When Nawāb Alī Vardī Khān Mahābat Jang passed to the regions of eternity, Nawāb Sirāju-d-daulah, son of Zainu-d-dīn Aḥmad Khān Haibat Jang, and maternal grandson of Alī Vardī, who from before had been declared heir-apparent by Alī Vardī Khān, and whom Alī Vardī Khān had in his life-time placed on the cushion of the Nizāmat, and to whom Alī Vardī with all the grandees of the court had paid homage and offered presents— ascended the masnad of the rulership over Bengal, Behār, and Orissa Sirāju-d-daulah exhibited insolence and arrogance, which are the worst of attributes, and are displeasing to God. At that time, owing to certain reasons, Ghasitī Begam, widow of Nawāzish Aḥmad Khān Shahāmat Jang, who resided at Mutījhīl, resolving to oppose Sirāju-d-daulah, appointed Mīr Nazar Alī, who was her servant and was bound to her by ties of various favours and obli­gations, to be the commander of her vanguard, and Nawāb Baīrām Khān to be generalissimo of her army. Then the Bēgam of Mahābat Jang, and Jagat Set, as an emissary of Sirāju-d-daulah, went to Ghasitī Begam and gave her assurances; and so the latter refrained from hostility, whilst Nazar Alī fled, and Bairām Khān taking refuge with one of the generals fell into disgrace. Sirāju-d-daulah’s army arriving captured Ghasitī Begam, together with all her effects. The Begam saw what she had never seen, and heard what she had never heard. Sirāju-d-daulah’s army rased to the ground her buildings and her palace, and unearthing her buried treasures carried them to Mansūrganj. Owing to Sirāju-d-dau­lah’s harshness of temper and indulgence in violent language, fear and terror had settled on the hearts of everyone to such an extent, that no one amongst the generals of the army or the noblemen of the City was free from anxiety. Amongst his officers, whoever went to wait on Sirāju-d-daulah despaired of life and honour, and whoever returned without being disgraced and ill-treated offered thanks to God. Sirāju-d-daulah treated all the noblemen and generals of Mahābat Jang with ridicule and drollery, and bestowed on each some contemptuous nick-name that ill-suited any of them.* And whatever harsh expressions and abusive epithets came to his lips, Sirāju-d-daulah uttered them unhesitatingly in the face of everyone, and no one had the boldness to breathe freely in his presence. Appointing a Kyeth, named Mohanlal, to be the minister and controller of all affairs, Sirāju-d-daulah bestowed on him the title of Mahārajah Mohanlal* Bahā­dur, gave him a large bodyguard of cavalry and infantry, and ordered all his generals and nobles to pay respect to him. All did so, except Mīr Muḥammad Jāfar Khān, a brother-in-law of Nawāb Mahābat Jang, and the generalissimo of the army, who refused to pay respect to Mohanlal, and for some time ceased to pay respect even to Sirāju-d-daulah. But Rājah Mohanlal, coiling himself round the brain and skin of Sirāju-d-daulah, forgot himself so far that he fancied nobody else existed, appointed his own kith and kin to posts connected with the Crown-Domains and also to other revenue offices, and dismissed the old officers. For instance, Rājah Mohanlal sent a message to Nawāb Ghulām Husain Khān Bahā­dur* that if he accepted a pay of Rs. 200 a month, he might stay on, otherwise he should quit the country. The latter, of necessity, on the plea of visiting the Kabah, set out for Hūglī.

Inasmuch as before Mahābat Jang’s death, in the beginning of that year, on the 13th of Rabīn-l-Awāl, Nawāb Nawāzish Aḥm­mad Khān Shahāmat Jang,* who held the office of Dīwān of Ben­gal, had died, Sirāju-d-daulah arrested Rājah Rājballab, Pēshkār of Shahāmat Jang, on the plea that he should render up his accounts. Although Rājballab tried hard to pay up some cash and to com­promise the demands, Sirāju-d-daulah did not consent, and kept him under surveillance.* Rājballab sent his family and children to Calcutta, to take shelter with the English. Sirāju-d-daulah desired to arrest Rājballab’s family also, and ordered Rājah Rām, head of his spies, to proceed to Calcutta, arrest Rājballab’s family, and bring them over. Mahābat Jang, whilst on sick­bed, had dissuaded Sirāju-d-daulah, and directed him to post­pone the matter, and urged that after recovery he (Mahābat Jang) would himself summon them. At this time, Sirāju-d-daulah ordered Rājah Rām, head of his spies, to proceed to Cal­cutta and arrest and bring over Rājballab’s family and children, and himself in the month of Shābān, on the plea of touring, pro­ceeded towards Akbarnagar (Rājmahal). Whilst Siraju-d-daulah reaching Dūnahpūr had encamped on the bank of the river Kālā­pānī, he received news that the English Chiefs in Calcutta had offered opposition, and prevented the arrest of Rājballab’s family and children. On the very receipt of this news, the fire of Sirāju-d-daulah’s rage kindled, and he summoned the officers of his army, and said: “I intend proceeding on an expedition against Calcutta. It is necessary that none of you should go back to Murshidābād, but that all should proceed straight from here to Chunakhalī and encamp there.” Next morning, setting out, Sirāju-d-daulah reached Chunakhalī, and from there proceeding by forced marches invaded Calcutta. In the month of Ramẓān, fight­ing with the English, Sirāju-d-daulah became victorious and trium­phant, and the English Chief* embarking on a boat fled. Sweeping the town of Calcutta with the broom of plunder*, and naming it Alinagar, Sirāju-d-daulah left Rājah Manikchand with a large detachment as Governor of Calcutta. Posting strong garrisons at Makhūah and Bajbajīa (Budge-Budge) and other fords for the crossing and passage of English ships, Sirāju-d-dualah at the end of the above month returned to Murshidābād.

Ṣaulat Jang, Faujdār of Purnīah, that year, previous to Mahā­bat Jang’s death, in the month of Jamādi-l-Awāl, had died, and his son, Shaukāt Jang, who was a cousin of Sirāju-d-daulah, had succeeded his father. At this time, Sirāju-d-daulah desiring to displace Shaukāt Jang demanded the revenue of Purnīah.* Shaukāt Jang replied: “You are lord of three Ṣūbahs (Provinces), whilst I am fallen in this corner, and am content with a bit of bread. Now it does not become your high aspiration to set the teeth of your avarice on this bit of bread.” Sirāju-d-daulah, on receipt of this reply, which did not satisfy his designs, despatched Dīwān Mohanlal, together with other Generals such as Dost Muḥammad Khān, Shaikh Dīn Muḥammad, Mīr Muḥammad, and Jafar Khān, &c., with a large army, to fight with Shaukāt Jang; and he also wrote to Rāmnarāin, the Ṣūbahdār of Aẓīmābād, to march quickly to Purnīah. From the other side, Shaukāt Jang detailed for fighting Shaikh Jahān Yār and Kārguẕār Khān, the generalissimo, and Mīr Murād Alī and others, and subsequently he himself set out and assaulting and sacking and burning Haiātpūrgolah returned to Purnīah. On arrival at Manihari, Sirāju-d-daulah’s army encamped, whilst Shaukāt Jang’s army at a distance of one Karoh at Nawābganj entrenched itself. On the next day, Shau­kāt Jang also arrived and joined his army; and on the same day, Rājah Rāmnarāin, the Ṣūbahdār of Azīmābād, with his contingent of troops, joined Sirāju-d-daulah’s army. On the morning of the following day, Rājah Mohanlal advanced with his force in order to fight, and unfurled his flag carrying the ensignia of the Māhī Order which he held. Shaukāt Jang, on seeing the ensignia of the Māhī Order, fancied that Sirāju-d-daulah himself had joined his army, and was marching up for fight, and so Shau­kāt Jang advanced also with his army. Shaikh Jahān Yār dis­suaded Shaukat Jang, saying:— “To-day the moment for fighting is not auspicious, if it pleases God, to-morrow early in the morn­ing we shall fight, and whatever is decreed by Providence shall take place.” Shaukāt Jang, paying no heed to this dissuasion, marched up to the battle-field. Shaikh Jahān Yār was also obliged to advance with his corps, and whilst fighting bravely he received a gun-shot. Shaikh Abdu-r Rashīd, his brother, and Shaikh Qudratu-l-lah, his son-in-law, together with Shaikh Jhahan Yār, his nephew, as well as his other kinsmen were slain on the battle-field, and earned present and future glory. At this time of strife, a sword fell on the neck of the horse of Shaikh Jahān Yār, and cut asunder its rein, and the horse furiously gal­lopped away with its rider from the field. As he had already received several mortal wounds, by the time of his arrival at Bīr­nagar, he expired. At that crisis, Shaukāt Jang, himself joining in the fight, advanced, discharging arrows, and came in front of Dost Muḥammad Khān. The aforesaid Khān said, “Come on my elephant, as you will find security then.” Shaukāt Jang not con­senting fixed a sharp arrow in his teeth, and shattered his front-tooth. At this time, besides two horsemen, one of whom was Ḥabīb Bēg, no one else was with Shaukāt Jang. Ḥabīb Bēg dismount­ing from his horse stood in front of his elephant on the field. As decreed by fate, a bullet from the gun of a servant of Dost Muḥam­mad Khān hit Shaukāt Jang on the forehead, and the bird of his soul flew away, and nestled on the branches of annihilation. And Kārguẕār Khān, the generalissimo Shaikh Bahādur Narnuti, Abū Turāb Khān, Murād Sher Khān, nephew of Shaikh Jahān Yār, Shaikh Murād Ali, disciple of Nawāb Saif Khān, Mīr Sultān Khalīl, the archer, Lohā Sīngh Hāzārī, and Mīr Jafaru-l-jo, &c., displayed gallant bravery, and tasted the potion of death on the battle-field. Sirāju-d-daulah had advanced to Akbarnagar (Rāj­mahal), when the tidings of victory arrived; and he ordered the music of victory to strike up. He also caused the adherents of Shaukāt Jang, such | as were captured, to be punished in various forms. Rājah Mohanlal confiscating fifty-one elephants, and horses, and camels, and other treasures of Shaukāt Jang, and leav­ing his own son as Deputy Governor of the Faujdārī of Purnīah, returned.