During the Viceroyalty of Nawāb Ja‘far Khān, whilst the abovementioned Murshīd Qulī Khān* stayed at Murshīdābād, a person named Mīr Ḥābīb, a native of Shīrāz, spoke Persian very fluently, though he was not read in that language. By chance, Mīr Ḥabīb arrived in the Port of Hūglī, where he earned his live­lihood by retailing the wares of Mughal merchants. Owing to his kindred mercantile pursuits, and also owing to his conversational powers, Mīr Ḥabīb quickly ingratiated himself with Murshīd Qulī Khān, and entered the latter’s service. When Nawāb Ja‘far Khān conferred the Governorship of Jahāngīr-nagar (Dacca) on Murshīd Qulī Khān, Mīr Ḥabīb also went in the latter’s company to Jahāngīr-nagar (Dacca), and was attached to the latter as his Deputy. By personally attending to minute details, and by adopt­ing a policy of economy, Mīr Ḥabīb curtailed the State expendi­ture on account of the Nawarah (war-vessels), the artillery, and the army, and thus rendered good services, and in consequence, shortly after, his official rank was raised. Finding the tract of Jahāngīr-nagar (Dacca) to be fertile, profit-yielding, and suited for trading business, he revived the system of Ṣauda-i-khaṣ current during the Viceroyalty of Prince Āzīmu-sh-Shān, and by means of other exactions, both he and his Chief amassed wealth. On the pretext of collecting the Imperial revenue, he induced Nūru-l-lah, Zamindar of Parganah Jālālpūr,* who was the leading Zamindar, together with other Zamindars, to attend his Kachiri (Court). Adroitly dismissing the other Zamindars, one after another, Mīr Ḥabīb kept Nūru-l-lah under duress. At midnight, he permitted him to return home, escorted by a number of Afghāns. The latter, at the instigation of Mīr Ḥabīb, slew Nūru-l-lah, in a narrow and dark alley. Next morning, Mīr Ḥabīb announced that Nūru-l-lah had fled, sent a detachment to his house, confiscated his treasures and jewelleries and effects and silk-stuffs, amounting in value to several laks, as well as his Abyssinian male and female slaves. Mīr Ḥabīb possessed himself of the above, and thus acquired aristocratic paraphernalia.

Subsequently leaguing with Āqā Ṣadīq, Zamīndār of Patpasār,* who in artfulness and cunning was his match, Mīr Ḥabīb sent him on an expedition against Tiprah. By chance the Āqā met the nephew of the Rājah of Tiprah, who having escaped from the con­trol of his uncle was wandering away from his native country, and who at this time happened to stay within the Imperial dominions. The aforesaid Āqā considering his company very lucky kept him in his company, promising to instal him in the Zamīn­dārī. The Rājah’s nephew, according to the saying,—

guided the Āqā through the rocky defiles and river-fords, and led him to the country of Tiprah. The Rājah of Tiprah, who was careless and was unaware of the incursion of the Imperial army, was paralysed by this sudden on-rush of the Imperialists, and not having the capacity to fight fled to the summit of the hills. The tract of Tiprah, without any difficulty, fell into the hands of Mīr Ḥabīb, who by fightings stormed the fort of Chandīgadah, which was the residence* of the Rājah. Capturing numerous booty, Mīr Ḥabīb brought the tract of Tiprah within the Imperial domains. After completing the settlement of this tract, Mīr Ḥabīb* appointed Āqā Ṣadīq as Faujdār of Tiprah, and the Rājah’s nephew as the Rājah,* whilst he himself returned to Jahāngīrnagar (Dacca) with treasures, valuables and elephants. Murshid Qulī Khān sent to Nawāb Shujā‘u-d-daulah an account of the conquest of Tiprah, together with the best specimens of the wares and silk-stuffs of that tract. The Nawāb named that tract (of Tiprah) Raushanābād,* and invested Murshid Qulī Khān with the title of ‘Bahādur,’ and conferred on Mīr Ḥabīb the title of ‘Khān.’

In short, when the Deputy-Nizamat of the Ṣūbah of Odisah (Orissa) was bestowed on Murshid Qulī Khān, the latter, on the recommendation of Nawāb Shujā‘u-d-daulah, was given by the Emperor the title of Rustam-Jang. Observing the old age of his father, and fearing lest after the latter’s death Rustam-Jang might fight against him, Sarfarāz Khān* detained at Murshidābād as hostages Rustam-Jang’s son, named Yahyā Khān, and his wife, named Durdanah Begam. Although this incident caused some bitterness of feeling to Murshid Qulī Khān, the latter had no alternative but to endure it in silence. Murshid Qulī Khān with his army arrived in the Ṣūbah of Orissa, and appointed Mīr Ḥabību-l-lah Khān to be his Deputy there, in the same way as the latter had been his Deputy at Jahāngīrnagar. By use of diplomacy, and by dint of statesmanship and energy, Mīr Ḥabīb succeeded in chastising and reducing to order all refractory Zamīndārs of Orissa. He neglected no step towards the per­fect organisation and settlement of Orissa, and effected a surplus in its revenue. During the commotion in Muḥammad Taqī Khān’s time, the Rājah of Parsutam* had removed Jagannath, the Hindu God, from the limits of the Ṣūbah of Odisah (Orissa), and had guarded it on the summit of a hill across the Chilka lake. In con­sequence of the removal of the idol, there was a falling-off to the tune of nine laks of rupees in the Imperial revenue, accruing from pilgrims. Establishing friendly relations with Mīr Ḥabību-l-lah Khān, and paying nazar to the Nazim of the time, Rājah Dand Deo brought back Jagannath the Hindu God to Parsūtam (Puri), and re-established the worship of Jagannāth at Puri. An account of the worship of Jaganuāth has been already given in the text of this History.

When the Deputy-Nizamat of Odīsah (Orissa) was conferred on Murshid Qulī Khān Rustam-Jang, the Deputy-Nizamat of the Chaklah of Jahāngīrnagar (Dacca) was bestowed on Sarfaraz Khān.* The latter appointed as his Deputy-Governor Ghālib Ali Khān who was a scion of the Royal family of Persia, and deputed Ghalib Ali Khān to Dacca. Sarfaraz Khān also appointed Jasunat Rāi, the late Nawāb Jafar Khān’s* Secretary, and his own tutor-guardian, to be the Dīwān and Minister of that place, and sent him to Dacca, in company of Ghalib Ali Khān. And out of regard for Nafīsah Bēgam, his sister, he bestowed the office of Superin­tendent of the Nawarah (war-vessels) on Murād A‘lī Khān,* son of Syed Raẓī Khān. The control over Fiscal and Home affairs, and the management of Crown-lands, Jāgīrs, war-vessels, artillery, Accounts and Customs-house were all entrusted to Munshī Jasūnat Rāi. In that the aforesaid Munshī had been trained up by Nawāb Ja‘far Khān, by dint of honesty and integrity, by thorough attention to details and by ripe wisdom, he effected not only an increase in the State Revenue, but secured the happiness of the people. He completely abolished the system of Saudā-i-khas, and banished the exactions and innovations introduced by Mīr Ḥabib, during the regime of Murshid Qulī Khān.* Putting forth laudable efforts to keep down the selling-rates of food-grains, and effect­ing cheapness in their prices, he threw open the western gate of the Fort of Jahangirnagar (or Dacca), which Nawāb Āmīru-l-Umarā Shāistah Khān had closed, inscribing on it a prohibition to the effect that no one should open it, until he succeeded in reducing the price of food-grains to one seer of the Bāzār weight per Dirham,* as was current in the Nawab’s time. From that time until now, no one else had been able to effect such cheapness in the rate of food-grains. He rendered the tract of Jahangirnagar (Dacca) fertile, like the garden of Iram*, by sprinkling on it the waters of liberality, equity and justice; and in consequence, Sarfarāz Khān won a good name amongst all classes of his subjects. At the desire of Nafīsah Bēgam*, Murād Ālī Khān was married to a daughter of Sarfarāz Khān, and was appointed Deputy-Governor of Jahangirnagar (Dacca) in the place of Ghālib Ā‘lī Khān. Murad Ālī Khān now promoted Rāj Balab, a clerk attached to the Admiralty, to the office of Pēshkār thereof, and commenced oppressions.* Munshī Jasūnat Rāi, who had acquired a good name amongst the people, appre­hending that his reputation might be tarnished, resigned his office of Dīwān, and the Province of Jahangirnagar or Dacca turned to desolation through the tyranny of the new oppressive Deputy Nāzim.

Mīrzā Muḥammad Sa‘īd, the second son of Ḥājī Aḥmad, who was on behalf of Sarfarāz Khān Faujdār of the Chaklah of Ghorāghāt and Rangpūr and Kuch Behār, desolated the Mahals of Raugpūr by his exactions and oppressions, and acquiring the treasures of those whom he oppressed, he mobilised an army. Requisitioning troops from the Emperor, he marched with his troops against the Rājahs of Kuch Behār and Dīnājpūr. Those Rajas fancying they were masters of large armies, and also fancying that they were sheltered by numerous forests and rivers, had hitherto paid little heed to the authority of the Nāzim. By dint of diplomacy and by use of force, and by wars and battles, Mīrzā Muḥammad Sa‘īd conquered those tracts, and acquired possession of the treasures, buried hoards, jewelleries and effects of those Rājahs. Owing to the immense treasure— indeed the treasure of a Crœsus— that thus fell into his hands, he acquired much power. After the conquest of Kuch Bihār, by humouring Ḥājī Aḥmad, on the recommenda­tion of Nawāb Shujā‘u-d-daulah and Sarfarāz Khān, Mīrzā Muḥammad Sa‘īd received the titles of ‘Khān’ and ‘Bahādur.’

Nawāb Shujā’u-d-daulah, on the advice of his Triumvirate Council, deputed Sarfarāz Khān to chastise Badī‘u-z-zamān, zamīndār of Bīrbhūm. Sheltered by rocks and forests and supported by numerous Afghāns, this zamīndār did not bend his head in submission to the Nāzim, and failed to pay the revenue beyond the stipulated tribute. He had also diverted to dancing-parties and pleasures fourteen laks of revenue derived from the measured and cultivated lands, that had been endowed for the express pur­pose of helping the poor and the scholarly. The zamīndār him­self was plunged in dissipations and frivolities. On the ridges of Khubra Kandī and Lakra Khondah and of other hills and narrow rocky defiles, he had mounted strong guards, and cut off all ingress and egress of the Imperial troops and scouts, and he fancied the forest flanked by the hills to be a secure recess, in that no one could enter that tract without his passport. He had appointed his brother, Azam Khān, to administer his State, and his son, A‘lī Qulī Khān, to command his army, and Naubat Khān to be his Dīwān and Minister. Badi‘u-z-zamān himself did no work, but wasted his time on flute-playing and on carousals. Sarfarāz Khān sent him a message, containing promises and rewards in the event of his submission to Nawāb Shujā‘u-d-daulah, and embodying also threats and punishments in the event of his recalcitrance and disloyalty. Subsequently, Sarfarāz Khān despatched via Bardwān his special confidantes, Khwajah Basant and Mīr Sharfu-d-dīn, the second Paymaster-General, with a large army. Badī‘u-z-zamān now prudently woke up from the slumber of vanity, and ten­dered his homage and submission. Inducing the aforesaid Mīr and the above Khwājah to become his interceders, he sent through the latter a petition expressive of submission and loyalty, and subse­quently in the company of the former he set out for Murshidabad. And after waiting on Sarfarāz Khān, through the introduction of Mīr Sharfu-d-din, Badī‘u-z-zamān was granted an audience by Nawāb Shujā‘u-d-daulah, who not only pardoned his past misde­meanour, but generously bestowed on him khila‘ts. Badī‘u-z-zaman agreed to pay three laks of rupees annually on account of the Imperial revenue, consented to abide by the ordinary proce­dures for payment of land-revenue and for execution of orders, and furnished as his surety Karatchānd,* zamīndār of Bardwān. He was then allowed to return to Birbhum.

Towards the close of the year 1151 A.H., when Nādir Shah invaded* the Imperial Capital, and Ṣamṣāmu-d-daulah Khān-daurān fell in the battle* against Nādir Shah, Nawāb Shujā‘u-d-daulah being ill and confined to bed permitted Yahyā Khān and Dur­dānah Begam (son and wife respectively of Murshid Qulī Khān) to go to Orissa, and proclaimed Sarfarāz Khān as his heir. Ear­nestly exhorting the latter to confide in Ḥājī Aḥmad, the Rāi Rāiān* and Jagatset, and always to respect their feelings, and entrusting to him control over the offices of the Nizāmat, Nawāb Shujā‘u-d-dīn Khān died on the 13th Zilḥaj of the aforesaid year. After laying to rest Shujā‘u-d-daulah’s* corpse in the sepulchre which he (Shujā‘u-d-daulah) had in his lifetime erected at Deh­para, opposite to the Fort and the City of Murshidābād, Sarfarāz Khān mounted the masnad of the Nizāmat in the place of his father.