After obtaining victory, Alī Vardī Khān Mahābat Jang, in order to overlook the sacking of the City and the loot of Sarfarāz Khān’s treasures at the hands of Afghāns and Bhalīahs,* for three days encamped outside the City, on the banks of the river Gobrah. On the fourth day, with a sense of perfect security entering the Citadel, he seated himself with extended thighs on the masnad of the Nizāmat of Bengal, and confiscated without any trouble Sarfarāz Khān’s treasures which the past Nāzims with considerable self-denial had hoarded. In that Nawāb Mahābat Jang avoided the company of strange women, and did not care for this sort of pleasure, during his life he had only one wedded wife, and in fact, he often plumed himself on this circumstance. Ḥājī Aḥmad and his sons and relations possessed themselves of Sarfarāz Khān’s fifteen hundred pretty female dependants and slaves. Mahābat Jang banished to Jahāngīrnagar (Dacca) the wedded Begams of Sarfarāz Khān with their children,* and fixed small allowances for them from the income of the Khāṣ Ta‘luqah. And Nafīsah Begam, Sarfarāz Khān’s sister, who had adopted as her child Āqā Bābā Kūchak who was her nephew, entered service as a governess in the Seraglio of Nawazish Aḥmad Khān,* the eldest son of Ḥājī Aḥmad, and in this way supported her nephew.

When news of the fall of Sarfarāz Khān and of the succession of Alī Vardī Khān to the Masnad of the Nizāmat of Bengal reached Emperor Nāsiru-d-dīn Muḥammad Shāh, the latter wept and said: “Owing to Nādir Shāh, the whole of my Empire is con­vulsed and shattered.”* But to mend the state of affairs was difficult, and so the Emperor kept quiet. Mahābat Jang, through Murād Khān,* who was one of the associates of the Prime Minister, Nawāb Qamru-d-dīn Khān (about whom mention has been made before), intrigued with the Prime Minister and other Ministers. He remitted to the Emperor forty laks of rupees on account of Sarfarāz Khān’s confiscated treasures and fourteen laks on account of tribute, over and above the usual fixed revenue. He also gave three laks of rupees to Qamru-d-dīn* Khān Vazīr, and one lak of rupees to Aṣaf Jāh Nizāmu-l-Mulk. He similarly con­ciliated and bribed other Imperial Officers according to their ranks. Intriguing with Rājah Jugal Kishor, agent of Sarfarāz Khān, Mahābat Jang obtained in his own name the patent of the Nizāmat of all the three Sūbahs of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, according to the usual practice. He then exacted double the usual amount of revenue, presents and tribute from the Zamīndārs of Bengal.

For the purpose of overthrowing Murshid Qulī Khān,* and for conquering the Sūbah of Odīsah (Orissa), Mahābat Jang now girded up his loins, mobilised troops and collected armaments, and bestowed the office of Generalissimo on Mīr Ja‘far Khān Bahādur, who was Mahābat Jang’s brother-in-law, and who in the war with Sarfarāz Khān had rendered Mahābat Jang good services. Mahābat Jang bestowed on Mīr Ja‘far a corps of bodyguard, together with a mansab, a title, and a peerage. He bestowed the office of Dīwān with the title of Rāi Rāiān on Chīn Rāi,* who was a clerk in charge of the Jāgīrs of Ja‘far Khān, and who was a person of probity and honesty. And he bestowed on Muḥammed Rizā Khān, the eldest son of Ḥājī Aḥmad, who had married Ghasītī Khānam, daughter of Mahābat Jang, the title of Nāsiru-l-Mulk Iḥtishāmu-d-daulah Nawāzish Muḥammed Khān Bahādur Shahāmat Jang, together with the nominal office of Dīwān of Bengal, and the Deputy Nizāmat of Jahāngirnagar (Dacca), including Chittagong, Raushanabād (Tipperah), and Silhat. And he bestowed on Hāshim Alī Khān, the youngest son of Ḥājī Aḥmad, who had married the younger daughter of Mahābat Jang, named Amanah Khānam, the title of Zainu-d-dīn Aḥmad Khān Haibat Jang, together with the Deputy Nizāmat of the Province of Bihār and Azimābād (Patna). And he advanced to ranks, titles, and Jagirs his other relations* and connexions, according to their ranks and aspirations. But the Afghāns and the Bhaliahs, who owing to their large numbers were haughty, meddled so much in all the affairs, that they did not care for Mahābat Jang, and deviated from the usual forms of etiquette. Shelving the canons of justice on the shelf of forgetfulness, they looted treasures, and killed and slaughtered the people, together with their women and children. And the conduct of ingratitude, which had subsisted in the times of the early Musalman Independent Kings of Bengal, reasserted itself afresh from the time of Mahābat Jang.*

Towards the commencement of the insurrection of Alī Vardi Khān Mahābat Jang, Nawāb Sarfarāz Khān had asked for help from Murshīd Qulī Khān, the Governor of Odīsah (Orissa), who was his brother-in-law; but the latter, owing to personal spite which has been referred to before, had delayed to march to his help. Whilst Murshīd Qulī was occupied with despatching a body of troops in the shape of an auxiliary force, he suddenly received news of Sarfarāz Khān’s fall and of Alī Vardī Khān’s mastery over the Ṣūbah of Bengal. It was then that Murshīd Qulī Khān woke up from slumber, and was plunged into shame and sorrow.

In short, from fear of Alī Vardī Khān, Murshīd Qulī Khān made preparations in self-defence, and exerted himself strenuously towards the mobilisation of an army, and deputed to Murshidā­bād Mukhāliṣ Alī Khān, son-in-law of Ḥājī Aḥmad, who from before was in his company, in order to arrange the basis of a treaty of peace. After the latter’s arrival, Alī Vardī Khān and Ḥājī Aḥmad sending a reassuring and diplomatic message to Murshīd Qulī Khān, set him at ease,* and sent back Mukhāliṣ Khān, in order to sow treason secretly amongst the Officers of Murshīd Qulī Khān’s army. Mukhāliṣ Khān presenting himself before Murshīd Qulī Khān outwardly tried to humour and reassure him, but covertly by offer of allurements and temptations sowed sedition in Murshīd Qulī’s army, and sent an account of his success in this direction to Alī Vardī Khān Mahābat Jang. The latter, with a large army and an immense artillery, instantly marched towards the Province of Orissa. On receipt of this news, leaving his wife, Durdānah Begam, and his son, Yaḥyā Khān, with his treasures in the fort of Barahbātī,* Murshīd Qulī Khān with an efficient force and requisite war-paraphernalia, together with his two sons-in-law, named Mīrzā Muḥammad Bāqir* Khān, a Prince of Persia, and Alāu-d-dīn Muḥammad Khān, marched out from Katak (Cuttack) in order to fight, and advanced to the port of Balisār (Balasor). At the ferry of Phulwār, from the rock of Tilgaḍhī* to the river Jon,* he threw up an entrenchment, and remained behind it waiting for the enemy.* Unfortunately, Murshīd Qulī Khān was ignorant of the wiles of the traitor in his own camp in the person of Mukhāliṣ Alī Khān, and had, therefore, failed to take any precautionary steps against that double-faced scoundrel, and had thus ignored the saying of Shaikh Sa‘dī*:—