The Rajah of Morung used formerly to make frequent predatory incursions into Purnea; but from the dread of the imperial arms, he now resided in the mountains. At first there were disputes concerning the newly-cultivated lands on the boundary, but Jaffer Khan sent reinforcements to Seif Khan, when the Rajah fled to the mountains; after which the troops returned. His tribute consists of hawks. From Cundahgolah to Morung, which is ten days journey, the country of Purnea is a fine open plain. The Morung mountains have a communication with Coatch Bahar, and Asham.

Jaffer Khan did not forget Derpnarain’s obstinacy, in having formerly refused to authen­ticate his accounts; but the sudder canoongoe being an officer of great importance and authority, holding his appointment from the emperor, totally independent of the soobahdar, he was afraid to put him to death without a crime, and therefore endeavoured to entangle him. Jaffer Khan consulted him upon all the business of the khalseh, which lulled him into a fatal security; till an opportunity presented itself for the accomplishment of the soobahdar’s design. At the death of Bhooput Roy the dewan, his son Gholab Roy* being found incapable of trans­acting the duties of that station, Jaffer Khan conferred upon Derpnarain the office of peish­kar* of the khalseh. He now had the entire direction of all affairs relative to the reve­nues, and the government of the country. Jaffer Khan narrowly watched all his motions, hoping that by having thus extended his power, he would entangle himself some way or other. But Derpnarain had a thorough knowledge of every particular concerning the state of Bengal, and was only anxious to recommend himself by the faithful discharge of his duty. By the most minute investigation, and by the reduction of expences, he made a settlement of the revenues of a crore and fifty lacks of rupees, and which he actually realized in the khalseh. By resum­ing the nankars of the zemindars, and collect­ing a larger revenue than had ever been paid into the royal treasury, he brought upon him­self the envy and ill will of all. After these important services, Jaffer Khan taxed him with malversation; and, under pretence of scrutiniz­ing his accounts, kept him in close confinement; and is accused of having there starved him to death. On the demise of Derpnarain, ten six­teenths of the canoongouey were given to his son Shewnarain*; and to Joynarain, the man who had signed Jaffer Khan’s accounts, were left only six tenths of that office.

Zya eddeen Khan* foujdar* of Hooghly, because he had obtained his office from Alum­geer, considered himself totally independent of Jaffer Khan’s authority, and paid no regard to his orders. But upon Jaffer Khan’s representing to Alumgeer the inconvenience of divided authorities, he annexed the foujdary of Hooghly to the Nizamut. Jaffer Khan immediately dismissed Zya eddeen from the foujdary, and appointed Wullee Beg* to succeed him. When Wullee Beg arrived at Hooghly, the degraded foujdar came quietly out of the fort, with intention of repairing to the Emperor. But Wullee Beg having summoned Kinker Sain*, the late peishkar, to render his accounts, Zya eddeen would not allow him to be carried away, and prepared to defend him. Upon this Wullee Beg blocked up the road, to prevent the march of Zya eddeen; who, being secretly assisted by the French and Dutch, intrenched himself on the plain of Chundennag­gur*. Wullee Beg advanced with his army to the tank* of Daybee Doss*, about a mile and a half in front of the intrenchment. Here he also threw up works, and wrote to Jaffer Khan for succour. In the interim slight skir­mishes ensued, till Mulla Rustam Turany* the naib of Zya eddeen, and Kinker Sain, his peishkar, having obtained arms and ammuni­tion from the French and Dutch, marched out into the plain, and challenged Wullee Beg to come to an action; but he prudently kept within his intrenchment, waiting the arrival of the supplies expected from Jaffer Khan. Shortly after, there arrrived from Jaffer Khan a reinforcement of cavalry and infantry, commanded by Dulput Singh*, who brought with him a threatening perwannah* to the Europeans, for presuming to protect a rebel. Zya eddeen, nevertheless, by the advice of his European friends, sought to take Dulput Singh by surprize; and, under pretence of negotiating a treaty, sent a messenger with a letter couched in terms of friendship. In order to render the messenger more conspicuous, they twisted round his head a red shawl. The messenger, con­formably to his instructions, engaged Dulput Singh in conversation on the top of the intrenchment, when an European gunner took aim with a cannon, and shot him dead upon the spot. Zya eddeen handsomely rewarded the gunner whose skill gained him the victory; for Dulput’s men, being left without a leader, quitted their intrenchment, and fled with Wullee Beg to the fort of Hooghly. Zya eddeen took this opportunity to march to Dehly, where he died a few days after his arrival. After his death, Kinker Sain returned from Dehly to Moorshedabad, and, without betraying any signs of fear, waited upon Jaffer Khan, who apparently forgave him, but bore him a grudge in his heart. He appointed him ahdahdar* of the Chuckla* of Hooghly, and at the end of the year, when he came to Moorsheda­bad, confined him on pretence of malversation. He ordered him to be fed with nothing but buffaloes milk and salt, which occasioning a dis­order in the bowels, he died soon after his return to Hooghly.

Upon the death of Syed Ekeram Khan, the naib dewan of Bengal, Jaffer Khan appointed to that office Syed Rezee Khan*, the husband of Nefeeseh Khanum, his grand-daughter by Shuja Khan. This Syed Rezee was remarkable for his pride and cruelty, and exercised several new species of severity on the zemindars and aumils who fell in arrears.

He ordered a pit to be dug, about the height of a man, which was filled with human excre­ment, in such a state of putrefaction as to be full of worms, and the stench was so offensive, that it almost suffocated whoever came near it; and because, in the Hindoovee language, Biekoont* signifies Paradise, Syed Rezee Khan, in contempt of the Hindoos, called this infernal pit by that name. The zemindars or aumils who failed in their payments, after undergoing the severities before described, were ducked in this pit. He also used to oblige them to wear leather long drawers, filled with live cats. He would force them to drink buffaloes milk mixed with salt, till he brought them to death’s door by a diarrhoea. By these means he used to col­lect the revenues to the uttermost dam.

Jaffer Khan, at the end of the year, after setting apart the royal revenues, which were fixed at a crore and thirty lacks, used to bury the surplus collections, and the profits which he derived from the jageers.

Jaffer Khan being sensible that the prosperity of Bengal, and the increase of the revenues, depended upon its advantageous commerce, particu­larly that carried on by the ships from Europe, shewed great indulgence to merchants of every description, but was, however, rather partial to the Moghuls. He was jealous of the growing power of the Europeans in Bengal, and positively prohibited them from fortifying their factories with bastions or ditches.

The encouragement which was given to trade by Jaffer Khan, who directed that nothing but the established rate of duties should be exacted, soon made the port of Hooghly a place of great importance. Many wealthy merchants, who resided there, had ships of their own, on which they traded to Arabia, Persia, and other coun­tries.