We have left Zin-eddin-ahmed-qhan in the possession of the Government of Azim-abad. This new Governor, who was a young man of great merit, and equal in every sense to the honours and the high office he enjoyed, having heard much of my father, Sëyd-hedäiet-aaly-qhan, who commanded these many years in several districts of his Government, requested his attendance; and after having shewn him every mark of regard and esteem, he offered him the office of Paymaster of the province. “Provi­dence,” said he, “having bestowed this country and this power, on this your brother (meaning himself), it becomes us to join our efforts in disciplining the army, and in adjusting the arrangement of this country together; and it is incumbent upon us to manage in such a manner, as that we may become an object of envy to our jealous, and of approbation and exultation to our friends and patrons.” To these he added many other expressions of kindness, calculated to promote affection and zeal, and he acted up to his expressions, loading my father with honours and favours; so that their union became every day closer and closer. That young prince who sought merit wherever it could M8rsh8d-c8ly-qhan van­quished, flies to Masulipa­tam. be found, applied also to Aaly-verdy-qhan, his uncle, for an able Minister, who had been formerly Divan to himself. It was Räy-chintaman-doss; and as soon as he had him, he conferred on him the management of the finances of the whole province. Nor is so much discernment to surprise in so young a man. Although in the prime of life, he was endowed with many valuable qualifications; resolute and courageous, very sensible in his deportment, very regular in his transacting business, and very modest and decent in his way of life, firm in his command, yet civil, and of so engaging a behaviour as seemed calculated to acquire every one’s love and affection. When his uncle quitted Azim-abad on his expedition to Bengal, he had been followed out of affection by several Zemindars of the province, for instance, by Radja Sunder-sing, the Brahman Zemindar of the District of Mog, and by the two Zemindars of Turhut-semái, who were originally of the Bety clan, and had lately become converts to Mussulmanism. All these, after performing their part in the expedition, now returned to their home, loaded with favours, and rich presents in jewels, horses, and elephants; but so soon as they were arrived, they were taken in the Governor’s ser­vice, where they became objects of his favour and attention, in proportion to the services they had rendered his uncle. And indeed gratitude, as well as a civility without bounds, seemed to be hereditary virtues in that family. For although both the uncle and the nephew had been suddenly raised to the summit of power and honours, they possessed this last qualification, as well as that of benevolence to so high a degree, that not one of the noblemen, their contemporaries, and not one of the middling sovereigns of those times can be compared to them. A complete remembrance of every one’s service, and a sincere regard to every one’s merits, formed a leading feature in their character; nor do I remember to have seen, or to have heard, that they had been equalled by any one in my time, or by any one that I could hear mentioned of former times. This young Governor in particular was fond of shewig his gratitude; and as his mother and the poor man’s mother were daughters of the same maternal uncle, and my mother in some fits of tenderness had often given him of her milk, he made it a point to shew his remembrance of that favour, by shewing me, the poorman, so much regard and attention, as hardly could have been expected from an affectionate real brother. In the middle of so much pomp and power, he was pleased to remember of it, so far, as to associate the poor man’s whole family Valuable character of the members of Aaly-verdy-qhan’s family. in the cares of Government, i.e., in easing the husbandman’s burthens, rendering justice attentively, and in obliging every one according to his rank. My father, his two brothers, the poor man’s unworthy self, and all our relations, partook of his attention and power, and were we or any other, as historian, to launch out in the laudable qualifications, which nature had bestowed on Aaly-verdy-qhan, and his three grandsons and nephews, or to hint at the many encomiums which they so richly deserve, our mention would swell into the size of a book, and our sincerity, although so well grounded, would incur suspicion, or be ascribed to interested motives. We shall, therefore, leave the reader to make his own mind on that subject, by kindly attending to our narrative of the principal events of their administration.

We have left Aaly-verdy-qhan, conqueror of the Oressa, but anxious to return to his capital, and leaving in his new con­quest, a young, unexperienced grandson and nephew, to whom he thought he had formed a council of administration. Strange to say, the young Governor listened to counsels of parsimony and frugality. He undertook to diminish the pay of the troops, and to curtail the salaries and emoluments of all those that had been left near his person, on purpose to insure his personal security, and the welfare of his Government. But such schemes of par­simony could find no favour, and even no acquiescence, with men who had quitted their friends and homes, in hopes of bettering their fortunes, and thought themselves entitled to more regard, as being ancient servants of the family. On the other hand, the natives of the new conquered province, who offered their services in their stead, could not but relish a scheme that added a salary from Government to all the conveniencies of living at home. No wonder after that, if most of the officers and soldiers, that had come over with the young Governor’s uncle, and had been left with him, quitted the service one after another, and saw their places successively filled by people living in the province. To this error in politics was added another equally pernicious. A number of officers and commanders, who had made their fortunes with the dispossessed Governor, were suffered to remain in the city of Catec, where they lived quietly, but where they secretly cherished an attachment to their old master, and especially to Mirza-bakyr, his son-in-law; nor was the conduct of the young Prince in other respects calculated to diminish their disaffections. There came at that very time to Catec, a certain Fakir, or vaga­bond friar, called Shah Yahya, a man who having once been in the same school with the young Prince, at Shah-djehan-abad, had of course acquired an intimacy with him. This man after run­ning all over the Decan, now made his appearance at Catec, where he soon became a favourite, and a bosom friend with his old acquaintance. This Fakir was far from being either a virtuous man or a good natured one, and as the young Governor was then in the fervour of youth, and surrounded by every allurement that could intoxicate with the fumes of power and sovereignty, he was the readier to catch the infection infused by his new favourite. This man instilled into his youthful mind certain notions of inventing accusations against rich men, as if guilty of concealing money or wealth belonging to the dispossessed Governor. Such accusations afforded pretences, not only for confining and ill-using their persons, but also for sending garrisons into their Enormous oppressions at Catec. houses, and carrying women from thence, for the pretended pur­pose of hearing confessions, and extracting inquiries. This manege went so far that a rich man was sure of being reputed to have an inimical hoard at home, and a woman, reported to have a beautiful face, or an elegant shape, or even a skin particularly satined, never failed to be sent for. The Fakir had, besides, a skill at ferreting out such beautiful women, wherever they could be heard of; and by such and the like arts, he ingratiated him­self so deeply in his master’s favour, that his orders came to be universally obeyed. His house had become a tribunal of inquisi­tion, where the business of scourging and torturing went on regularly. So that the cries of the oppressed reached the cupola of heaven. Matters went so far, that numbers of men of station and character, who after having once been concerned in the management of the old Governor’s finances, had been forgiven certain balances said to be due by them, were now taken to task, and obliged to pay those balances to the treasury of the new Government. So many violences excited a general indignation. The Government became detested, conspiracies were formed, and the citizens of the conquered capital, resolving to rid themselves of so much oppression, joined together unanimously; and one would have taken them to have had amongst themselves but one head, one tongue, one heart, and one arm. Nor was this union difficult, or the execution of such a project dangerous. By this time very few of the old servants had remained with the new Governor; even G8djur-qhan’s troops did not amount to above three hundred horsemen. His new servants had filled all the departments, and the few musqueteers and troops kept on foot, were mostly composed of natives, i.e., of old servants of M8r­sh8d-c8ly-qhan’s; and to crown all that, both military and citizens were in their hearts idolising Mirza-bakyr’s character and person. The conspirators, therefore, found it no difficult matter to con­cert their measures, especially as the young Governor, who had Produce a strong con­spiracy. already lived a whole year in the country without hearing of any commotions, thought himself perfectly secure. It was at this last moment of slumber that the heavens that seemed hitherto so serene, were overcast at once, and produced that storm which we are going to mention in detail.