* The Navvab, Sword of the Empire, the Valorous of the State, the valiant Mahmed Aaly-verdy-qhan, ever formidable in battles, who in those times had not his equal, except Assef-dja-nizam-el-mulk, in the art of ranging an army in battle and in choosing a post, did not think it proper to quit the shore of the Ganga, but kept close to its banks, along which he advanced towards the town of Bar, where he found the Afghans encamped on the other side of a small river, which was in times of yore, the Ganga itself, but where the water having quitted that shore, and gone over to the other side, had left just such a small quan­tity of water, and in so narrow a stream, as formed an Island on the ancient bed called the Derab, or hollow; on the other side of which the Afghans had encamped, but which they turned into a very strong post, by lining all the shores with that numerous artillery which abounded in their camp; in so much that the passage had been rendered of every difficult access. The Vice­roy having taken information from a Zemindar of that neighbour­hood, advanced westwards about two miles during the night time, and passed on the other side without any difficulty; nor did this event come to the knowledge of the Afghans but when it was already mid-day. Struck with surprise and amazement, they abandoned that numerous artillery with all its implements, and disappeared; and this first success proved so auspicious, that the Viceroy took it up as a good omen to his future oper­ations. Suspecting, however, that some deceit might lurk in this sudden retreat, he advanced beyond his own artillery, and passed the whole night waking, with part of his army under arms. At the end of the night, when the horizon commenced to redden, and the divine goodness was sending forth the beneficent rays of its sun, he made his morning prayer, and rubbing the fore­head of supplication and humility, on the future field of battle, he petitioned the Supreme Overseer of the afflicted for success and victory over those murdering enemies of his family. After this, he produced a small cake made of the earth of the sacred tomb of the Prince of Martyrs,* (a precious gem which he always carried with him on such important occasions) and having adorned his forehead with some dust from it, he found within himself an accession of vigour, and he gave the order of march. On get­ting up with the enemy, he again made a short prayer, mounted his elephant, and prepared for battle. After having examined the country about Bar, and paid a proper attention to that hollow plain, in which is the village called Rani-Choc, (and this is but at four cosses from that town) he disposed his army in the fol­lowing manner: Bahadyr-aaly-qhan, with the heavy artillery was placed in the front of all. Behind him was stationed Háider-aaly-qhan with the field-pieces; and he was to be supported by Rahem-qhan and Mir-mahmed-cazem-qhan, and Dost-mahmed-qhan at the head of their respective brigades. These were his main body in one line. On the left of this, and a little behind, over against the part where the Marhattas had made their appearance, he placed Sáyd-ahmed-qhan, his son-in-law, with Alla-yar-qhan, and Mirza-Iredj-qhan and Radja Sunder-sing, and Radja Camcar-qhan with some other Commanders, all at the head of their brigades. Umer-qhan received orders to ride the Viceroy’s stand­ard-elephant, quite close to the Prince himself and in his front; and that Commander’s four sons, viz., Assalet-qhan, and Dilir-qhan, and Ahmed-qhan, and Mahmed-qhan, with their troops, were ordered to attend their father. But Sheh-din-mahmed with several other Commanders, received orders to cover their flank. All these dispositions being made; the Viceroy took his post in the centre of all. On the opposite side, the two Afghan Generals put their army in the following order of battle: They had of their own about thirty thousand horse and foot, besides Baqshi-bo8liah’s infantry, and a multitude of other Afghans lately arrived. Hayat-qhan, a Commander of character, was stationed with his corps on the very banks of the Ganga, towards the left, with a battery of heavy cannon, with which he had orders to fire incessantly against the enemy’s centre, and against Aaly-verdy-qhan’s person. The rest of the army formed a body that extended in a line westwards of the river for a great length. The Marhattas, on the other hand, forming an angle with this line, fronted the whole left wing of the enemy; and Aaly-verdy-qhan, enclosed between two armies each of which was stronger than his own, looked like a gem encircled with metal. The Marhattas were skirinishing endlessly, and the Bengal army seemed to be given up for lost; but it must be acknowledged for the sake of truth, that never did that hero exhibit so much steadiness and fortitude, as in that trying day, in which few men would have not felt their firmness daunted by so formidable an appearance of superiority. The two armies now advancing to engage, and the artillery firing already, a ball directed by the Sovereign disposer of events, took up Serdar-qhan’s head, and shockingly mangled his body; and his troops deprived of a Commander, reputed still braver than Shimshir-qhan, were disheartened, broke their ranks, and then dispersed; nor were these less than a full half of the Afghan army. By this time Hàider-aaly-qhan was advancing towards those disheartened troops with his infantry, and perpetually pouring upon them such sheets of fire, as darkened the light of the sun; and having turned noon-day into a dark night, the ambient air became as black and as frightful as the reprobated faces of those wretched ravagers. Aaly-verdy-qhan on observing the confusion and fluctuation occasioned by this fire, ordered Sheh-djehan-yar and Fakyr-ollah-beg-qhan to advance with their cavalry, and to charge the confused enemies; but neither of those two officers moved a step. At this very moment the Marhattas, and Mir-habib, seeing the Bengal army fully employed by the Afghans, fell upon its left wing, and made so vigorous an attack, that Seradj-ed-döulah, whose elephant was close to that of his uncle, observed “that matters grew serious there, and that some assistance must be sent against those enemies immediately, or it would become too late to think of it.” Aaly-verdy-qhan with an inflamed face, and a tone of anger and peevishness not customary to him, answered bluntly, pray, who are the Marhattas, and who is Mir-habib? My enemies now are those that are before me. After I shall have been revenged of those miscreants, I hope with God’s blessing to give a good account of the Marhattas themselves, and to drive them out of my country. After this answer, he, without looking at the Marhattas, continued with his face turned against the Afghans, and he again sent an order to Fakyr-ollah-beg-qhan to charge directly. Whilst he was yet speaking, a swift horseman came up, with a joint message from Rahem-qhan, and Dost-mah­med-qhan, and Mir-cazem-qhan, and Hàider-aaly-qhan, requesting leave to charge immediately, as the enemies seemed confounded, and greatly disordered by the fire of the infantry; “we only wait for your order,” added the messenger; “and be sure to cover our rear so as to preserve our communication with you.” Go, my valorous fellows, answered the Viceroy, go where victory beckons to you; and rest assured that you shall see me close to your backs, and at hand to support you. The messenger having returned on a gallop, a moment after the first line was seen to move forwards. The Viceroy immediatly moved at the same time; and the action at once became a scene of hand-blows. Dost-mahmed-qhan, and Mir-cazem-qhan, both rivals of glory, and both friends, rode on the same elephant; and desirous of being beforehand with the others, they were pushing eagerly forwards. The engagement now becoming closer and closer, every one engaged the man over against him, and fought hand to hand, in such a manner that the enemy’s blood commenced flowing in abundance, and it dropped on the dry ground, like the hair from the eye-brows of the afflicted ones. The two friends pushing eagerly forwards, without looking behind, at last closed with M8rad-shir-qhan’s elephant, upon which Mir-cazem-qhan was already jumping, having seized the opposite Häodah with one hand. The Afghan General, although wounded by a musquet-ball, had force enough to raise his head, and seizing a sabre or an Afghan knife*, he twice struck his enemy, cut some of his fingers away, and made him quit his hold. Whilst he was thus engaged, Dost-mahmed-qhan jumped into the Häodah, and having brought him down by his weight, he cut his head off. Instantly the man who had lost his hold and his fingers, having applied his wounded hand to the Häodah’s board, got up again. It was at that time that Shimshir-qhan fell wounded from his elephant, without it being known how, nor by whom. This having been perceived by Djib-beg, a gentleman attached to Dilir-qhan, he jumped down from his horse, cut off the Afghan’s head, and ran to present it to Aaly-verdy-qhan; and these two guilty heads, stuffed with so much ingratitude and pride and imprudence, having been now brought down from their seats, by the dispositions of an avenging Providence, were made fast to the feet of the Viceroy’s elephant. At sight of this, that Prince inclined himself profoundly, and rubbed the front of humility on the ground of acknowledg­ment, for an event which became a sure forerunner of victory; setting open at the same time the gate of joy and gladness, he ordered the music to strike up, and the enemy to be charged everywhere, without affording him time to breathe. Meanwhile the Marhatta army, which had advanced fiercely against the left wing, as against a sure prey, finding that the engagement had taken a turn which had never been so much as suspected, and which had intirely changed the face of things, were astonished at the firmness and fortune of a man always crowned with suc­cess. They doubted of their being able to face so fortunate a Commander; and quitting the engagement, they commenced retreating. So that Aaly-verdy-qhan being freed from those importunate enemies, turned his whole attention against the Afghans; he pursued them to their camp, which he entered with all the pride of victory, planting his fortunate standards at the very entrance. All this while the unfortunate Governor’s consort, Aminah-begum, with her daughters, and Mirza-mehdy, her son, were kept prisoners in a tent, that had become the seat of misery and wretchedness, and where they were exposed to all kinds of hardships and to every kind of contumely. Those unfortunate persons hearing of this unexpected revolution, thought they had come a second time into the world, and they commenced to breathe freely. Those illustrious captives were brought to the Viceroy’s quarters, and a flood of tears, as well as an inundation of joy, followed the interview. All was silence for a longwhile; at last they both opened their hearts and mouths to return their acknowledgment to the Supreme comforter. On hearing of this piece of good news, the inhabitants of the city of Azim-abad, high or low gave themselves up to an universal joy; and their hearts contracted this longwhile by the pressure of misfortune, sorrow, and regret, being set at liberty by this revolution, expanded at the welcome news. They thronged in crowds to see the unexpected scene, and to kiss the desired threshold; and they returned home each with a provision of joy for the rest of the year. The nobles and the people flocked out of the gates into the victorious camp of that fortunate and benevolent Prince, to contemplate that pattern of both glory and simplicity of heart; and after having feasted their eyes with the sight of their beloved lord, and contemplated the individuals of a family that had become the darling of mankind, they seemed to have obtained the utmost scope of their fondest wishes. Aaly-verdy-qhan, after having given some rest to his troops for a couple of days, spread his victorious standards, and marched into the city of Azim-abad in military array, but yet with a pomp that darkened the eye of his enemies, and gladdened the hearts of his friends. He carried so much benignity in his looks, and shewed so much mercifulness and condescendence in whatever he did or said, that he afforded long draughts of a refreshing relief to the distressed inhabitants of a city and country, whose afflicted hearts had been these two months and-a-half thirsting after such a day, and spreading con­stantly the eye of expectation as a carpet for his beneficent arrival. The Prince’s emotions at these unfeigned demonstra­tions of joy were guessed by his alighting again, to return his acknowledgment to the Spring and Author of all benefits. He renewed his orders for performing the vows and oblations. He had commanded sums and pensions to be distributed to the needy, to the Séyds, and to the distressed believers,* as well as to the impotent and poor of all sorts; after which he wrote to his Deputy at M8rsh8d-abad, that “Thanks be to God, he had obtained a complete victory, and such as his heart had wished; and that, therefore, there remained nothing more on his part, than to distribute to the Séyd and to the needy families of that city, the sums that had been vowed for their relief. He commanded him to keep always in his eye the content and satisfaction of the inhabitants committed to his care, as the main object of his administration; so as to afford some consolation to a loyal people that had already suffered but too much from the apprehensions of the iniquitous government of a set a miscreants that had murdered his children, overwhelmed his family and essentially injured his loving subjects.” These letters being dispatched, he sent trusty officers and other persons of his household to con­fiscate and bring away the property which that ungrateful nation had left at Deher-banga. At the same time letters came from the Zemindar of Betia, humbly setting forth, that the “families of Shimshir-qhan and Serdar-qhan had been lodged with him by their owners, as in a place of safety; and that should these defenceless persons be suffered to depart to some other country, he would undertake to pay to His Highness a Nuzur or present of three lacs of rupees.” This offer was not accepted; and trustly persons were sent to bring that family away. In order to give those persons more weight, and also to keep the Zemindar in awe, Aaly-verdy-qhan himself crossed the Ganga, and under pretence of hunting, he advanced two or three days’ journey towards the Betia; after having left the care of the city to his son-in-law, Sáyd-ahmed-qhan. The Zemindar of Betia intimidated by those appearances, thought proper to deliver to the envoy the consort and daughters of Shimshir-qhan; and orders were immediately dispatched to them, to bring those Ladies in covered coaches, and with so much decence and care, as that they should never come to be defiled by any prophane eye. Directions likewise were given that, instead of being carried along the main street and the several markets of the city of Azim-abad, they should take a circuit, go round the unfrequented parts of the ramparts, and be conducted with the utmost respect and secrecy to his Seraglio, about the western gate; but by all means to take care that they should suffer no injury, nor meet with any subject of discontent on their way. As soon as they arrived at the gate of the sanctuary they were received with kindness, and assigned a decent apart­ment for themselves and their attendants. The attention to decence was carried so far, that Seradj-ed-döulah, who was the whole delight of his soul, and who used to get into the Prince’s Seraglio at all times without sending or giving notice, was now commanded to submit to those demonstrations of respect and precaution, lest the sight of unlawful women should by some chance come to meet his youthful eye; a precaution to which Aaly-verdy-qhan submitted himself now, always sending notice,* whenever he went into his inner apartment. He also madeit a point to shew those ladies every mark of regard and attention. Whenever he received any fine fruit, or any victuals had been His extreme delicacy on their account. prepared to his particular mind, (and he was very nice in this last article) he always sent them a share first of all, and then only he thought of his own consort and daughters; and such a share was always upon an equality. But whenever there happened to be some holy days, or some other solemn occasion, in which it became proper to send Shimshir-qhan’s consort a compliment or a message suitable to the occasion, it was always by the expression of Nàni or of my grand-mother. For as to the daughters, he never so much as mentioned them; a delicacy, that does him the more honour, as his own daughter, and his grand-children of both sexes, had been treated with the utmost contempt and contumely by those ungrate­ful miscreants, who would have never been able to repay him for the many favours heaped upon them, had they spent their whole lives in his service; and who yet made no other return for so many benefits, than that of suffering those forlorn captives to become a prey to every distress and every misery imaginable. So infamous a behaviour rendered those miscreants in their life-time, the scope of the arrows of every one’s satire and reproach; and after their death, their memory has ever been held in horror and detestation. But it was not with any view to himself that Aaly-verdy-qhan had sent for those Afghan ladies. It was, said he, to rescue their honour from the consequences of a sudden revolution, or a precipitate flight; for to all the sweetness of good manners and good breeding, he joined a great knowledge of mankind, and a very keen sighted prudence; and he was heard to say, more than once, that he had no business at all with any man’s honour or women, although he should prove his bitterest enemy. Business with his women, would he say, I never had, nor will ever have; and if I have sent for these veiled ones,* it is to shew the world, and even to Shimshir-qhan’s departed soul, what difference there is between himself and me. That man had made me no proper return, by using so shamelessly ill my children and grand-children. Zin-eddin-ahmed-qhan himself had offered him no injury; and I am not conscious of having done that Afghan anything but much good. And even supposing that he did harbour some secret discon­tent against my son-in-law, still he revenged himself by treating him as no man ought to be treated by another. But what had his women done him? And what was the guilt of his consort? What wrong had they done him, for his inflicting such a treatment upon them? Such were that Prince’s sentiments. Some time after, he found an opportunity of carrying his benignity much farther. Shimshir-qhan’s eldest daughter had been betrothed to one Shah-mahmed-asac, one of the descendants of Cassem-sulëimany’s, an Afghan of note, who had turned Fakyr, or religious, in times of yore, but who had been shut up in the fortress of Chennar-gur by order of the Emperor Djehanghiri,* who did not like his being followed by such shoals of sectators. There the man ended his life, and there his disciples in conjunction with the Afghans his sectators, had raised over his bones a fine monument much resorted to by devotees, and which in Aaly-verdy-qhan’s time was kept in full repair, so as to attract much notice. This monument cuts a figure in the western part of the town, adjoining to the fortress itself; but since the English have added that stronghold to the conquests they have made of all the eastern provinces of Hindostan, the Mausoleum has lost its revenues, and the pilgrims their usual entertainment. It is now going to decay; and God only knows what further humiliation it is still to expect. This Mahmed-asac, bearing a character much admired by the Afghans, Aaly-verdy-qhan sent for him, and bestowed on him his intended bride. The nuptials were celebrated in so generous a manner, that he made rich presents tot he new married couple, conferred a number of favours on the whole family, and at their own request, he dismissed them to Deher-banga, which was their native place, and where by his order they were complemented with several villages that furnished amply to their subsistence. Another instance of Aaly-verdy-qhan’s benignity of temper, and of his regard for the sex in particular, may be observed in his attention to Mir-habib’s consort, that bitter enemy to his person and family. The consort of that General, even after his flight and defection, had continued to enjoy perfect safety in M8rsh8d-abad, where she remained several years, always respected by the Government. But as the keeping such a family any longer in that Capital was susceptible of inconvenience, the Viceroy wrote now to his Deputy, to have that lady conveyed to the frontiers with her whole family in the most decent manner, after having complimented her with a larger sum of money than that which she had requested herself for the charges of her journey. The order bore that her person should be entrusted to some approved man, whose business should be not to lose sight of her, until she had been delivered into her Lord’s hand. All these events happened about the time when A.D. 1748-9 news came, that the Emperor Mahmed-shah had departed this life, and that his son, Ahmed-shah, had become in his stead the ornament of the Hindostany Throne.