Mahmed-aamin-qhan, who found that his distemper gained ground, was not satisfied with the denials and answers given him by his physicians, but absolutely insisted upon some relief or some medicine. So that the physicians after consulting together, agreed upon administering a clyster; and as this remedy, although repeatedly given, did not procure any relief, his excrements came out at his mouth, and he took his journey to the other world. They say, that he bore such a cordial aversion to the descendants of the Prophet, and detested so violently those particularly descended from the Prince of Justs, that hearing by the way a man who sung the words Aaly, the Saint of God, he ordered his tongue to be cut off.* And there is a common report that in imitation of some pious persons who spread a table of victuals, as an offering to the King of Braves, and humbly waiting for a token of his acceptance, are always excused, he ordered such a table to be spread on his own account, with an intention to give the matter a ridiculous turn. Now that such a token is granted by His Majesty, the King of Braves, to those that have a sincere faith,* and that it has been an infinity of times observed by thousands of people, some of which were men of great sense and knowledge, as well as prone to incredulity, is universally known to all the world, and to my humble self in particular, who have often offered such an offering, and as often observed a variety of tokens of acceptance, for which I return my respectful acknowledgments to God Almighty. This the wretched Minister could not bear to hear mentioned in his presence; and his aversion to the Sëids was such, that even his friends, servants, and dependants, made no difficulty to call him a Möaviah and a Yëzid,* of which names he seemed to be proud. He once said that he wanted himself to offer such a table of victuals to those two venerable personages of his, in hopes of observing their acceptance by some visible sign, in approbation of his attachment to them, and of giving some check likewise to those blasphemers that pretend to soar so high;* and what he said, he put in execution. The entertainment having been prepared in a retired apartment of the seraglio, himself with that broken constitution of his, made a shift to limp thither with a number of choice persons, and to pro­nounce the Fateha or benediction in the name of those venerable personages of his; after which he went away, shutting up the door of that room, and putting the key of it in the hands of a trusty old woman of his whom he placed close to it, as on the watch, with orders in an hour’s time to open the door, and to see what sign had appeared, so as to make her report to him, that he might immediately repair thither with his courtiers, and convince the incredulous. It happened that the woman was herself a Shyah in her heart, but that she used to conceal her opinions and princi­ples. After a full hour had elapsed she, according to his instruc­tions, opened the door, and saw an ugly black dog sitting quietly upon his hams, and tasting leisurely of every plate, and licking his chops. Struck with the sight, she ran to her master, and out of breath, sceamed out: “Why, my Lord, should you wait for a sign and what do you mean by seeing it? Here he is come himself, and has honoured your table with his presence, and he is actually tasting of every plate.” Mahmed-aamin-qhan getting up with all those present, repaired to the chamber, whilst the old woman fearing for her life, slunk away. The Minister being arrived at the spot, saw with his own eyes, the dog feeding heartily, and being incensed beyond measure at the sight, he wanted to put the old woman to death; but although every per­quisition was made, she could not be found. He suspected treachery, and would bite his lips in the excess of his anger and resentment; but without being able to wreck his resentment upon any one, at last he quitted this world and repaired to the place which was fit for him.

It is reported by people of the highest credit, that on Emir-dejmlah being appointed to the government of Azim-abad, the Lords and Grandees of the court went out of the city to wish him a good journey, and to take their leave; but that the late Naamet-ollah-qhan, son to Roh-ollah-qhan, being then taken up with the mourning rites and other customs usual in the first ten days of Moharrem in commemoration of the Prince of Martyrs, Hossëin, son of Aaly, (on whom be peace!) came late, and he excused himself to Emir-djemlah with saying: “That he had been in mourning.” Mahmed-aamin-qhan happened to be present at that visit, and sat on one hand of Emir-djemlah, whilst Naamet-ollah-qhan sat on the other. On hearing the apology, Mahmed-aamin-qhan asked whether any person had died in His Lordship’s palace? Naamet-ollah-qhan answered in the negative, but added that his mourning was on account of the Prince of Martyrs. And pray, my Lord, replied Mahmed-aamin-qhan, were not Hossëin and Yëzid younger sons of the same holy family? And does it become us to mourn for the one, and to reject the other? “The younger son of the holy family, for us,” rejoined Naamet-ollah-qhan, “has been killed, and we mourn for him; whereas your younger son of the holy family did gain the victory. Do you then rejoice on his account?” At these words, the conversation growing warm, they both laid their hands upon their poniards, when Emir-djemlah interposed and made up the matter. After such a digression on that Minister’s turn of mind, we may now revert to public matters.

Mahmed-aamin-qhan being deceased, the Emperor without making any new Vezir, appointed Ynaïet-ollah-qhan, one of the old lords of Aoreng-zib’s court, to act as Deputy in that high office, and he invested him in his new dignity with a rich dress of honour. At that moment His Majesty’s attention was supplicated to the following report: That Nizam-el-mulk, his faithful servant, after having put in order the affairs of the government of Haïder-abad, was coming to the presence, and had arrived as far as Feridapoor, where being informed of commotions excited by some refractory Afghans of Bidjapoor, and by some rebellious Zemindars of the Carnatick, he had hastened thither to put an end to those disturbances. A supplication was at the same time presented from the Sahoo Radja with five hundred eshreffies, in congratulation of his Imperial Majesty’s victory. The Emperor after listening to this report, dismissed Abdol-semed-qhan, governor of Lahor, to his government, whilst Camer-eddin-qhan was invested with his father’s title of Ytimad-ed-döulah or trustworthy of the Empire; but Muëz-ed-döulah-haïder-c8ly-qhan, the valiant, had his surname of Nasyr-djung exchanged for that of Firoz-djung or Victorious in war. Saadet-qhan was honoured with the govern­ment-general of Ecber-abad, and Mahmed-qhan-bangash, who had been promoted to the government of Ilah-abad, and had set out for it, having been recalled again within the city on account of his setting up some excessive demands for the lands of his Djaghir, and for some other points, was reprimanded for his artifice, taken into favour again, and appointed anew. At the same time the Imperial Gazette from Haïder-abad brought the following strange news: That the seventh of Sefer of the second year of His Majesty’s reign, there fell, out of season, such an immense quantity The Carna­tic ruined by water. of rain in the country of Carnatic, that all the rivers, reservoirs, and pieces of water had overflowed their bounds, submerged the grounds to the distance of ten or twelve cosses at the right and left, and swept away and drowned an infinity of men and cattle, carrying away whole villages and towns, and levelling them with the ground. A mountain in the same country had split in two, crushed under its ruins a whole town with all its inhabitants and cattle, and ruined the whole country around. The Emperor after hearing that news, went a hunting, and took Aghyr-qhan the Turk with him, to whom he spoke Turkish during the whole hunting, taking care to shew him a deal of kindness and good will. Three or four days after, the Emperor of his own motion, and without any one’s mediation and interference, added fifteen hundred horse to his grade, and a thousand more to his command, making him at the same time a present of a Serpitch of jewel-work, and of a kettle-drum; and a few days after, another thousand was added to his grade, and another to his effectual command. So that in a few days he was raised to the grade of four thousand horse, and to the real command of three thousand. At the same time news came from Ecber-abad, that Dilir-qhan, Lieutenant to Mahmed-qhan-bangash, having some disputes about his master’s Djaghir, with a Zemindar of the country of Bundil-cund, he had repaired thither with a body of two thousand horse, in order to examine the disputed grounds by himself; but that the conference having degenerated into a dispute, and this ended in a battle, that officer had been slain with about eight hundred of his men. On this intelligence, the Emperor ordered a letter of consolation with a Qhylaat and Serpitch to be sent to Mahmed-qhan-bangash’s son.