THE following character of Hydur Alí, is trans­lated from a Persian work called Ahwali Hydur Náík, No. 1845,— in the East India Company’s Library. The author appears to have been a cer­tain Mirza Ikbal.

This book which is written with apparent can­dour, certainly with no partiality to Hydur, after premising that there are many different accounts of Hydur’s origin, states that he himself was accustomed to assert that he was derived from the Kings of Bejapoor; and that when their Govern­ment ended, and Sultan Sikundur, the last King of Bejapoor was killed, he left a son eight years of age, who was saved from his enemies and with a few jewels, taken secretly by his mother to Kirpa,* where he remained unknown until he died, leaving a son who entered the service of the Afghans of Kirpa, as did his son also.

The last mentioned, left two sons, who served the Afghans of Kirpa and Kurnole in the lowest grade of military rank, that of Náík, or corporal of regular infantry.*

The son of one of these men (whose name is not mentioned,) was named Muhammad Náík. His son was Alí Náík, and his son Futteh Náík. Futteh Náík had two sons, Hydur Náík and Shah­baz Náík. Hydur it is said, was born at Sura.

When Hydur’s fortunes first rose, on the ruins of those of the Raja of Mysore, his humble and agreeable manners attracted from all parts many adventurers to his service; and it appears that, in his Durbars, or levees, he assumed no distinction between himself and one of his private troopers, nor were any deductions made from the pay of his soldiery.

When, however, the Raja of Mysore was deposed, Hydur began to raise the head of pride. By degrees, he became strange, and forgetful, asking the names of his former friends, and requiring from them sundry obeisances, and respectful observances; and, when his territory and army increased, he gave his troops only a month’s pay in six weeks, and this, also, with the deduction or difference of Shumsi and Kumri, or solar and lunar months. For instance, if a man was engaged in the service, nominally at five hundred rupees a month, he was paid for a period of six weeks, (called there a month), by Puttie, or Order, three hundred rupees only; so that, in fact, he received but two hundred rupees a month, and so with the rest, in propor­tion.

As his troops gradually became quiet and orderly, so in the same degree did he become vicious, and they were exposed to abuse and the whip, or heavy headed cudgel,* and the stick or rattan.* Towards the end of his reign he abandoned all consideration for any persons, however respectable; these persons, too, having been attracted to his service by delusive promises and dissimulation. He gave them, notwithstanding, the vilest abuse, and for the least fault put them to death. In his Durbars or levees no one dared converse, or even whisper. If any one had a wedding in his house, he could not invite any friends, except through the Nawaub, and the agency of his servants; and, even then, he gave his Wordi Hurkaras* orders to go and see and hear what was said and done. These men, therefore, were in general bribed not to tell the truth; but he believed all they told him. If he had advanced any one of his servants money, the third part of his pay was stopped until the amount was refunded; and if any one paid the debt on demand, he was accustomed to demand interest, under the pretence that he had borrowed the money from a banker for him. But, when he had obtained the interest, he said “this man is rich, why did he borrow money from me? seize his goods,” and, accordingly, his property was sometimes con­fiscated, or stolen by thieves set on by Hydur’s authority.

When he was on the field of battle, contrary to his former custom, when all he required was done by the influence of kindness and friendship, now, he looked stedfastly at the enemy, and said to his own horsemen,— “Do you see that man, standing yon­der with his soldiers?” That man is your Father*— you must kill him, or be killed; for, if you come back without killing him, I will certainly put you to death myself in this very place;” as, indeed, to inspire terror, he had before often done. And when stimulated and forced on by the abuse he gave them, the horse had charged the enemy he sent for the Sauises (grooms or horsekeepers) of the cavalry, and, giving them bamboos and shoes, he placed them in line, himself taking post in the rear of the whole, and giving orders to them to strike and beat any one who retreated. The poor horsemen, forced on by the disgrace of the stick, and the torrent of abuse following them, gave themselves up to death uselessly. He never, however, took the pains to bury them after they were slain. As an instance of this neglect; one day, that a great battle had been fought between him and the English General Coote, the General, after the battle was over, despatched a message to Hydur, stating that his (Hydur’s) horse­men had done their duty, and fulfilled the condi­tions of their contract with him, by sacrificing their lives in his service, and that it was now time he should perform his duty, as their master, and direct some one to bury their bodies. Stung by the sharp reproof conveyed in this message, he imme­diately sent for Meer Muhammad Sadik Khan, his Dewaun or Minister, and ordered him to bury them. In reply, however, to General Coote, he merely said, that he did not want any of his advice.

If any one was sent in command of an expedi­tion, and was delayed or unsuccessful, he was on his return sent for to the presence, and severely reproached by Hydur himself. If, on the contrary, he did his work soon and was successful, still, on his return, he was abused for having, (as Hydur said), sacrificed the lives of his best men in rash, and profitless attacks. In fact, in his life he was never known to praise any one. In all his mea­sures he availed himself of the aid of threats and violence, to instil fear into men’s minds.

He was accustomed to have a party of Bayaderes, dancing women, early every night at his tents. If the woman, who danced was a Hindu, she was required to wear a white dress;— if she was a Mus­sulman woman, a dress embroidered with gold. In her dancing, however, she was not permitted to laugh or smile, or display any wanton steps or ges­tures; she was required to dance and sing slowly. Let there be ever so many men present, the atten­tion and eyes of all were to be fully occupied, and absorbed, in the beauty of the Nawaub him­self alone. If any of the men present cast his eyes towards the dancing girls, God preserve us! the Nawaub would immediately call out “Look! look well! for your mother, (meaning the dancing girl), has left her house, and is occupied in dancing in the midst of her husbands.” If it was any one of his friends, however, he was more civil.

During his government, his recruiting for the army was carried to that extent, that he even enlisted blind men. The reason of this was, that, as he was riding out one day, a blind man asked him for alms, and he desired his Chobedár, (silver stick), to ask the beggar if he would take service with him. The beggar consented, and Hydur sent him off to the arsenal, and directed that he might be employed in blowing the bellows of the blacksmith’s forge, and also that he should be allowed every year two cotton cloths, and a falam or five annas, (about seven pence), a day; and when the artillery marched, he was to be placed on one of the artillery tumbrils and brought along with them. He also directed the Darogha of his artillery to enlist as many blind men as he could find.