An account of the celebration of the Marriage of the Sáhibzada,* Prince, Tippoo, also that of the daughters of Shahbaz Sáhib; and the Marriage of Hydur’s own daughter, the year 1185, Hijri.— A. D. 1771.

WHEN the Nawaub Bahadúr was freed from the war with the English, and his arrangements with the Poligars, &c., and had returned victorious to his capital, he determined to celebrate the nuptials of the Princes and Princesses; and, therefore, with the greatest pleasure, demanded for his son the daughter of Imám Sáhib Bukhshi, Nayut, whom he had brought from Arkat, and he ordered the prepa­rations for the banquet, &c. to be made. The ladies of the curtain of chastity and purity, that is, the mother of the Prince, and the wife of Hydur Sáhib, the elder, would not, however, agree to the marriage of this lady; but, agreeably to the choice of the bridegroom himself, and that of their family, selected Rukba Banoo, the daughter of Lala Mean, (who was killed at Churkoli,) and the sister, by both parents, of Búrhan-ud-dín Sipahsalar. The Nawaub, being angry at the rejection of his choice, gave orders that the Prince should be mar­ried* to both these ladies the same night. Those, therefore, to whom charge was given to prepare the banquet for this happy occasion, commenced the music of congratulation on both sides,* and the feast was spread, and the customary forms of rejoicing, agreeably to the usages of the Dukkanees, were all celebrated in royal style and fashion; and, for nearly a month, the streets and markets of the city were ornamented, like the nuptial chamber of the bride and bridegroom, and the fame and noise of the royal banquet extended to all parts of the world. The joyful entertainment, music, and all other appliances of delight, were provided so abundantly, that, during the whole time, little and great, low and high, either among the servants of the govern­ment, or the inhabitants of the city, never dried* their hands from eating and drinking. The chief officers of the army, the brave men of the body guard, the servants of the household, and the danc­ing girls, with countenances lovely as Venus, like brides and bridegrooms, arrayed in their various coloured raiment, excited by their beauty the envy of the ever blossoming rose garden, and the poor and needy of the world, by the gifts of pearls, and jewels, made on this marriage, were placed inde­pendent of poverty and want.

At length, at the fortunate and blessed moment, after the ceremony of riding in procession, the bride­groom was first taken to the gate of the Nayut’s house, and, after the reading of the Khotba and Nikah, and the performance of other marriage cus­toms, the bridegroom was again mounted, and taken to the respected gate of Lala Mean, where all the ladies of the Nawaub’s family, and all his relations assembled, and gave their sanction to the Khotba and Nikah, and, with the assistance of able bride’s women, the ceremonies of Julwah, &c., were performed to their perfect satisfaction, and the sun and moon were placed in auspicious conjunction. In truth, it is the nature of most men and women, that although women of their own tribe may be the poorest* in the country, still they hold them in respect and honour, and disparage the women of other tribes by hints and allusions, even while allowing their claim to lineage and nobility. But, to return— when they had finished all this cele­bration and congratulation, the two honourable ladies were placed in the Serai of the prince, and there remained.

After this, came the marriage of the two daughters of the deceased Shahbaz Sáhib. Shahbaz, after the increase of the power and wealth of the Nawaub, retired to his own house, and died of disease at Kolar, leaving three daughters, and one son, named Abdulkadir, who was slain in his youth by a can­non ball at the battle of Anooti. The eldest daugh­ter, whose mother was a lady of Shahbaz Sáhib’s tribe or family, was married, during the life of her father, to Lala Mean, and, consequently, now became the mother-in-law of the prince, Tippoo. The other two daughters were by a wife of a dif­ferent tribe, not a first marriage. The Nawaub now, therefore, honoured Turbeut Alí Khan Nayut, by bestowing one in marriage on him; and the other he married to Yasin Sáhib, the son of Yakoob Sáhib, Jamadár, one of the most noble among the families of the Dukhun, and after the most liberal fashion of that country.* After this, again being highly pleased with the mild disposition, the propriety of language and manners, and the correctness of conduct of Hafiz Syud Alí, (the son of Shah Sáhib Dukkuni,) a worthy friend and companion of the Nawaub; who had been deputed on an embassy to Hydurabad, and had there negotiated a peace, and strengthened and improved the relations of amity between the Chief of Hydurabad and the noble Nawaub; and who, without the knowledge of the Nizám, or his ministers, with much address had purchased a great quantity of valuable articles and jewels of great price, and had forwarded them to the Nawaub; and, also, had engaged a number of brave and experienced men, well known for their courage, and had sent them to the presence;— taking, into consideration all these ser­vices, and wishing to mark his approval of them, he honoured him by uniting him in marriage to his own daughter, and thus exalted his head in both worlds.

As these affairs were all completed in about a year, the Nawaub next occupied himself in the regulation of the affairs of his territories, and despatched officers of justice to all quarters; that, wherever thieves, highway robbers,* and cut purses, had extended the hand of depredation and cruelty, they might be punished; and, wherever the foundations of oppression and tyranny had been raised, they should cause them to be pulled down. As soon as the Nawaub had completed the internal arrange­ments of his state affairs, he appointed his confi­dential servants to the charge and possession of different governments and countries, and next employed his time in collecting warlike stores, and soldiers of approved valour,* (like Roostum and Isfendiar); so that, in a short time, he assembled under the shade of his victorious standard expe­rienced and able men from all tribes; and, giving pledges of safety and aid to merchants, and the leaders of Karwans of all countries, he attracted (many of those persons, bringing with them) bales of precious stuffs, droves of fleet horses from Irak and Daman,* and troops of the bravest men of Iran and Tooran, who had been invited to enter his ser­vice, and whom by liberal treatment he made the slaves of his will. He also appointed active dis­ciplinarians, to exercise and teach his troops, and maintained near two thousand able spies and news­writers, in all parts of his dominions, and even in Hydurabad, Poona, Madras, Dehli, Bengala, Iran, Tooran, and Kabul, and was supplied with intel­ligence by them which he heard with great interest and discrimination. But, especially in every dis­trict of the tributary Poligars depending on him, (for he was never at ease respecting them), he employed spies and secret intelligencers, one upon another, and required from them the most minute information and a copious diary. He also, at an immense expense, collected all implements of war, as guns, firelocks, and other European articles, from the ports of the French, Dutch and Portuguese nations.