In the night-time, he disguised himself in the habit of a fakír, and first went to the house of the woman. There he saw some other fakírs sitting in a corner, conversing with each other in this wise. “Friends, we have observed this woman for a long time, and have never found her conduct other than modest and continent. How could it be that she went to the Mughal and was married to him? God knows what deception has been practised.” The Khán, having heard this, went to the quarter in which the Mughal was residing, and there heard some people saying, “This Mughal is a fornicator, liar, and impostor. We never saw the wife of the Khattrí coming to his house; how then was she married to him?” The Khán returned to his house, and the next morning, having called the washerman's wife, put her to torture, when she confessed that the Mughal had given her money to place that bridal apparel amongst the woman's clothes. The Khán put both the Mughal and the washerman's wife to death. Many stories like this of the justice of the said Khán were related in Láhore. May God forgive him for his sins!
Lála Lakhpat Ráí and Jaspat Ráí, both Khattrís of Láhore, were secretaries and counsellors of Zakariya Khán, and entrusted with the conduct of all his affairs. Although they both had received the title of Rája, yet they did not themselves assume that appellation. When Nádir Sháh, after his plunder of Dehlí, returned to his native country, he ordered that all the people of Láhore should be taken away prisoners. Lála Lakhpat Ráí made him a present of three lacs of rupees, which were accepted; and having thus caused the freedom of about five hundred thousand people, male and female, of the Hindú and Muhammadan persuasions, he left a good name behind him in this world.
Rája Majlis Ráí, a Sarsutí Bráhmin, inhabitant of Láhore, was díwán of Kamru-d dín Khán, the minister. It is said that although he was the head of the minister's office, yet he could not write a letter. His clerks used to compose all his official records. One day, Kamru-d dín Khán ordered the Rája to write in his presence, and having seen bad writing, said, “Rája Majlis Ráí, how could you get the Wazárat of Hindústán with this elegant hand?” He replied, “My master, good luck does not require either knowledge or art, for it is said, ‘Fortune equal to a barleycorn is better than a whole load of science.’” Rája Majlis Ráí was very generous and a great friend of the needy. During the winter he gave quilts to the fakírs who wandered about the lanes and streets of Dehlí; and from his dispensary all kinds of medicines were given to the poor patients.
Nádir Sháh seized Majlis Ráí, with a view to discover the treasures of Kamru-d dín Khán, and in his own presence, asked him where they were. He replied, “O King of Kings! the minister is very luxurious and a great drunkard; what he gets he consumes, and lays by nothing.” Nádir Sháh, being angry, menaced him with punishment. Majlis Ráí then presented him, from his own stores, with a kror of rupees in cash, jewels and other property, and said that it was all procured from the treasure of the minister. Nádir Sháh, at the instigation of some of the nobles of Hindústán, who acted according to the saying that people of the same profession hate each other, put Rája Majlis Ráí to the torture, and cut off one of his ears. Although the whole treasure of the minister was in his possession, yet he did not discover it to any man. He took the Emperor's soldiers with him to his house, and having stabbed a dagger into his belly, departed this world. Nádir Sháh was very sorry on hearing of the intelligence, and remarked that he was a rare instance of a grateful Hindú. He then ordered the Rája's servants to be punished. In all the city of Dehlí exclamations arose in praise and admiration of the departed soul of Majlis Ráí.
His eldest son, Rája Khushhál Ráí, was superintendent of the bath and private chapel, an office which generally belongs to the prime minister.
In these days, Hurmat Khán Rohilla, son of Háfiz Rahmat Khán, having collected a force of about 20,000 vagabonds and Afgháns, crossed the Ganges at Anúpshahr. He laid siege to the fort of Pílíbhít, which was in possession of the minister's adherents, and began to spead devastation throughout the country. He determined that when the army of the minister should come against him, he would fly to the forests at the foot of the Kumáún hills. Mahárája Súrat Singh sent the father of the writer of these pages, Ráí Gurdás, against Hurmat Khán, who, on hearing that the army of the minister was approaching, abandoned the siege of Pílíbhít, and pitched his camp on the borders of the jungle. Ráí Gurdás Singh pursued and came up to his encampment, upon which Hurmat Khán set his army in array, and, after a very severe engagement, was defeated and fled, leaving some of his men in ambush in a ravine. Ráí Gurdás Singh, being an experienced man, obtained intelligence of the ambuscade, and with a body of his gallant companions in arms went to the place. The scheme of the Afgháns being thus disconcerted, they fled away. About two thousand of them were killed and wounded, and victory declared in favour of the Nawáb Wazír. Hurmat Khán took refuge in the Kumáún hills, and Ráí Gurdás Singh sacked the villages which were below the hills, and within the territory of the Rája of Kumáún. He also determined to invade him in the hills, but the Rája sent his ambassadors, and sued for peace. Hurmat Khán fled beyond the Kumáún jurisdiction, and sought protection under some other hill chiefs. In the mean time a letter was received from Nawáb Ásafu-d daula, of which the following is a copy:
“May the sincere and faithful Ráí Gurdás Singh be protected from evil! It has been represented by the intelligencers, that having proceeded with the army placed under you against Hurmat Khán Rohilla, you have given him a complete defeat. This is considered a most valuable service on your part. You should now take a written engagement from the Rája of Kumáún to the effect that he will never give protection to the enemies of this State within his dominions, and having done this, you should return from that country. You should consider these orders imperative, and act according to them.”
In short, the father of the writer of this book took a definite agreement from the Rája of Kumáún to this effect, and returned. During these same days Mahárája Súrat Singh was removed from the governorship of Bareilly, which was bestowed upon other officials.
A person named Bení, who was first employed by Rája Mahá Naráin as the carrier of his water-vessel, but latterly was employed by him on certain occasions as a medium of communication with the Nawáb, actuated by his bad disposition, began to complain of the conduct of his master before the Nawáb. The Nawáb at first appointed him to the charge of certain districts, but by degrees the star of his fortune rose to the height of the fulfilment of his desire. He became deputy of the Nawáb, obtained the title of Rája Bení Bahádur, and was exalted with the grant of the insignia of the Máhí-murátib, Naubat-khána, and Roshan-chaukí. This is the same Bení Bahádur who, in the contests with the English, acted very treacherously, and combined with them. The Nawáb, after he was established in his kingdom, deprived him of sight. “I do not expect that you, who have sown barley, will reap wheat at harvest.”
In short, from such conduct as has been before mentioned, the Nawáb was very angry with Rája Mahá Naráin, and kept him for some time under surveillance. He was at last set free through the intercession of the great and most respected mother of Nawáb Wazíru-l Mamálik Shujá'u-d daula. The most extraordinary part of it was this, that during all the time Rája Mahá Naráin suffered this severe treatment, the Nawáb never gave any annoyance to his father, Rája Rám Naráin, or his uncle, Rája Partáp Naráin, who were both living.