When the battle-field was arranged, and the cavalry and infantry, like the men at chess, were set in their proper places, Raḥim Shāh made a hostile flank movement, and fought gallantly. A number of Afghan troopers clad in cuirass and armed with daggers, by a desperate sally, galloped right through the ranks of the Imperialists, reached the centre, and sought for the Prince, shouting out “Azimu-sh-Shān.” Attacking the Royal elephant with their horses, they prepared to give the final checkmate. The Imperial cavalry and infantry, unable to withstand the onslaughts of those villains, left the Prince in a corner before the enemy and fled. Thus the thread of the arrangement of the Imperial army was snapped. Raḥim Shāh, breaking through the entrenchments, attacked the Prince’s elephant. At this crisis, and at the sight of this impudent daring, Hamid Khān Quraishi,* who was standing at a short distance, spurred on his charger like an arrow shot from its bow, attacked Raḥim Shāh, and said, “Villain, I am Azimu-sh-Shān.” Promptly discharging a rock-piercing arrow from his quiver, he pierced Raḥim Shāh on the chest.

In quick succession Hamid Khān shot other arrows at the neck of Raḥim Shāh’s horse, and laid low both its neck and head. Raḥim Shāh, owing to two mortal wounds on the breast, was felled to the ground. Hamid Khān with great agility sprang down from his horse, and sat upon Raḥim Shāh’s chest, and sever­ing the villain’s head from his body whirled it round on a spear. At the sight of this, the cowardly Afghan soldiery faltered and fled, whilst the standards of those insolent villains were turned upside down. The zephyr of triumph and victory once again blew on the tails of the Imperial banners, and the Imperial band of victory and triumph struck up loudly, whilst cries of “Allah, Allah” resounded from the earth to the sky. The cavalry of the victorious Imperial army chased the vanquished to their tents, and whoever amongst young or old fell across the range of its career became the food of the crocodile of blood-drinking swords; whilst the rest who escaped the sword, scampered off, covered with wounds and racked by anxieties. Much booty and numerous captives fell into the hands of the Imperialists. The fortunate Prince, an associate of triumph and victory, entered Bardwan, and made a pilgrimage to the noble shrine of the saint Shāh Ibrahim* Saqqā. Making votive offerings, the Prince entered the citadel, and sent a congratulatory message on this victory to the Emperor, and despatched troops for chastising the adherents and abettors of the miscreant Afghans. Wherever trace could be found of their whereabouts, they were captured and slaughtered, and in a short time the districts of Bardwan, Hugli, and Jasar (Jessore) were purged of the defilement caused by the Afghan raiders. The tracts that had been desolated by the ravages of these rebels once again became fertile. Jagat Rai, son of Kishan Ram, the slain Zamindar of Bardwan, was invested with the khilat of the hereditary Zamindari of his forefathers. In a similar way, other Zamindars of that tract who had been oppressed and banished by the Afghans, were re-assured by Royal Proclamations of goodwill, and re-installed in their hereditary ranks and dignities. Taking fresh settlements of the Khalṣah mahals (crown lands) and of Jagīrs, these commenced making collec­tions of rent; whilst the holders of Tiyuls* and ‘Aimahs and Altamghas re-entered into the possession of their respective mahals. Hamid Khān Quraishi, in recognition of his gallantry was rewarded by the Emperor with the advancement of his manṣab, with the bestowal of the title of Shāmshīr Khān Bahadur, and with the office of Faujdar of Silhat (Sylhet) and Bandasil (?). And the other offi­cers of the Prince, who had rendered good services, according to the measure of their services, and according to their ranks, were honoured with manṣabs and dignities. The Prince halted in the fort of Bardwan, which contained the Residency of the Faujdars of that district, laid the foundations of buildings, and erected a Cathedral mosque. And in Hugli, he founded Shahganj,* alias ‘Azimganj, and named it after himself. And he extended the scope of the Sayer taxes that had hitherto been levied only on wares and silk-stuffs. And he levied customs-duties, in the shape of tax,* at the rate of 2½ per cent. on the goods of Musalmans, and 5 per cent. on the goods of Hindus and Christians.* He held in esteem and respect the learned, the good, and the noble; and in the society of the nobility and the gentry, he discussed the subjects of Theology, Casuistry, Traditions, poetical works of Maulana Rūm* (God’s mercy be on him), and History. He shewed an anxious solicitude to profit by the advice of saints and he exerted himself to promote the welfare of the realm. One day he sent Sultān Kārīmū-d-dīn and Muhammad Farukh-sir to invite over Ṣufī Bāizīd,* who was the most glorious amongst the saints of Bard­wan. On their approach the saint greeted them with the saluta­tion of “Salam Alaekum.” Sultān Karīmū-d-dīn, assuming the gravity of princely rank, did not respond; but Farukh-sir walking up barefooted, stood respectfully and after offering salutations communicated his father’s message. The saint, being pleased with the courteous behaviour of Farukh-sir, took the latter by the hand, and said: “Sit down, you are Emperor of Hindustan,” and he offered prayer for Farukh-sir. The arrow of the saint’s prayer reached the butt of Divine acceptance. As a result of courteous behaviour on the part of Farukh-sir, what the sire desired was bestowed on the son. When the saint arrived to meet ‘Azimu-sh-Shān, the latter advanced, and making apologies besought the saint’s prayer for the attainment of the object which His Highness had in view. The saint said: “What you seek, I have already bestowed on Farukh-sir, and now the discharged arrow cannot be recalled.” Offering the Prince benedictions, the saint returned to his own closet. In short, being satisfied with the administrative methods and arrangements introduced in respect of the affairs of the tracts of the Chaklah of Bardwan, Hugli, Hijlī, and Mīdnīpur, &c., the Prince set out on Imperial war-vessels, constructed by Shāh Shujā, towards Jahangīrnagar (Dacca). After arrival at Dacca, he set himself to organise the administration of that tract. When information about certain improper acts of the Prince like prac­tices of Sauda-i-Khāṣ and Sauda-i-‘Am, and the wearing of saffron-coloured red clothes at the time of the Holi, which is the Nauroz or New Year of the Hindus, through the medium of messages of news-writers and historiographers, reached Emperor Aurangzeb, the latter was annoyed.* The Emperor wrote thereon to the Prince as follows: “A Saffron-coloured helmet on thy head, a red garment on thy shoulder, thy venerable age verging on forty-six years; hurrah on thy beard and moustache!” In regard to Sauda-i-Khāṣ the Emperor wrote the following across the news-letter, and putting his own signature returned it: “What propriety is there in calling public oppression Sauda-i-Khāṣ, and what connection has Sauda* -i Khāṣ with Sauda-i-‘Am?