When the Nawaub became acquainted with these circumstances, he despatched a message to them, that he would pay the monthly allowances of the Huzariaun,* the garrisons of the forts, the sebundi, (a kind of militia), and the troops of the Souba, from the time of his entrance into, and taking pos­session of, the same; but that they must claim all their arrears from the last Soubadár. The garri­son, however, would not listen to this proposition, and they consequently strengthened the gates of the city and fort, and prepared to defend themselves.

The Nawaub, meanwhile, encamped with his troops on the western side of the capital of the Souba, near an Eed Gah,* and one day made a determined attack on the fortifications, to gain an entrance into the fort.

The defenders of this part of the town, being however the soldiery of Futteh Muhammad, they successfully opposed his attack and gained great reputation.

After this repulse, the Nawaub marched and encamped on the road of Hallun Hulli, and surrounded both the town and fort. A continual discharge of arrows and musketry was kept up from the fort, and in every attack the garrison had the advantage; and, therefore, the Nawaub again moved ground to the neighbourhood of Kummin Hulli, which is dis­tant, south west* from the fort, about three miles.

The Killadár now, inspired by folly and rash­ness, taking the troops of Futteh Muhammad with his own, left the town, to make a night attack on the Nawaub; and, falling in first with the picquets of the Nawaub’s force, asssaulted them, and a fierce combat ensued between the parties. Being deficient in experience and unacquainted with war, the Killadár did not, however, pay any atten­tion to the troops of the enemy, who were in ambush, or concealed on his flanks, but pressed on straight to the tent of the Nawaub, having Futteh Muhammad, and a body of horse and foot, sur­rounding his elephant. The troops of the Nawaub, however, soon raised the cry of Gao! Gao!* and closed on the Killadár and Muhammad Khan on every side, and, after a hard fought conflict, the Killadár lost his head, and the brave Futteh Muhammad was also slain.

This event took place in the year 1137, Hijri, at which time the wives and children of Futteh Muhammad were residing in the Pergunna of Balapoor; and when the intelligence reached Abbás Kuli Khan, the son of Durgah Kuli Khan, who was the chief of Balapoor, the tyrannical and hard-hearted man immediately began with­out cause to persecute and oppress the afflicted and soul-stricken family of Futteh Muhammad, and plundered them of all their property, even to the furniture of the house, clothes, utensils, and the trinkets and jewels of the women. In addition to this tyrannical proceeding, the two brothers, (that is the sons of the slain Futteh Muhammad, the eldest of whom was Shahbaz Sáhib, about eight years old, and Hydur Alí Sáhib, three or four years old,) were also seized and carried into the fort, and confined there in a nagara, or kettle drum, the head or parchment of which being stretched on the drum, it was beaten, in order that, by the pain and distress of these poor orphans, he might extort more money from their families, and by this act of cruelty Abbás Kuli made himself known to the world as a tyrant and oppressor.

At length, the widow of the slain Futteh Muham­mad dispatched a confidential person, with an account of the oppressive conduct of the chief of Balapoor, and the cruel confinement of her poor infants, to Hydur Sáhib the elder, the nephew of her husband, who was residing at Seringaputtun. On hearing of the death of his uncle, and the miser­able condition of his children, Hydur Sáhib was so afflicted that he could neither eat nor sleep, and immediately complained to the Poligar* of Mysore, who wrote a letter to the Chief of Sura, requiring the release of the women and children of the slain Futteh Muhammad; and the Nawaub of Sura, therefore, after reproving the tyrant, and threaten­ing him with punishment, himself procured their release.

It is not, however, to be concealed here, that another author* has given a different account of these occurrences. He says that, when the Nawaub Durgah Kuli Khan was killed, his son Abdurrasúl Khan, without the knowledge of the Nizám’s government, and wishing to obtain the government of the Souba, himself, borrowed three or four lakhs* of rupees, from a Sahookar, or Banker, named Muhammad Khan Sulimán Zai, an inhabitant of Arkat, and collected troops for the defence of the Souba. Futteh Muhammad Sáhib also borrowed eighteen thousand rupees from the same person, to pay his company of soldiers, which amount he converted to his own use. When, however, Abdurrasúl Khan heard of the arrival of Nawaub Táhir Khan, the Soubadár, he prepared to go to Balapoor, but the banker before men­tioned, at that time opposed his departure, on account of the money owing to him, and he therefore gave strict charge to the Commandant of the fort, and officers of the army and garrison, to secure by all means in their power the payment of the money from the Nawaub; after which he departed. When, therefore, the Nawaub arrived, the Huzariaun or officers of the Souba demanded their pay, and the money advanced by the banker, and refused to allow him to enter the capital of the Souba until the money was paid. The banker also assembled his Afghans, and prepared for defence. At length, after much strife and contention, the Killadár, or officer commanding the fort, and Futteh Muham­mad, threw away their lives, and the Nawaub, advancing, at one gallant attack, entered the town. Nevertheless, the officers, the Mewatties,* and the banker abovementioned, seized the castle; and, making it secure, held out for a month, and did not give it up till they were paid.

When these circumstances were reported to the Huzúr, Nawaub Nizám-ul-Moolk, Asof Jah, he forwarded the pay of the soldiers, and the money of the banker, from his own treasury; and by that means quieted the disturbances in the Souba. After the receipt of the money, therefore, the officers surrendered the keys of the fort to the Nawaub; and the banker, having laden his camels, and elephants with his treasure, moved off on his journey towards Arkat. When, however, he arrived at the Purguna of Balapoor, he found the condition of the sons of Futteh Muhammad, as has been before described, and, having seen and being moved with compassion for them, he obtained the release of the women and children; but he dis­patched the former and their dependents only to Seringaputtun, and kept the two brothers, as a security for the money which he had advanced their father.

In short, when the banker had arrived at Arkat, and the women at Seringaputtun, the pillage and cruel treatment of his cousins reached the ears of Hydur Sáhib the elder in detail; and he and the widows of Futteh Muhammad wept and bewailed their double loss and calamity.

Hydur, nevertheless, did his utmost to console the mourners, and immediately dispatched eighteen thousand rupees to Arkat to obtain the release of his oppressed cousins, whom he sent for and kept to live with him; on their being released they joined him in the state to which they had been reduced by oppression, with only a single suit of clothes.

Hydur the elder brought up these children with more tenderness and care than his own, and pro­vided for them in a very liberal manner. He like­wise taught them the use* of arms, and horseman­ship, the lance or spear exercise and all the accom­plishments of a soldier.

When the two brothers had arrived at years of discretion, Shahbaz Sáhib, who had married a lady of his own family, or tribe, being a young man of independent spirit, and not wishing to live a life of idleness, and throw the weight of his support on his cousin, took a forced leave of him and his mother, and, accompanied by his brother, departed to the Payanghaut, and visited, and took service with Abdul Wahab Khan, the younger brother of Muham­mad Alí Khan, Wala Jah, who, during the govern­ment of his father, held the Jageer of Chitore. He was appointed by him to the command of a body of a thousand foot and two hundred horse, and in his service he remained sometime; his younger brother, that is, Hydur Alí, being appointed to the command of the horse— both brothers living happily together in the greatest harmony and friend­ship.

It may be proper to observe here, that, during the government of Nawaub Dilawár Khan, Souba­dár or governor of Sura, the Poligars of the Bala­ghaut, having softened the Soubadár by bribery, began to shew their spirit by attacking each other; so that, latterly, the Poligar of Mysore, having collected seven thousand horse and twenty thou­sand foot, conquered or reduced all the Poligars to the eastward of Mysore— that is, the Chiefs of Bangalore Mashti, Sutigal, Korikal, Makri, and Ootridroog, &c.; and gradually took possession of the whole of the country, at length even to the boundary of the Souba of Sura, to which frontier his troops had advanced. He also took the Hill Fort of Mudgiri, which belonged to the Poligar of Mirgi, and placed in garrison there Alí Sáhib Náík, the son of Hydur Sáhib the elder, with three hun­dred foot and seventy horse, an elephant and nagara, to guard the Hill Fort, and protect the country.