As related before, Shāhzādāh Walaguhar Muhammad ‘Azimu-sh-Shan,* son of Muhammad Muāzzam Bahadur Shāh, received from the Emperor a special Khilāt, together with a jewelled sword, a high Mansab and the Insignia of the Mahi* Order, and was appointed Ṣūbadar of Bengal and Behar.

For the chastisement of the rebels, he started from the Dakhin with his two sons, named Sultan Karimuddin and Muhammad Farukh Sir for the Ṣubah of Behar, and swiftly arrived in Behar viâ Ṣubah Oudh and Allahabad. The Prince issued Royal mandates, as potent as God’s decrees, summoning to his presence the Zamin­dars, ‘Amīls, and Jagirdars. These appeared in His Highness’ presence with tributes and gifts, and were recipients of valuable Khillats according to their respective ranks. And attending to the administration of the State affairs, they paid in the revenue and taxes into the Imperial treasury. The fiscal and administrative affairs were entrusted to honest Dīwāns and thrifty Karkuns, and Tahsildars were appointed to charges of Circles and Mahals. All of a sudden, news of the victory of Zabardast Khān and of the defeat of Raḥim Shāh arrived through the medium of news-letters. Fancying that the fish of victory and triumph that was worthy of himself might be angled by another, who would go in for reward on account of good services, and fearing that Zabardast Khān, who was a grandson of Nawab ‘Alimardan Khān,* in recogni­tion of such valuable services, might be invested with the office of Ṣūbahdar of Bengal, the ambitious Shāhzādāh, moving from Ṣūbah Behar, swiftly marched to Rajmahal, and spurring his horse for the chastisement of the rebels advanced with his large force to Bardwan. The Prince ignored Zabardast Khān’s services, and failed to bestow on him a single word of praise or encouragement. The aforesaid Khān, becoming depressed by the apathy of the Shahzādāh, and finding his great labours wasted, resolved to proceed to the Emperor. Caring not for the power of the Shāhzādāh, he struck the kettle-drum of march, and took the route to the Dakhin. Raḥim Shāh who, from fear of the fury of that lion of the forest of warfare, had been hiding like the fox and the jackal, in the holes of the mouse and the serpent, finding now an opportunity, brought back water into the rivulet of his ambition, and triumphantly made incursions on the frontiers of Bardwan, Hugli, and Nadia. Pillaging the inhabitants of that tract he desolated it, nay rendered it a den of wild beasts and a nest of owls and crows. After the departure of Zabardast Khān the Prince, with great self-reliance, despatched mandates and orders to Jahāngirnagar (Dacca) for conciliating and reassuring the Zamindars and Faujdars. His Highness himself, slowly marching from Akbarnagar (Rajmahal), advanced stage by stage, studying the convenience of his troops. The ‘Amils, Faujdars, and zamindars, with appropriate contingents drawn from their respective mahals, presented themselves before the Prince with gifts and tributes, and accompanied the latter in his Royal Progress. The ill-fated Raḥim Shāh, fancying the news of the approach of the Prince to be a fiction, like his own fate, was sleeping the sleep of negligence. When, however, the news of the approach of the Royal Army reached the ear of that wretch, he hurriedly and anxiously concentrated his Afghan levies who were scattered far and near, and prepared for warfare. That royal eagle of the summit of the Empire, caring not for that flock of sparrows, set out unhesitatingly, without baggage and paraphernalia, and pitched his camp in the outskirts of Bardwan. There the Prince suspended the royal pearl of salutary advice to the ear of that con­temptible prevaricator, promised reward in the event of acceptance, and threatened vengeance in the event of refusal. That dissembler treated the bright pearl of the order of the Prince ostensibly as the jewel of the ear, but covertly as the gravel of his own eyes, that is, apparently he shewed signs of submission, but in reality, he sowed the thorn of rebellion and dissimulation in the field of his heart. He besought to his assistance Khwajah Anwar, elder brother of Khwajah ‘Aṣam,* who was a high officer and a boon companion of the Prince, and in fact the latter’s prime-minister, and represented that in case the Khwajah came and promised on oaths and re-assured his mind, next morning he would proceed in his company to the Prince’s presence, to sue for pardon for misdemeanour. The guileless Prince, ignorant of the wiles of that traitor, assenting to his request, ordered the above Khwajah to proceed early in the morning to Raḥim Shāh’s camp, and instructed him to reassure the latter and to fetch him to the Royal Darbar to publicly avow submission. Next morning the abovementioned Khwajah, following the order of his master, adopted no measures of precaution, and rode out with a few relations and friends. Halting in front of the camp of Raiḥm Shāh, he sent information, and on horseback remained on the look-out. Hiding his armed Afghan soldiers in his tent, Raḥim Shāh was in pursuit of treachery. Opening towards the envoy the door of wiles and softness, he requested that the Khwajah should enter his camp. Fearing lest smoke might arise from the fire of the reptile, the above Khwajah hesitated to go in, and making promises summoned out Raḥim Shāh. When the demands of both sides resulted in a parley and the object of the mission remained unaccomplished, suddenly Raḥim Shāh with an armed force sallied out of his camp shouting and advanced in front of the Khwajah. From wounds of the tongue it culminated in wounds of the spear. Fathoming the water underneath the straw, Khwajah Anwar, regretted his coming, and wanted to return without accomplishing the object of his mission. Rahim Shāh, advancing forward, commenced fighting. Being compelled to encounter him, Khwajah Anwar gallantly and bravely fought, and made heroic exertions, but being covered with mortal wounds, fell together with a number of his comrades. Finding the field deserted, the Afghans with swords rushed out and attacked the Royal camp of the Prince.