Ahmed-qhan, after this victory over the Vezir, fancied himself able to conquer the two Provinces of A8d and Ilah-bad, which might have been said to be that Minister’s appanage. He sent his son, Mahmood-qhan, with a body of troops to the conquest of A8d, whilst himself undertook to take the castle of Ilah-abad from Baca-ollah-qhan, and Aaly-c8ly-qhan, the Daghis­tany*. Baca-ollah-qhan is son of Merhamet-aaly-qhan, brother to the late Emir-qhan, who had presented him with the Fodjdary of Corrah, in the Viceroyalty of Ilah-abad. After his The Afghans besiege and plunder Ilah-abad. uncle’s death, he had accepted the Vezir’s invitation, and had attached himself to his person. He was then at Ilah-abad with Aaly-c8ly-qhan, a dependant of Séyd-mahmed-qhan, the Deputy Governor, and an ancient servant of Emir-qhan’s house. These two officers thinking it dishonorable to submit to a Bangash, quitted the city where they had too few men to be able to make any defence, and shut themselves up in the castle, which they both resolved to defend to the last extremity. They threw a bridge of boats over the Djumnah, under the walls of the fort, and thereby prepared themselves for receiving succours and provisions.

There happened to be then on the shores of the Ganga, and quite close to the castle of Ilah-abad*, a certain Saniassi-fakir, very brave and well accompanied, who spent his time in his devotions to Maha-de8. This man shocked to see the ravages committed by the Afghans, he had, without any invitation, resolved to join his cause to that of Baca-ollah-qhan, and of the others, that were snut up in the castle; but although he was requested to come within its walls, he constantly refused it, and contented himself with encamping with his brave slave-boys and his people at a small distance from it. Every day he used to set out with the bravest of his people, all mounted on excellent mares, and to gallop about the Afghan camp, from whence he never returned without having killed several of the bravest of the enemy, and brought away both their arms and horses with him; so long as the siege lasted he did not miss a single day, and always did some execution. The siege drew to a great length, but without the enemy being able to make any impression; Baca-ollah-qhan with his garrison, and the brave Fakyr Radj Ender-gur with his brave troop, being resolved to make the most obstinate defence. But meanwhile the enemy’s troops, all composed of unbridled savage Afghans, and of sanguinary Rohillahs, fell upon the city of Ilah-abad, which was a large wealthy place, and set it on fire, after having plundered and sacked it leisurely. Four thousand matrons of the best Séyd and Sheriff* houses of that unfortunate city, were led unveiled about the streets, and carried into captivity. But the quarter round the Monument of Sheh-afzol was spread, together with the suburb of Qhold-abad, which is wholly inhabited by Afghans. This was all that was performed by the Rohillah army; and but few of the Bangash collectors had been admitted over the flat country, when news came that the Vezir was coming. Ahmed-qhan not pleased with this intelligence, quitted the siege, and repaired to his own country about Feroh-abad.

We have already observed that on that General’s coming to Ilah-abad he had dispatched his son, Mahmood-qhan, with a body of troops, to conquer the country about Aood and Lucknow. The latter marched forwards, and on the nineteenth of the second Djemady in the year 1164, he encamped at a small distance to the west of the town of Belgram. Some Afghan troops immediately, according to the savage custom of that race of men, advanced on the suburbs, plundered some houses, and killed some people. But no sooner did such a violence become public, than the inhabitants of the town who are mostly of Sheriff blood as well as soldiers of old standing, shocked at this disorder, fell upon the Afghans, repulsed them with slaughter, and brought home a couple of hundred heads of cattle from the outskirts of the Afghan army. On seeing The Afghans spread into A8d, but are repulsed by the inhabi­tants of Bel­gram, and Lucknow. this Mahmood-qhan, with a precipitation consonant to his age, and an inconsiderateness worthy of his nation, put his army under arms, and resolved to take the town. But this was not so easy; the inhabitants had cut trenches across their streets, fortified every quarter, and prepared themselves to give them a warm reception. In this crisis the Magistrates, and the principal men amongst them, some of whom had an acquaintance with the young General’s father, interposed their media­tion, and procured an accommodation, after which the tumult that had risen to a height, subsided at once. Mahmood-qhan having raised his camp and advanced as far as Papa-mow, sent towards Lucknow one of his uncles with about twenty thousand horse and foot; and this General advanced towards that city with about five thousand cavalry. He encamped in the outskirts, and sent a Cutwal to command in his name in the city. It must be observed that this city had been evacuated by all the dependants of the Vezir, on the first intelligence of their master’s defeat, and that they had carried away the Vezir’s family, and joined Baca-ollah-qhan upon the road, with whom they had retired in the castle of Ilah-abad. As to the Moghuls, every one of them, inhabitants of the city, had fled to some shelter, after having placed his property under the safeguard of Sheh-müez-eddin-qhan, a famous Commander, of whom we have said something in speaking of his heroical friend, Kootoob-eddin-mahmed-qhan. The Sheh’s friends were not pleased with the protection he afforded in his house and quarter to Moghul property, and they warned him that it would bring down upon him an inquiry from the Afghan Government. The Sheh would not listen to such pusillanimous counsels, and continued to afford an asylum to the families and properties of as many as chose to take shelter in his house and quarter. But as the new Cutwal had already commenced to oppress people, the Sheh who was sensible of this, thought it best to comply so far with the com­plexion of the times, as to go out of the city and make a visit to the Afghan Commander, in order to put a stop to the Cut­wal’s vexatious government. The Afghan received him with great regard and civility, and ordered that a general safety of person and property should be proclaimed all over the city. Whilst he was yet speaking, one of the General’s friends, a man who wished for some tumult and confusion, said to him, What are you doing now? The Lucnovians have beaten your Cutwal, and driven him away. Sheh-müez-eddin-qhan answered immediately, that there was no man in the city mad enough to commit such an outrage. I will go to town immediately, said he, and if I find that any one has committed an insolence, rest assured, that I will chastise him as he deserves. On this, he mounted and returned to the city; but he soon had several reasons for altering his mind. He reflected that the Cutwal con­tinued to oppress people, and that little trust was to be reposed in the promises or proclamations of an Afghan. Seeing then how matters went, he assembled the nobles and the principal inhabitants, and represented to them, that the Afghans were known for a faithless race, on whose promises no reliance could be reposed with any safety; that to surrender to such savage people would bring woeful consequences with it, and that for his part he saw no other party, but that of joining together, putting themselves upon their defence, and giving the Afghans a vigorous reception. Most of those present expressed their fears, and declined the association; but the others, sensible of the truth of what he had said, closed with his opinion, and armed themselves. Coorban-aaly, the Choudry*, a man of conse­quence amongst them, took care to gain to his party even those that seemed timorous, and he fortified several quarters. On observing so much warmth, Sheh-müez-eddin-qhan took a decisive part. He sold the jewels and plate of his family, and having made up a sum of money, he assembled the Sheh-zadians of Lucknow, whom he now exhorted to chastise the Cutwal vigorously, and to turn him out of the city. The order was immediately executed. The Sheh, after this, dressed a sensible Moghul in Iranian apparel, made him land in his house, as if he had come as Cutwal by the Vezir’s appointment, and he pro­claimed, at the tribunal of Police all over the town, that no authority should be acknowledged in the city, but that of the cutwal sent by the Vezir. He at the same time set up a green standard in the name of “The Lord of the Time”*, and under it he took the oaths of the principal inhabitants, that they would stand by each other in defence of their wives, children, and properties, to the utmost of their power. The Afghan General hearing of this change of affairs, and that a Cutwal had come from the Vezir, put his people under arms, prepared him­self to sack the city, and he fell upon Ismaïl-gundj, the eastern quarter of it. But about two hundred of the Sheh-zadians having run to the assistance of the inhabitants, an engagement ensued, in which the Afghans were driven away with great slaughter; nay the inhabitants sallied out upon them, took their cannon and tents, and drove away another Commander, who with a thousand horse had come over to share the expected plunder Mahmed-qhan, who was encamped on the ferry of Papa-mow, hearing of this affair, wanted to march in person against Luck­now. But Sheh-müez-eddin-qhan having sent him a message, that laid the whole blame of this affair upon the stupidity of his Afghans, and promised to come in person to give an account of it, and to address him upon other matters, he altered his resolu­tion, and returned to his former encampment, where he was pitching his tents, when the runaways came in shoals and gave an exaggerated account of Müez-eddin-qhan’s bravery and conduct, as well as of the ferocity and courage of the inhabitants of Lucknow, especially the Sheh-zadians. In a few days, Müezeddin himself arrived near the Afghan camp, and with such a multitude of horse and foot, as looked very much like an army. Mahmed-qhan, intimidated by his character for prowess and conduct, and not liking his appearance, thought proper to decamp, and retire. This retreat inspired the Sheh with so much confidence, that he turned away all the collectors which the Afghans had spread all over the country, and he published an order to put to death immediately any armed Afghan that should be discovered; and this revolution in the A8d naturally brings us back to the Vezir, who had made an appanage of that country.