When Nawāb J‘afar Khān passed to the regions of eternity, Sarfaraz Khān* following the Nawāb’s dying wish, laid the former in the tomb under the staircase of the Katrah mosque, and himself ascended the masnad of Nizamat as his successor. And conciliat­ing the Nizamat and Imperial officials, like Nawab J‘afar Khān he administered fiscal and administrative affairs. Save and except the Public Funds and Imperial treasures, he removed to his private residence the private treasures and effects of J‘afar Khān. He reported J‘afar Khān’s death to Emperor Muḥammad Shāh and to Qamru-d-dīn Husain Khān Bahadur.* He also communicated the intelligence to his father, Shuja‘u-d-dīn Muḥammad Khān, who was Naẓim of Orissa. The latter on hearing the news said:—

Since Shuja‘u-d-dīn was very anxious to obtain the Niẓamat of Bengal with its honours, treasures, and privileges, he shelved all paternal and filial attachments, and left his son, Muḥammad Taqi Khān, who was matchless in bravery and liberality, in charge of the Niẓamat of Orissa in the City of Katak.

END OF FASC. 3.

FASC. IV.

Shujāu-d-dīn marched with a large army towards Bengal. In order to obtain the Imperial Sanad of the Nizāmat of Bengal, and in order to secure the support of the Imperial Ministers, he sent a message to Rai Balkishan, agent of Nawab Ja‘far Khān, at the Imperial Court, who enjoyed more confidence and eminence than Ja‘far Khān’s other agents. He also sent messages to other agents of his own.

Emperor Muḥammad Shāh,* on receiving news of Nawab Ja‘far Khān’s death, had conferred the Ṣūbahdārī of Bengal on Amīru-l-Umarā Ṣamṣāmu-d-daulah Khān-i-Daurān* Khān Bahādur, Chief Pay-Master-General of the Army. The latter was Emperor’s loyal friend and intimate associate both in social gaieties as well as in State deliberations, and was his comrade, companion, and coun­cillor in matters pertaining to feasts, as well as to wars. The Amīru-l-Umarā misled by the intrigues of the aforesaid agent, sent the patent and Khila‘t of the Deputy Nizāmat of Bengal in the name of Shujāu-d-dīn Muḥammad Khān. Shujāu-d-dīn Khān had reached this side of Mednipūr, when the patent addressed to his name arrived, and viewing this event as a good omen, he named that place “Mubarak-Manzil” or “the Auspicious place,” and ordered a Katrāh (a Tower) and a masonry-built Caravanserai to be erected there. When news of the approach of his father reached Sarfarāz Khān, owing to recklessness of youth, the latter intended marching to Katwah, in order to oppose his father’s advance. The Dowager Begam of Nawāb Ja‘far Khān, who was a very wise and sagacious lady, and who regarded Sarfarāz Khān as dearer than her own life, dissuaded the latter, and with soft and sweet words of counsel set his mind at ease. She said to Sarfarāz Khān: “Your father is old; after him, the Ṣubahdārī as well as the coun­try with its treasures would devolve on you. To fight against one’s own father, is cause of loss both in this world and in the next, as well as of ignominy. It is meet that till the lifetime of your father, you should remain contented with the Diwānī of Bengal.” Sar­farāz Khān, who never acted against the advice of his grand-mother, acquiesced in her counsel. Advancing, he received Shujāu-d-dīn Muḥammad Khān, and escorted him to Murshidābād. Making over to his father the Fort and the offices of the Nizāmat, Sarfarāz Khān retired to his private residence at Nakṭākhalī. From there he used to attend daily on his father, and spend his time according to the latter’s wishes. Retaining in his own service the Qorān-readers, hymn-reciters, and scholars belonging to Nawab Ja‘far Khān’s household, Sarfarāz Khān employed them on devotions and on recitations of the Qorān, as was the practice under Nawab Ja‘far Khān. He further consecrated his life to winning the hearts of people, and also sought for help and blessings from saints and hermits.

Shujāu-d-dīn Muḥammad Khān,* who in point of bravery and courage was unique in his day, and who in point of liberality and generosity was matchless in his time, was born at Burhānpūr.* As he ascended the masnad of the Nizāmat of Bengal in his old age, he felt compassion for the condition of the Bengal Zamindars, who being in duress from the time of Nawāb Ja‘far Khān had never, even in dreams, beheld the faces of their wives and children. He set them at large, and permitted them to return to their homes, after levying from them Nazars over and above the amounts of revenue assessed by Nawāb Ja‘far Khān. By this stroke of policy, over and above the profits of Jāgīrs and fees on ware-houses and factories, he easily raised one kror and fifty laks of rupees, which he remitted to the Imperial Treasury through the Banking Agency of Jagat Seṭh Fatiḥ Chānd. And selling off at fancy prices to Zamindars the jaded horses, cattle, and other live-stock, as well as damaged carpets and curtains belonging to the private estate of Nawab Ja‘far Khān, he sent another forty laks of rupees, besides elephants, to Emperor Muḥammad Shāh. And after the Abstract Balance-sheet of the Annual Accounts was prepared, he remitted to the Imperial Capital the stipulated annual tribute of the Nizāmat, besides the Imperial Revenue, according to the established usage. And sending to the Emperor, at their proper seasons, ele­phants, Tāngan horses, special cotton-fabrics,* and qūshkhana* and other manufactures, he attested thereby his loyalty to the Imperial throne, and was in consequence invested with the titles of Mauta­manu-l-Mulk, Shuja‘u-d-daulah, Shujā‘u-d-dīn Muḥammad Khān Bahādur Asad Jang. He also received the personal Manṣab of a Haft Hazārī, with seven thousand troopers, besides a fringed Pālkī, together with the insignia of the Māhī Order, and a khila‘t consisting of six pieces of robes, precious stones, a jewel-mounted sword, and a Royal elephant with a horse. He was further con­firmed in the office of Nāzim of Bengal. He surpassed his pre­decessors in office in paraphernalia of royalty and armaments, and though his prime of life had passed, he did not scorn life’s plea­sures. Dismantling the public buildings erected by Nawab Ja‘far Khān, as they seemed too small according to his lofty ideals, he built instead a grand and spacious Palace, an Arsenal, a lofty Gateway, a Revenue Court,* a Public Audience-Hall,* a Private Office,* a Boudoir for Ladies, a Reception-Hall,* a Court of Chancery* and a Court of Justice.* He lived in magnificent splendour, and used to ride out in right regal state. He attended constantly to the well-being of his Army, and to the happiness of his subjects. On his officers, he lavished largesses amounting to no less than one thousand or five hundred rupees in each case. Constantly animated by a scrupulous regard for justice, and always inspired by fear of God, he uprooted from his realm the foundations of oppressions and tyrannies. Executing Nāzir Aḥmad and Murād Farrāsh, the employés of Nawab Ja‘far Khān, who were notorious for their high­handedness, he confiscated their effects. Nāzir Aḥmad had laid the foundation of a Mosque with a garden at Dehpara on the banks of the river Bhāgiratī. Shujā‘u-d-daulah, after executing him, finished the mosque and garden, and named them after himself. And he tastefully embellished the garden by building therein grand palaces with reservoirs, canals and numerous fountains. It was a splendid garden, compared with which the spring-houses of Kash­mīr paled like withering autumn-gardens; nay, the garden of Iram* itself seemed to draw its inspiration of freshness and sweet­ness from it. Shujā‘u-d-daulah used frequently to resort for promenades and picnics to that paradise-like garden, and held there pleasure-parties and other entertainments. Every year in that beautiful garden, he used to give a State Banquet to the educated section* of his State Officers. It is said that owing to the superb charmfulness of that garden, Fairies used to come down there for picnics and walks, and to bathe in its tanks. The guards on get­ting scent of this, informed Shujā‘u-d-daulah. Dreading mischief from the genii, the Nawab filled up the tanks with earth, and dis­continued his picnics in that garden.