When, in 1186 A.H. (1772 A.D.), the province of Kanauj, and the
country up to the boundary of Anupshahr, was wrested from the
possession of the Dakhinís by the Nawáb, Rája Mahá Naráin was
appointed governor of it. At the same time, Rái Gurdás Singh,
the author's father, according to the Nawáb's orders, having resigned
his office as deputy in the district of Kora, under Mirzá
Haidar Beg Khán, was employed in the settlement of the new
acquisition. During the time that he was so employed, Mukh-
He was a Suksaina Káyath by caste, and an inhabitant of the district of Etáwa. In the commencement of his career he served Nawáb Burhánu-l Mulk as a writer; but Nawáb Safdar Jang gave him the title of Rája, and appointed him his deputy and commander-in-chief, in which capacity he punished the insurgents of the province severely. Although the Nawáb Wazír resided at Dehlí for several years, yet, through the good management of the Mahárája, no disturbance ever arose in the country under his rule. At the time when Muhammad Sháh Bádsháh went against 'Alí Muhammad Khán, and besieged the fort of Bangash, he could not take it, though it was made only of mud, and he was accompanied by all the nobles of his Court. But when, according to the orders of the Nawáb Wazír, the Mahárája reached the place, he demolished the wall of the fort in one day with the fire of his heavy artillery, and having enhanced his reputation, was received with distinction by his master. It has been above mentioned that Mahárája Nuwul Ráí was slain after a bold resistance in the battle with Ahmad Khán Bangash.
Rája Khushhál Ráí was the son of Mahárája Nuwul Ráí. Although he obtained no distinguished employment under Nawáb Wazír Shujá'u-d daula, yet Nawáb Ásafu-d daula, in consideration of the services of his ancestors, raised him to the office of Paymaster, and gave him charge of Alláhábád. He lived till his death in a state of affluence and comfort.
Faizu-lláh Khán Rohilla, whom Nawáb Shujá'u-d daula, at the conquest of Bareilly, had placed in possession of the districts of Rámpúr and other maháls yielding a revenue of thirteen lacs of rupees, maintained as long as he lived great dignity and pomp, and having taken great pains to improve his country, he realized double the amount of revenue from it.
Muhammad 'Alí Khán, his eldest son, sat upon the masnad with the sanction of Nawáb Ásafu-d daula. But Najjú Khán, 'Umar Khán, and his son Sarbuland Khán, together with other Rohilla chiefs, attempted to remove Muhammad 'Alí Khán and instigated his younger brother, Ghulám Muhammad Khán, to usurp the masnad. Muhammad 'Alí Khán was an intimate friend of Nawáb Ásafu-d daula, and had received from him much kindness, so the Nawáb wrote to Ghulám Muhammad Khán to the effect that it was of no great consequence that he had usurped the masnad, but that, as he had taken Muhammad 'Alí Khán prisoner, he should send him to Lucknow, where some employment might be given to him, which would induce him to abstain from annoying the usurper. Ghulám Muhammad Khán, apprehensive that Muhammad 'Alí Khán's departure would occasion some disturbance, with the advice of Najjú Khán and 'Umar Khán, put him to death in prison.
The Nawáb, thirsting for the blood of Ghulám Muhammad Khán, marched from Lucknow with a powerful army of his own, aided by his English allies. Ghulám Muhammad, having collected eighty thousand Rohillas and Afgháns, raised the standard of revolt, and advanced from Rámpúr with the intention of plundering the city of Bareilly, which belonged to the Nawáb. In those days Ráí Gurdás Singh had charge of Bareilly in conjunction with Sambhu Náth. Depending upon the good fortune of the Nawáb, he prepared to defend the city, and the Afgháns were not able to plunder it. Before the arrival of the Nawáb, the army of the English had reached Bareilly, and Ghulám Muhammad, who had encamped at five kos from the city, made a vigorous attack on the English battalions, and fought most desperately. But the English, who in battle are very Rustams and Isfandiyárs, made a good stand, and having confounded the Afgháns with the shot of their guns, gave them a complete defeat. Najjú Khán and Sarbuland Khán were slain, and Ghulám Muhammad Khán fled towards the forests under the Kumáún hills. The compiler of this book was with his father in this battle.
The victorious army encamped for two months near the forest to chastise the Rohillas, and Ghulám Muhammad was obliged to surrender. With the advice of the English he was sent prisoner to Calcutta. It is said that he obtained leave to go to Mecca; but where he went to afterwards is not known. In short, Nawáb Ásafu-d daula, proceeding through Rámpúr, entered the city of Bareilly in triumph. He gave some maháls of the district of Rámpúr, the revenue of which amounted to about ten lacs of rupees, as jágírs to the other sons and descendants of Faizu-llah Khán; the rest of the territory he confiscated, and then returned to Lucknow.
At the present time Bareilly and other places have been ceded to the English, and although the jágírs of the descendants of Faizu-llah Khán are still maintained, yet the English keep their eyes upon this tribe of Afgháns, and in their wisdom deal with them with great circumspection and prudence, as is essential in politics.
The impetuous army of the English had the greatest difficulty in taking the fort of Díg belonging to Ranjít Singh, and then laid siege to that of Bhartpúr. Jaswant Ráo Holkar ventured to plunder the country round the English army, and sent an officer of his, by name Amír Khán, with a body of twenty thousand horse, towards Hardwár. Amír Khán crossed the Ganges, and pillaged the country up to Murádábád and Sambhal. The English officers at Bareilly, with the little force they had with them, prepared to repel him. Some of the Afghán officers who had accompanied Amír Khán made a conspiracy against him. As he could not stand his ground, he fled, and having joined the camp of Jaswant Ráo Holkar at Bhartpúr, a great part of his army dispersed.
War raged for seven months between the English on one part and Rája Ranjít Singh and Jaswant Ráo Holkar on the other, and more than fifteen thousand men were killed on both sides. The daily conflicts before Bhartpúr form a narrative which is worth hearing, and on both sides such courage was shown as threw the chivalric stories of the ancients into oblivion. “Such battles nobody had seen in the world, nor the wisest men of the whole earth had heard of.”
At last the English, according to the orders of their Governor General at Calcutta, pardoned Ranjít Singh for his faults, and gave him back the fort of Díg. They spent the rainy season at Mathurá. Jaswant Singh Holkar fled to Láhore, and sought an asylum with Ranjít Singh, its ruler.
In 1220 A.H. (1805 A.D.), the brave General, Lord Lake, marched towards Láhore, and having forded the Sutlej, pitched his tents on this side of the Biyáh, twenty kos east of Láhore. Great alarm spread among the people of the Panjáb. Without delay the Sikh chiefs around Láhore, in order to save their lives and property, joined the English army, and were received with favour. Consequently, Ranjít Singh, the ruler of Láhore, sent a mission of experienced men to express his submission, and ascertain the pleasure of the British Government. Through great humility and flattery, which politicians are enjoined to observe, he retained possession of his dominions. Moreover, it was through his mediation that peace was concluded between the English and Jaswant Ráo Holkar.
The British Government granted some districts of the Dakhin, etc., part of Hindústán, to Jaswant Ráo, and relieved the world from ravage and oppression. They also allotted some districts of the Dakhin and Málwá, and a portion of Hindústán, together with the fort of Gwálior, to Mahárája Daulat Ráo Sindhia, and for a long time secured the people from unjust demands. At present, the city of Akbarábád, together with some districts of the province of Dehlí, and the whole territory of Bundelkhand, is in their possession. The chiefs also of the Panjáb and of the country bordering on the hills acknowledge submission to this powerful body. The administration of the British Government differs in no respect from that of the great Nawáb Wazír, who is endowed with the grandeur of the Pleiades.