So much sudden favour, and such marks of distinction, excited sentiments of envy and discontent in Pir-ahmed, a principal Commander amongst the Afghans, who thought he had more right to them himself. His mind was so ulcerated, that every fresh kindness shewn to the new guest seemed to thrust thorns and scorpion-stings in his heart, which otherwise was disinclined on account of the difference of sect between himself and his master, the latter being a zealous Shyah, and the other a turbulent Sunni. Whereas Cootoob-eddin, as well as his friend, Sheh-müez-eddin-qhan, (an officer now living at Lucknow, and whose feats of valour and generosity we shall have occasion to mention) were of a race celebrated for their zealous attach­ments to the tenets of the Shyahs, as well as for their illustrious achievements, and for their being descended of persons attached to the service of the Holy-house*, (upon all whom be grace!) He was himself respected by the countrymen as their Lord, and their master’s son; and it was on that very account that my father had introduced him in all the affairs of administration. This alienated entirely Pir-ahmed’s heart. He quitted the service, and sought a revenge in exciting troubles; and as the Afghans in my father’s service, as well as those all over the country, were all either his tenants, or men accustomed to serve under him, they made it a point to join him, and to obey his summonses; and the evil rose to such a height, that my father was obliged to march against him, and to bring him to order. Cootoob-eddin, who was appointed his General, took the command of the Vanguard. An engagement ensued, when Pir-ahmed dividing his troops in two, opposed his bravest and best marksmen to Cootoob-eddin, and with the rest he concealed himself in the ruined houses of an abandoned village, and in some fields grown over with tall sugar-canes, expecting to have my father at his dis­cretion from such an ambuscade. The engagement being already commenced, Cootoob-eddin, with his bravest men, taking his musket, and quitting his horse, rushed through the thickest of the enemy, bearing down every thing before him. They say, that whilst he was taking aim with his gun, a trooper of the enemy’s sprung at his side, and crying “Cootoob-eddin-mahmed-qhan, have at you,” he advanced with his sabre up-lifted. Cootoob-eddin altering only the direction of his piece, answered, “have at you yourself,” and laid him sprawling on the ground. That brave troop of his, animated by such exertions, continued to advance through the enemy’s ranks, which at last they broke entirely, and forced to an open flight; but by this time he had already advanced so far from his main, as to be within reach of that piece of sugar-cane where Pir-ahmed was waiting for my father, and the latter approaching on the opposite side, he was set upon with the utmost fury, by a body of horse that rushed out suddenly, put to flight most of those that were with him, and struck a panic in those that remained. In this state of things, my father was putting his foot out of the amhary to jump down from his elephant, and to fight on foot, when the son of Cootoob-eddin, a young man whom he had taken upon an elephant, out of regard for his father, interposed, and he observed, that so long as himself, his soldier, was alive, with so many others, such exertions would be unbecoming a General. Mean­while some of his relations and men, seeing their Commander’s danger, quitted their horses, and surrounding his elephant, they mixed with the enemy, soon covered the ground with the blood of many of them, and put the whole to a stand. Pir-ahmed was advancing himself, and encouraging his people to push on; but Cootoob-eddin, who now was at hand, advanced to charge him. Pir-ahmed, fatigued already by the resistance he had met round my father’s elephant, from that valiant troop that fought like lions accustomed to tear their enemies, and think­ing himself unequal to a fresh engagement, gave way, and he retreated full of shame and confusion; whilst a zephyr of victory rising over the field of battle, unfurled the drooping standards of my father’s troops, and cheered their hearts. Pir-ahmed, however, was overcome, but not ruined; and he soon came to another engagement, but was so severely beaten, that his Afghans, humbled and dispirited, slipt away one by one, and dispersed to their homes. And thus tranquillity being re-established, my father with Cootoob-eddin-qhan, his friend, lived happy in the middle of relations, acquaintances, and soldiers.

It was about this time, that, inspired by a desire of kissing the sacred paternal feet, I quitted Azim-abad a little before Shimshir-qhan’s treason; and in the first days of Moharrem, of the year 1161, I arrived at Berhëily, by the way of Ghazipoor and Banares, where I was favoured with the blessing of seeing the paternal face. It was about the time when the Imperial Prince Ahmed-mirza had gained that great victory over the Abdalies, which we have sometime ago mentioned. It was at this very time that Aaly-mahmed-qhan-Rohillah, who, from being the Vezir Cammer-eddin-qhan’s prisoner, had been by his influ­ence set at liberty, and moreover promoted to the command of Ser-hend, thought proper to quit his post; after which he soon assembled an army of forty thousand Afghans, and marched by Soharen-poor and Gundj-poor, across the Djumna, directly to Moorad-abad and Berhëily, where he had once commanded with so much power; and having possessed himself of that Capital, where he established his Government and authority, he crossed the Ganga to attack my father. As soon as this intelligence was spread in the country, the Afghans that constituted the greatest part of my father’s troops, being all either countrymen or acquaintances of Aaly-mahmed-qhan’s, or attached to him personally, were overjoyed to see him again amongst them­selves; and pretending that they were in arrears of pay by some months, they assembled in bodies, and, probably with no good intention, surrounded the house where my father lived, within the castle of Berhëily. He had with him only about three hundred Hindostanies, from about Shah-djehan-abad, and a small number of friends, relations, and servants. By this time Aaly-mahmed-qhan being arrived within ten cosses of Berhëily, the situation of the besieged was become critical. In this conjuncture Cootoob-eddin-qhan took my father aside, and Singular character of Cootoob-eddin’s. addressed him in these words, “Rohillah is come upon us with an army which we cannot pretend to fight, admitting even that he had not been joined by the Afghans of these countries, who have flocked to his standard in as great numbers as if they had been so many locusts or pismires. On the other hand, your very soldiers are now besieging you, and thirst­ing after your blood. I see then no other party left but this:—I will go out to meet Aaly-mahmed-qhan-Rohillah, and examine his sentiments respecting you. If he is not ill inclined towards you, I shall engage him to let you extricate yourself from your actual difficulties; if I discover that he means you any ill, then I shall kill him instantly; and, as I shall be dispatched myself upon the spot, you may then manage as your fortune shall point out.” This proposal my father accepted; and the brave and faithful Cootoob-eddin, having sallied out of the fort with a few of his most trusty men, went to Aaly-mahmed-qhan’s quarters. Being arrived at that General’s tent, he left his men at the door of the first enclosure, and went in with only two or three of them. Meanwhile those who were left without, being all extremely attached to him, and at all times ready to shed their blood for his sake, could not see him going in so weakly accompanied without being somewhat alarmed; so that two or three of them wanting to get in, were stopped by the Chopdars and other people at the General’s door. Cootoob-eddin hearing the noise returned back, and striking one of the Chopdars slightly over the head, he asked him why he presumed to stop his people. This action having increased the tumult, some great mischief was likely to ensue, when Aaly-mahmed-qhan, surprised at the cries and noise, ran bare-footed out of the enclosure, and taking that illustrious hero by the hand, he drew him to his breast, embraced him tenderly, and apologised for what had come to pass. After which he carried him within the tent, where he made him sit in the middle of his own Mesned, himself taking a seat at the corner of it; and his behaviour in every thing else was very respectful. After interchanging the usual excuses and some customary compliments, Cootoob-eddin addressed him in these words: “You, doubtless, have heard that I am become an intimate friend of the valiant Sëyd-hedäiet-aaly-qhan, the Lion in Wars; an attachment which he has been pleased to repay with every mark of kindness and love. You know, likewise, that his very soldiers, enticed by the hopes of your coming, have ungratefully turned their arms against their lord and master, and are now thinking of mischief. If such is your intention also, dismiss me, that I may return and lay down my life in my friend’s cause, and by my zeal and fidelity prepare for myself a durable monument in the registers of posterity—march on with your troops, join those ungrateful wretches, and by falling together upon that hand­ful of besieged folks, acquire the glory of having killed a Seyd, Else, if you be an open hearted soldier, and you intend no mischief, then assist the man with some necessaries for his voy­age to the capital, repress the seditions use your influence to make them accept as much as the ready money and effects at the castle can afford; and let him quit this country with safety to his person, and some honour to his character.” This speech had its full effect. Rohillah, with the most solemn oaths, protested that he intended no personal injury, and, sending for the officers of his household, he directed them to prepare an equi­page suitable to the Governor’s rank and condition; after which he dismissed his guest with every demonstration of honour, sending him back fully satisfied and contented. He only required that Cootoob-eddin should not go to Shah-djehan-abad, where he was apprehensive lest the forlorn state of so illustrious a man might engage the Ministers to reinstate him at the head of an army in his father’s Government. My father, the next day after this treaty, came out of the castle with all his people, and took up his quarters at Pandj-mahla, a building at some distance without the walls of Berhëily, where he spent some days in much altercation about settling the respective claims of the seditious; and he was every day in the hope of being soon able to get out of their hands. At last by the Divine assistance this point was gained, and he arrived at the Capital.