IN the province of Burdwan,* Sowbha Singh,* the zemindar* of Chitwah Burda,* took up arms, and was joined in his rebellion by Raheem Khan,* an Afghan* chief.

Kishenram,* the zemindar of Burdwan, rashly opposing them with only a few troops, lost his life in the action; and his women, with money and jewels to a considerable amount, fell a prey to the conquerors.

Juggut Roy,* the son of Kishenram, fled alone to Jehangeernagur,* at that time the seat of government.

Nourullah Khan* the Foujdar* of Jes­sore,* Hooghly,* Burdwan,* Midna­poor,* and Hijeely,* a Munsubdar* of three thousand, and who was a merchant of large property, marched from Jessore to oppose the rebels. But, intimidated by the accounts which he received of their strength, dared not proceed beyond Hooghly; where, shutting himself up in the fort, he applied to the Dutch at Chinsurah* for suc­cour.

The rebels, encouraged by his pusillanimity, and excited by his wealth, blockaded the fort, and reduced the besieged to such straights, that Nourullah was glad to depart with a few of his dependants, leaving all his riches behind him.

The fort of Hooghly falling thus into the hands of the rebels, the inhabitants of that district were seized with terror and dismay.— The principal people and merchants, with their families, took refuge in Chinsurah.

The Dutch, having embarked some Euro­pean soldiers on two of their ships, anchored close under the walls of the fort of Hooghly; and, after battering the walls with their can­non, and killing a considerable number of the rebels, made themselves masters of the place.

Sowbha Singh, finding himself unable to face the Dutch, fled to Satgong;* from whence he retreated to Burdwan; and, giving the command of the army to Raheem Khan, sent him, by the way of Nuddea,* to Mukh­soosabad.*

The daughter of the deceased Kishenram, zemindar of Burdwan, a very beautiful young woman, had been taken prisoner at the plun­dering of that place.—Sowbha Singh paid his addresses to her; but she received his proposal with horror and contempt.

Finding all his solicitations in vain, he resolved to use force, and for that purpose got clandestinely into her apartment at night. — Upon his attempting to ravish her, the heroine drew from under her garment a knife, which she had concealed, in hopes of finding an opportunity to gratify her revenge. With this weapon she ripped up his belly, and then destroyed herself.

Sowbah Singh was succeeded by his brother Himmut Singh,* a monster who resembled him in all his vices, and continued the depre­dations upon the royal dominions.

Raheem Khan arrogantly assumed the title of Shah,* and the number of his adherents, consisting of vagabonds, and desperate adven­turers, increasing daily, enabled him to extend his conquests, till he had subdued all the west­ern side of the river Ganges,* which is nearly half of the Soobah of Bengal.*

In the suburbs of Mukhsoosabad dwelt Nia­mut Khan,* with his Nephew Tehhewer Khan,* and some others attached to the royal interest. They refused to join Raheem Khan, upon which he ordered one of his dependents to bring him the head of Niamut Khan, who no sooner received intelligence of the sentence than he went to the bath, and prepared himself for death.

His nephew Tehhewer Khan, a youth emi­nent for his prowess, mounted his horse, and heading a few troops, at the first attack put the enemy to flight with great slaugh­ter. But he was soon surrounded by the whole army, and, together with his party, cut to pieces.