the English town; and Mr. Drake, finding that matters went hard with him, abandoned everything, and fled, without so much as giving notice to his countrymen. He took shelter on board of a ship, and with a small number of friends and principal persons, he disappeared at once. Those that remained, finding themselves abandoned by their chiefs, concluded their case must be desperate; yet most of them were impressed with such a sense of honour, that preferring death to life, they fought it out, until their powder and ball failing at last, they bravely drank up the bitter cup of death; some others, seized by the claws of destiny, were made prisoners. The cap­ture of the factory was followed by an universal pillage. The Company’s warehouses, and the dwellings of the principal English, Gentoo, and Armenian merchants, all of which were replenished with an infinite quantity of goods and money, were plundered by the vilest part of the army; nor did Seradj-ed-döulah reap any benefit from so much wealth in merchandise and money. This event happened in the twenty-second day of the menth of Rama­zan, A. D. 1746. in the year of the Hedjra 1169, just seventy-two days after Aaly-verdy-qhan’s demise. Mr. Watch (Watts), Chief of the factory at Cossimbazar, with a few others from the town of Calcutta, were made prisoners, and kept in confinement.