Shah Shuja embarked on his fleet, and set sail for Jehangeernagur; to which place Meer Jemlah followed him by land. The prince, finding himself insecure at Jehangeernagur, fled to Asham, and from thence to Arkhung*, the Rajah of which place being a Mohamedan, afforded him an asylum.

When Mauzem Khan arrived at Jehangeerna­gur, he embarked the artillery on board the fleet, with a body of troops, which he sent up the river Berumputter*; and then marched himself with the main body of the army, through the mountains, into Coatch Bahar; and subdued the Rajah of that country.

He then undertook the conquest of Asham, to enable himself to pursue Shah Shuja in his retreat. After undergoing great fatigues, his army penetrated into the centre of Asham, and took by storm the Rajah’s principal fortress, and palace, where they found considerable booty. Great numbers of the Ashamians fled to the mountains of Bhoutunt*. The Rajah dis­patched deputies to Meer Jemlah, with consider­able presents for himself; and consented to pay a tribute to the Emperor, to whom he sent his own daughter, with a quantity of gold dust, musk, different kinds of stuffs, a throne and chairs of ivory, and other rarities of his country, under charge of a nobleman named Budellee Bhoo­kan*, who, after paying his respects to Meer Jemlah, prepared to set off for the Emperor’s court.

At this time Meer Jemlah was grievously afflicted with a complaint in the liver and kid­neys, which increasing daily, he left Meer Mor­tiza and other officers to maintain the conquest, and retired to the neighbouring mountains; but finding no hopes left of recovery, he proceeded to Jehangeernagur, where he died a few days after his arrival.

Upon the death of Meer Jemlah, the garri­sons were re-called from Asham; and the daugh­ter of the rajah, and the peishkush, were never sent to the Emperor.

The ill success of Meer Jemlah’s expedition effectually prevented any farther attempts to conquer Asham.

The Berumputter, which is rather a sea than a river, the opposite shore not being visible from the banks on this side, runs through Asham. The sands of the Berumputter abound with gold dust, and the Rajah keeps ten thou­sand men constantly employed in collecting it. The rains in those parts are almost continual. The country is highly cultivated with different kinds of grain; and abounds with apples, quinces, oranges, pears, and several sorts of wild fruits; with a great variety of flowers. The musk deer is a native of Asham. In the forests are herds of elephants. Here grows a particular kind of grass, which the Ashamians rub over the bodies of their tame female elephants, and the scent engaging the wild males to follow them, they are soon taken; and easily tamed.

Adjoining to Asham are the mountains of Bhoutunt, where are bred Tanghen* horses, which are brought to Rungpoor for sale.

The climate of Bhoutunt being severely cold, the inhabitants are generally clothed in thick woollen dresses. They have an intercourse with Cashmeer*, by a short road over the moun­tains.

As soon as the rajah of Asham received advice of the appointment of Moorshed Kuly Khan to the joint offices of soobahdar and dewan, he sent Budellee Bhookun to him as ambassador, with an ivory throne and palkee, pods of musk, and other rarities. His example was followed by the Rajah of Coatch Bahar, who also sent an ambassador with a nuzzir and peishkush. The Rajah of Tipperah no longer with-held the customary annual tribute of an herd of ele­phants, and other tokens of submission. Moor­shed Kuly Khan, in return, sent them dresses; and this interchange of presents and compli­ments became an annual custom during the whole time of his government.

Moorshed Kuly Khan continued to make the collections through his aumils, by displacing the zemindars, with a few exceptions, where he found them worthy of trust and confidence. He admitted of no charges of sebundy*, nor for the maintenance of an army. Two thou­sand cavalry and four thousand infantry were sufficient for all his purposes. Nazir Ahmed*, who had been originally a foot soldier, was able to enforce payment of all the revenues of Bengal. The regulations and orders of Moorshed Kuly Khan were so absolute, that the most refractory trembled in his presence; and his commands were so implicitly obeyed, that it was sufficient to send a foot soldier to sequester a zemindary, or punish an offender at the greatest distance.

He did not allow the inferior zemindars even public access; neither did he permit the Rajahs, or any of his own officers, to be seated in his presence.

Two days in a week he administered justice in person; and was so impartial in his decisions, and rigid in the execution thereof, that no one dared to commit oppression. The wolf and the lamb lived in harmony together; the hawk and the partridge dwelt in one nest. His decisions were universally famous.

He prohibited all zemindars and Hindoos from riding in palkees, and allowed them to make use only of straight bamboos for their chowpalehs.*

The munsebdars always attended his court completely armed. In his presence, no person was allowed to salute another. Whoever deviated in the most inconsiderable point from his general regulations, was sure to experience immediately the effects of his resentment. In the arrangements of government he shewed favour to no one; but never failed to reward merit wherever he found it. He placed not entire confidence in his mutesuddies*, but required a daily account of the receipts, expenditures, and balances, which he examined, and then signed with his own hand. On the last day of the month he exacted from the khalseh, the jageers, the khassneveesee*, the behleh*, and Biyootat*, the amount due, to the uttermost dam*. Until the monthly instalments were paid into the royal treasury, he would not suffer any body to be at rest. He put strict mohessils* over the mutesuddies, aumils, canoongoes, and their officers, and confining them in the cutch­erry*, or in the dewan khaneh*, of Chehelse­toon*, where they were resused victuals and drink, and not suffered to perform the other necessary calls of nature. Hircarrahs* were also employed to discover if any of the mohisseels were bribed to allow them even a drop of water, and they were sometimes kept in this manner so many days as to be brought to the point of death, and reduced to skin and bone. If their servants brought them any sustenance, with the connivance of the mohisseels, and were dis­covered, they were seized by the hircarrahs, and severely punished. To these severities were added the cruelties of Nazir Ahmed. He used to suspend the zemindars by the heels, and after rubbing the soles of their feet with a hard brick, bastinado them with a switch. In the winter, he would order them to be stripped naked, and then sprinkled with water. And he also used to have them flogged, till they con­sented to pay the money.

Moorshed Kuly Khan employed none but Bengally Hindoos in the collection of the reve­nues, because they are most easily compelled by punishment to discover their mal practices; and nothing is to be apprehended from their pusil­lanimity. When he discovered that an aumil, or zemindar, had dissipated the revenues, and then, falling in balance, was unable to make good the deficiency, he compelled the offender, his wife and children, to turn Mohamedans.