The tenth is the illustrious Séyd-mir-mahmed-sedjad, or Mir-mahmed, the Prosterner, who by his virtues brought in mind all the merits of his illustrious ancestors. Having once chosen to live as a monk or religious, he became a personage of high repute, although he did not value the world more than he did a straw. He was an intimate friend of my forgiven father, under whose auspices he had commenced a poem on what concerns the other world. He was a man of knowledge, understood many sciences, and had so many valuable qualifications, besides, that both tongue and pen would fail in enumerating them at length. We have seen a book of his composition. It gives an insight into the heights to which his mind had soared; nor can it fail to give a high opinion of his merit to any one that will peruse it. After my father’s departure for Shah-djehan-abad, there intervened a sincere friendship between this venerable man and the glorious grandfather of me, the most inconsiderable of man­kind. They seemed inseparable. This worthy man intended to enter in the army, and to acquire the merit of fighting the infidels; but he died before he could execute his design, nor do I remember of the year of his death; else, I would mention it. May God have joined him to his pious ancestors, and may He have assigned him a place in his merciful mansions!

The eleventh was the grandfather of this vilest of men, namely, Séyd-aalim-ollah, the Tebateba, who descended from Hassen, elder son to the grandson of the Prophet, and came from the place of his burial;* and were we to mention all his virtues and merits, the mention would require a volume by itself. Suffice it to say, that he arrived at Azim-abad, in the year 1155 of the Hedjra; and in the month of Shaaban of the next year, he departed towards the mansions of the Divine mercy. The mortifications and austerities he underwent, and the miracles and prodigies he operated, and of which I have been a witness with thousands of others, (because they were always performed in open day and in public) are all taken notice of in a piece of poetry of mine, entitled the Nature of the Pontife. Most of them shall be found there.

The twelfth is the glorious Shah-háideri, maternal uncle to my paternal grandmother. He was bluntly attached to the sect of Shyahs, and noways inclined to spare the opposite sect. Resigned in his fortune, and satisfied with his estate, he was haughty and overbearing to the proud, but full of modesty and deference with the poor and the humble; and here is a proof of it: Ecber-c8ly-qhan, father to the late Mirza-iredj-qhan, which latter was father-in-law to Seradj-ed-döulah, having engaged him by dint of intreaties and importunities to accompany him into Bengal, he settled at Bagalp8r, a town for which he took a liking. It happened at that time, that the famous General, Mahmed-ghó8ss-qhan, was ill, and of a distemper that grew to such a height, that all the by-standers, as well as himself, had despaired of his life. Shah-háidery, who hated the man’s sect, but loved his person, and highly valued his military talents, and heroical prowess, went to see him; and he bound himself to restore him to full health, if he would but embrace the tenets of the Shyism.* The condition was accepted; and the dying man having recovered his health, became so attached to Shah-háidery, that he turned his disciple, with all his children, and his whole family; and always paid him the highest regard. Matters remained on that footing, until the General was slain with his master, Ser-efraz-qhan, at the battle of Gheriah; upon which intelligence, Shah-háideri quitting his domicile of Bagalp8r, came to M8rsh8d-abad, where he loaded Aaly-verdy-qhan with bitter reproaches, for his black ingratitude: reproaches, with he bore patiently; nor did there come any word from that Prince’s mouth, but such a savoured humility and submission.* The pious man went into the field of battle, where after having exhumed Ghó8ss-qhan’s body, as well as those of his children, together with the few companions of his that had chosen to die with their heroical General, he carried them to Bagalp8r, where he committed the whole to the earth; and dying himself some years after, he was buried close to the General, his friend. Shah-djaafry, his son, with less bluntness of zeal, and more modesty, than his father, or his equals, lived in silence, in contentment, in resignation, and in the oblivion of the delights and incite­ments of the world; but nevertheless he was so much esteemed by Aaly-verdy-qhan, and by his children, that they prided in shewing him the utmost regard. Nevertheless he never departed from the humility of his condition, but lived poor and like a real monk; only whenever he intended to intercede for others, he then applied to the great ones, but it was in such a manner, as to shew he did not value their grandeur more than a straw. It happened at some time that Yessen-qhan, Fodjdar of Bagal­p8r, had put an end to the pensions paid by that department to poor necessitous people, but had not touched to that of Shah-djaafri’s, which he used to send regularly; but which the holy man refused to touch, unless the pensions of so many needy people were restored at the same time; nor did he complain, or even make any application to Aaly-verdy-qhan who had so high a regard for him. But that Prince having been informed of the injury done to the necessitous of those parts, loaded Yessen-qhan with reproaches and curses, and ordered the pensions to be re-established on the former footing; and then only did Shah-djaafry accept his own. He was naturally of a firm, fearless temper. At the time when Mustapha-qhan, after having quitted the service, was marching towards Bagalp8r, some Sunnies, dis­pleased with the injurious language which he endlessly poured against the Prophet’s three first successors, defered him to his Afghans* as a bitter enemy of their sect; and it was reported that Mustapha-qhan wanted to call him to an account; but this report did not frighten him. On the contrary, when that General arrived at Bagalp8r, the holy man remained firm and immobile in his habitation, waiting patiently for the crown of Martyrdom. Luckily for him that this threatening evil vanished of itself. But his firmness was no less conspicuous in an affair, that did him a deal of honor. It was about the time of Seradj-ed-döulah’s nuptials, a Mussulman who had killed a consecrated bull*, had his hand cut off by order of Abiram, the Hindoo Officer at Bagalp8r, as Representative of Ata-ollah-qhan, the Fodjdar, then absent; and although the man went to Azim-abad, and carried his complaints to the great and mighty ones, no body took notice of him. Shah-djaafri, shocked at this neglect of justice, joined issue with the injured man; and a general sedition arising, Ata-ollah-qhan became very uneasy, as a multitude of people thronging at his door, wanted to break into his house. The Afghan Generals, Shimshir-qhan, and Serdar-qhan, were then encamped without that city, although out of service; and they seemed inclined to join the insurgents, in so much that the sedition was rising to a height; when the Governor presented himself in the middle of the people, and observed that Aaly-verdy-qhan would be injured by this fray, and incensed at this affair. Shah-djaafry answered: Pacify the injured Séyd, and I have nothing to say. The Séyd being sent for, the Governor pacified him, by promising him a sum of money with some presents, and by swearing to punish those that had maimed him; then only did the malcontents disperse to their homes. There are but few men, that could have mustered on that occasion, so much courage, and faith, and disinterested­ness as he did. The truth is, that he was naturally fearless and intrepid; and people remember still, that Shah-djaafry being then a young man, and on a party of hunting, a tiger made his appear­ance; at the sight of which, Mahmed-c8t8b, elder son to General Ghó8ss-qhan, forbade his going nearer. The Séyd shocked at the order, galloped forward, and jumping down from his horse, he went close to the tiger, and gave him two or three strokes of his whip, to the amazement of all the beholders. The animal, instead of tearing him to pieces, turned tail, and skulked away, exactly like a mouse before a cat; the Son of the Lion of God* pursued with vigour, and would lay on as often as his whip could reach the animal. A character so fearless, was neverthelss distinguished by much meekness, and a modesty exemplary. He used to receive and to entertain all visitors, partaking in com­mon with them of one and the same humble fare; and in this modesty, as well as in his readiness at all times to support the complaints, and to promote the interests of the Faithful,* without any view to himself, he had hardly any equal. He died at Monghir, whilst the Navvab Mir-cassim-qhan was residing there in the blaze of full power; but his friends carried his body to Azim-abad, where he was buried in a particular spot, which he had selected for that very purpose in his life-time. May God have done him the favour of joining him to the choruses of his pious ancestors!!