As very little effect was expected from dismissing Hadji Ahmed, there arose in the assembly a variety of opinions about the expediency of marching out, or of not marching, against the enemies. It was at last resolved to march out, and by the exer­tions of Merdan-aaly-qhan, who was greatly incensed both against Hadji Ahmed and Aaly-verdy-qhan, the army, with Ser-efraz-qhan at its head, marched out, and in three or four days arrived at Comrah. It was the twenty-second of Muharrem, in the year 1153 of the Hedjrah. At that town it halted a little, it being necessary to hear the report brought by two persons of note which had been sent by Ser-efraz-qhan to examine Aaly-verdy-qhan’s views and designs. These were Sunnet, an eunuch, and Shudjah-cooly-qhan, a Fodjdar of Hoogly. They were on their return from the enemy’s camp, and had brought with them another Deputy, who came on the part of Aaly-verdy-qhan himself; and this was the Physician Mahmed-aaly-qhan. Their report amounted to this. That he was still a submissive, dutiful servant, and to this testimony they added this message, as from his own mouth: “When people of Princely, generous dispositions vouchsafe to raise any one to high stations and dignities, they look upon him, from that moment, to be their pupil and ward, and think it incumbent upon themselves to take care of his honour and character in the eyes of the world. Now it is notorious that I, your dutiful servant, owe my well-being to your illustrious family, which vouchsafed to raise me from the humility of dust to the His artful, insidious management. splendour of high preferment (an obligation which I am proud to remember); and as I wish to inform the public, and to gain credit to my attachment (which I conceive to be equalled by no one but your most zealous servants), I supplicate that you please to grant me two requests. The first, that you condescend to turn away from your presence, and to dismiss from your coun­cils, some persons, who, having conceived a jealousy at the elevation of our family, are ever busy in filling your Princely mind with new suggestions, like those that have already given rise to the present troubles. These are Merdan-aaly-qhan, Mir-morteza-qhan, Hadji Lootf-aaly-qhan, and Mahmed-ghóuss-qhan. After their departure, your servant, thinking his person safe, shall make it a duty to pay you his respects. The second request is, that should you think this favour to be of a nature not to be granted, then that you please to retire to your palace, and from thence to issue your commands to them to march into the field, and to fight me, your servant. If victory favours them, let them avail themselves of its rights; they have gained their point. If they are vanquished, let them retire, and I shall then come myself, and lay my head at your feet. In token of my sincerity, I herewith send you the volume of the glorious Coran, on which I have taken the most sacred oaths.”

The glorious volume was accordingly produced by the Phy­sician Mahmed-aaly-qhan;* but as the noblemen in question were in possession of the highest influence both over Ser-efraz-qhan’s mind and over his Court, and their minds were ulcerated against Hadji Ahmed, as well as against his brother and their children, the proposal for peace did not take root. But yet no proper preparatives were made for an immediate engagement, as the best officers suggested. Meanwhile, Hadji Ahmed being arrived at Radje-mahl, was received with open arms by his brother, who directly took him upon his elephant, being then upon his march. Hadji Ahmed, as if to fulfil the promise he had made at his departure, prevailed upon his brother to have his elephant turned about for some hundred yards, after which he returned to the road again. Ser-efraz-qhan hearing of the enemy’s march, advanced to a village called Gheri or Gheriah, a noted spot upon the banks of the Bagraty, whilst Mahmed-ghóuss-qhan pushed forward as far as the spot where the enemy was encamped on the water-side at Sooty; by which means, the river, which was everywhere fordable and about one arrow’s throw over, intervened between himself and Ser-efraz-qhan. Nor was the distance between him and Aaly-verdy-qhan’s camp of more than five or six cosses. Meanwhile messages and messengers were continually passing and repassing betwixt the two camps; Ser-efraz-qhan offering to receive Aaly-verdy-qhan into favour again, and wish­ing to see him, and the other answering in the strain he had already done. “In grateful remembrance of the favours received from your father,” said he, “once, I will never form any designs against you; but it is under condition only that you dismiss from your service those enemies of our family, who by their rancorous suggestions have brought matters to that state of diffidence and disunion that draws to a crisis. Else, deliver them over to me; and if you are averse to this also, then stand off, pitch your tent upon that eminence yonder, and from thence look at our fighting against each other. If I am victorious, I will certainly come to pay you my duty, and if I am vanquished, you shall do with me whatever you shall think proper.” As both parties seemed equally liable to difficulties, the interview did not take place. But although such friendly messages were daily exchanged, Djagat-seat was nevertheless busily employed in writing to every one of Aaly-verdy-qhan’s commanders, and in conveying to them, every one according to his station, promis­sory notes, called Tips, usual amongst bankers, under the only condition of seizing his person and delivering it to Ser-efraz-qhan.* Some of these notes were received that very evening by many, and amongst others, by Mustapha-qhan. That officer, in company with some others, as zealously attached to Aaly-verdy-qhan as himself, carried them to him, and exposed the contents to his view. “If fighting is the matter, said that officer, let us fight tomorrow morning, without loss of time; for the next day, matters may take a very different turn from what they are to-day. Aaly-verdy-qhan having reflected on the advice, gave his approbation, and that very moment he ordered powder and ball to be distributed to the troops, being resolved to fight the next day. His army he divided in three bodies. One part under the command of Nandoolal, a Gentoo officer of character, who was also entrusted with Aaly-verdy-qhan’s standard, was opposed to Ghóuss-qhan, and he gave him orders to engage the troops on this side of the river. With the two other bodies, he forded the river, and sent one of them in the rear of Ser-efraz-qhan’s troops, with orders to fall upon them as soon as they should see him engaged with his front, for which purpose he now advanced on Ser-efraz-khan, without quitting the river’s bank. The body that had been sent forwards, had orders to keep them­selves concealed, until they should hear the report of a gun, at which signal they were to fall at once both upon Ser-efraz-qhan’s rear and camp. This body commenced its march in the darkness of the night at one in the morning, and was commanded by Nevazish-mahmed-qhan, Aaly-verdy-qhan’s eldest son-in-law, who had under his command Abdol-aaly-qhan with Mustapha-qhan and Shimshir-qhan and some other Afghan commanders. Aaly-verdy-qhan with his corps followed, but at some distance; whilst Nandoolal in compliance with orders, marched slowly and silently opposite to Ghóuss-qhan. The engagement com­menced at the dawn of the day, by which time Aaly-verdy-qhan being near Ser-efraz-qhan’s front, fired one of his guns. On the report of which the body that had preceded, attacked Ser-efraz-qhan’s troops, whilst Nandoolal engaged Ghouss-qhan. Ser-efraz-qhan who was then at his devotions, got up immediately, mounted his elephant, and marched straight to Aaly-verdy-qhan, at the very time when some of the enemies getting at his rear, had penetrated to the middle of his camp, where much plunder was acquired, and much slaughter made; Mirza-iredj-qhan’s son being slain amongst others. Meanwhile Ser-efraz-qhan kept advancing, and was already passed his Nagar-qhana or band of music, and the head of his army, when a bullet sent him to the mansions of eternity. He was accompanied by a number of men of distinction, amongst which were Mir-camal, Mir-ghádai, Mir-ahmed, Mir-seradj-eddin, Hadji Lootf-aaly-qhan, and Corban-aaly-qhan; and all these having in that game of hazard lost the capital of their existence, made haste to retreat into eternity. The Ry-räyan-aalem-chund being wounded, as well as Mirza-iredj-qhan, returned into the city. On the other hand, Ghóuss-qhan, who was engaged on the other side of the river with Nandoolal, gave him a complete defeat, in which that Hindoo commander was slain. Whilst the enemy was flying on that side of the river, Ser-efraz-qhan’s elephant, which his driver had now turned about, was described stepping towards the city; and Ghóuss-qhan ascribing this flight to his master’s want of courage, sent him a swift horseman with orders to bring the elephant back at any rate, and to inform his master that he Ghóuss-qhan had defeated and slaughtered the enemies, and that now was the time to join him and to fall together upon those that yet stood their ground. All this while Aaly-verdy-qhan, sensible at what critical point matters had come, was repressing the ardour of his people, and endeavouring to keep them together. He knew for certain that Ser-efraz-qhan had been slain, but he knew likewise that Nandoolal had been defeated and killed, and that Ghóuss-qhan, of whose valour and abilities he entertained no doubt, was at the head of a body that kept a firm countenance, at the very time when he had the mortification to see that the troops he had sent forwards to fall on Ser-efraz-qhan’s camp, were actually plundering and sacking those tents replenished with a rich booty, and had dispersed everywhere without leaving to their commander a possibility of his rallying them again. Things were in that doubtful state, when the horseman dispatched by Ghóuss-qhan came and informed him that his Lord was no more. Astonished to the highest degree, he plunged into a sea of amazement and despair, and sensible that Aaly-verdy-qhan, to whom his hatred to his family was known long ago, would now carry every thing before him, and that he had nothing to hope for at his hands, he resolved to perish in the field. Calling for his two sons, Mahmed-c8t8b and Mahmed-pir, he commanded them to loosen his cuirass and coat of arms from behind, and then Heroical death of Ghóuss-qhan, and his two sons. turning to them, he said these very words: “Children, nothing remains now for us, but to be slain in the field. Our lives are now as well as gone. We must wash our hands on that article, and rush upon that body that surrounds Aaly-verdy-qhan to try if we can come at his person.” That Commander and his sons were in fact the overthrowing Lions of the field, and the irresistible Herculeses of their age.* With the few that chose to stand by them, they advanced on the enemy with the greatest intrepidity; for the rest of Ghóuss-qhan’s troops, that is, the greatest part of them, already apprised of Ser-efraz-qhan’s death, had turned about, had quitted the field, and were retreating towards the city; and but a very few of them chose to stand by a man resolved not to survive a defeat. With these few, he kept advancing, and was already close upon the enemy, when he received a wound from a musquet-ball. Still he continued to advance, and calling for his horse, with a firm resolution to single out Aaly-verdy-qhan, he was alighting from his elephant when he was hitted again by two musquet-balls, which laid him dead on the field of battle. His two sons seeing their father dead, dismounted, let their horses loose, and taking to their sabre and buckler, they rushed on foot on the enemy, when on closing with them, they were shot at on all sides, and fell dead, weltering in blood and dust. Mahmed-c8t8b, the eldest, who bore a high character for prowess and bodily strength, finding himself going, sat on the field, without quitting either buckler or sword, and in that warlike posture, he breathed his last. He was afterwards buried in that very spot. Mir-dilir-aaly hearing of Ser-efraz-qhan’s death, refused to survive his good master and friend, and with sixteen men that stood by him, he rushed on the enemy, was slain fighting valiantly, and took his journey towards the gates of eternity. In fact, few soldiers and few friends in Hindostan ever proved so zealous as those of Ser-efraz-qhan’s. Mir-sherf-eddin, who, with the corps under his command, had bravely encountered Aaly-verdy-qhan in person, and hitted him with two arrows, find­ing that the day was lost, retreated and quitted the field. One of those arrows hitted the bow he held in his hand, and the other made a slight wound on his right shoulder. In a word, every one of Ser-efraz-qhan’s men exhibited proofs of attachment and valour. Some fell in the field of battle, and some despairing of their fortune retreated towards the city; and victory having now declared for Aaly-verdy-qhan, he immediately dispatched his brother, Hadji Ahmed, to Moorshoodabad, with orders to soothe and tranquillize the inhabitants of that great city, and to place guards on all the offices of the Government, and all the apartments of Ser-efraz-qhan’s palace, with strict injunctions to establish order and safety throughout every quarter. Hadji Ahmed, in compli­ance with his orders, advanced with the swiftness of wind, and the rapidity of lightning; and being arrived early, he proclaimed everywhere the new Prince, and thereby put an end to the tumults that had already risen.