Azeem Gunge* in Hooghly* was now established, and named after the Nazim; who also restored to a flourishing condition, many places that had been deserted during the troubles.

Being very desirous of obtaining the empire, he paid great courtto Derveishes*, and other religious men, to engage their prayers in his favour; and whenever he heard of any remark­able for piety and austerity of manners, he hastened to pay them his respects, and took particular delight in their* company. Soofy Baizeed of Burdwan, was at that time particularly famous for his sanctity. To him Azeem us Shan sent his sons Sultan Kurreemeddeen, and Sultan Ferukhseer, with orders to bring him to court. When they arrived at the habitation of the Soofy, he arose to meet them, and gave them his benediction. Sultan Kurreemeddeem, proud of his exalted birth, paid so little attention to the Soofy, as not to descend from his horse. But Ferukhseer ran to meet him, with every demonstration of respect and veneration. The Soofy took Ferukhseer by the hand, and plac­ing him in his Palkee* said, “you are a king, seat yourself; and may the Almighty prove favourable to your wishes.” The Soofy and Ferukhseer repaired to the court of Azeem us Shan in one Palkee. The Nazim came out to meet the Soofy, and conducted him to his private apartments. Here he asked his bless­ing, and entreated him to implore the Almighty to bestow upon him the kingdom at the death of the present Emperor. The Soofy replied, “that which you require, I have already bestowed upon Ferukhseer; my prayer, like the arrow which has left the bow, cannot be recalled.” Azeem us Shan was greatly afflicted at this declaration, but seeing it would be in vain to press the Soofy to recal his blessing, dismissed him with great honours. Shortly after this, Azeem us Shan paid his court to Abdal cader * of Roygong*, and implored his blessing.

Having settled the provinces of Hooghly, Hijilee, Midnapoor, and Burdwan, he made preparations for his journey to Jehangeerna­gur. For this purpose he sent thither for the nawarah,* or royal fleet, which had been constructed by order of Shah Shuja*, to act against the pirates of Chittagong; and, when it arrived, embarked and set sail for Jehangeer­nagur After his arrival there, he was at great pains in clearing the country, and levelling the ground in and about the city.

In former reigns the climate of Bengal, on account of the badness of the air and of the water, was deemed inimical to the constitutions of Moghuls and other foreigners; and only those officers who laboured under the royal dis­pleasure were stationed here; so that this fertile soil, which enjoys a perpetual spring, was con­sidered as a gloomy prison, the land of spectres, the seat of disease, and the mansion of death. The ministers of state and the dewans appropriated the greatest part of these valuable lands to tunkhas for the jageers of the mun­sebdars, so that the amount collected in the khalsah or exchequer* was so inconsiderable, as to be inadequate to the demands of the Nizamut troops; which deficiency was supplied from the treasury of Dehly, and by tunkhas* on other soobahs.

The Emperor was highly displeased at many parts of Azeem us Shan’s conduct. He particularly reprobated his monopoly of several articles of trade; and highly censured his com­pliance with many Hindoo ceremonies, such as playing at Hooly,* and putting on yellow and crimson habits during their feasts of Bes­sunt,* or the spring. When by means of the royal intelligencers, these proceedings of the Nazim were made known to the Emperor, he fell into a violent passion, and with his own hand wrote the following lines to Azeem us Shan: “To wear a yellow turband, and a crim­son robe at the age of forty-six, is making a blessed use of your beard.”* The Emperor, in farther declaration of his displeasure, struck off five hundred horses from Azeem us Shan’s Munseb.

Mirza Mohammed Hadi,* a man of con­summate abilities, who had been employed by the Emperor in the Dekhan in several offices of trust, and who had shewn shuch a rigid regard for justice as to put his own son to death for an offence against the laws, had lately been appointed to the office of Dewan of Orissa.* Him his majesty now promoted to the Dewanny of Bengal, with the title of Kartuleb Khan.*

The office of the Dewany* was distinct from the Nizamut;* the former had the entire management of the royal revenues, and the latter was commander of the army and judge in criminal matters; but had no further interference with the country than to collect the Jageer Mushroot of the Nizamut,* the Munsebzat,* and to distribute the royal donations. The Nazim and Dewan of every soobah were ordered to pay implicit obedience to the Dustoor ul Amil, or general regulations, issued annually by the Emperor.

Kartuleb Khan was at Dehly, on a visit to his Majesty; and, upon being invested with the fullest powers for conducting the office of the Dewany of Bengal, set out for that Soobah. As soon as he arrived at Jehangeernagur, he commenced business conformably to his instruc­tions, and would not allow the prince any inter­ference in the receipt or expenditure of the treasure of the Soobah. Azeem us Shan felt violent resentment at this conduct, but dared not complain, knowing how much the Emperor was inclined to favour the Dewan, who took particular care to treat the Nazim with the utmost respect, pleading in excuse for his behaviour, the positive orders of the Emperor.

The prudent management of the new Dewan, soon raised Bengal to the highest degree of pros­perity. Particularly careful in the choice of his officers, he through their means obtained such complete information of the actual capacity of the lands, and of the amount of customs and duties, that he was soon enabled to transmit the Emperor an exact statement thereof. He represented the advantages that would accrue to the crown by transferring the Jageers of the Munsebdars from this Soobah to Orissa, where the lands were of less value, and the collections made with greater expence and difficulty. The Emperor having approved of this proposal the Dewan ately resumed all the jageers in Bengal, excepting what were properly annexed to the Nizamut and the Dewanny; and in lieu thereof gave assignments upon Orissa, the cultiva­tion of which province had of late been very much neglected. The Dewan took the col­lections entirely into his own hands, and by preventing the embezzlements of the zemin­dars and jageerdars, annually augmented the revenue. The whole of his conduct was highly approved by the Emperor.