very suspicions of Mir Mohammad Jafar Khan, and incessantly watched his movements and kept an eye over all his acts. He neither honoured him too much nor disgraced him. He always took a middle course. From Shah Khanum there were born a son, Meeran alias Sadiq Ali Khan, and a daughter named Fatima Begum who was married to Mir Mohammad Kasim Khan. Towards the close of Nawab Mahabat Jang's rule, Nawab Mir Mohammad Jafar Khan kept two women named Munni Begum and Bahoo Begum of the Kanchin caste. He loved them most passionately, but through fear of Mahabat Jang kept the matter secret, till Nawab Mahabat Jang suffered from a fatal disease and made over the Viceroyalty to his grandson Sirajuddaula then a mere youth, advising him specially not to fight with the English, and at last died. Nawab Sirajuddaula, after the death of his grandfather, ascended the masnad of the Viceroyalty of Bengal-a Heavenlike Province. He reaped the consequence of his indolence and dissipation, his treachery, cowardice and meanness. He paid no attention to the advice given him by his grandfather and became the cause of his own downfall and death.

Sirajuddaula sent his men to Rajnagar to arrest Kishen Bullabh, son of Raj Bullabh, the Dewan of the late Mahabat Jang. Kishen Bullabh fled to Calcutta where high English officers such as Mr. Drake and others took him under protection. This provoked the ire of Sirajuddaula and he asked the representatives of the English who were present in his court to send Kishen Bullabh to him at once together with his belongings if they really wanted their own safety for otherwise they would have to reap the consequences of this indiscretion and undue interference. In short, matters became more and more complicated. The English replied that they could not make over the person of the man who had sought protection under the Company's flag but that they were ready to make good the defalcations made by him (Kishen Bullabh). Sirajuddaula at last marched against the English on the 22nd Ramzan 1169 A.H. and captured the factory of Calcutta which

at the time contained only a few men under Mr. Drake. The remaining English fled on board a ship and Calcutta came into the possession of Sirajuddaula. He posted a large force in the Makhua Police-station with the object of arresting the advance of the English if they came and himself went to Murshidabad. When the ship conveying the English from Calcutta reached Madras, they were invited by Mr. Clive, then a commander of the English forces sent to help Nawab Mohammad Ali Khan, Nazim of Arcot. Clive also sent a despatch to England giving a graphic account of the recent doings of Sirajuddaula. But after further consultation he embarked on board a ship with the men under his command, and without waiting for orders from England, sailed for Calcutta. Having anchored at sea he sent friendly letters through spies to Nawab Jafar Ali Khan, Jagat Seth, Mahtab Chand, Mahtab Chand's brother, Maharaja Sarup Chand, Fakhrul Tujjar and others, whose names the author does not remember at this time. The spies delivered the letters to the addressees. The cruelty of Sirajuddaula was such that Nawab Mir Muhammad Jafar Khan and the other great men of the city did not consider their lives and properties secure, and they therefore looked upon the letters received from Clive as a God-sent blessing and entertained a secret love for the East India Company. To Mr. Clive's letters they simply sent this couplet in reply :-" The pupils of our eyes are thy nest: Be kind and come because this house is thine."

At last after some further correspondence everything was settled between the parties and the solemn compact was signed, giving to Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan the permanent Subedarship of the Province. From this place Clive marched towards Calcutta till at last he reached near the Makhua Police-station. By a night attack he defeated Sirajuddaula's men who were posted on the spot. On entering Calcutta with his party he occupied the vacated bungalows. A detailed account of the affair would be rather too lengthy for this work. To be short, from Calcutta to Murshidabad there were fought several battles between Siraj

addaula, Sirajuddaula's men and the English. But in almost every one of these the English were victorious and Sirajuddanla was defeated, till at last he fled towards the north. But at or near Rajmahal he fell into the hands of Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan and was made prisoner. But Nawab Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan felt no regard for the past favours shown to him by Sirajuddaula, and mercilessly put him to death together with his brother Mirza Mehdi.

Nawab Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan now met Major Clive and the other English officers at Cassimbazat. Nawab Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan signed a treaty giving & annas of the entire revenue of the province to the English, and with the con sent of the English ascended the masnad of Viceroyalty.

This incident enhanced the power and prestige of the East India Company. The author does not remember the exact date of the occurrence, but it took place perhaps in 1768 A.D.

As it is the intention of the author to give a more detailed account of the reign of Meer Mohammad Kasim, he does not like to dwell at great length on other cognate matters. But for the sake of continuity he will first mention a few facts of Na wab Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan's reign after which he will narrate the events of Mohammad Kasim's life, in which will also be introduced some accounts of Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan.

To the best of the author's recollection all the vast treasure that had been amassed by Jafar Khan, Murshid Quli Khan and Sarfaraz Khan and considerably increased by Ali Verdi Khan fell at once into the hands of Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan when he was placed on the throne by Major Clive and the other English officials after the death of Sirajuddaula. The English had no idea of the vastness of this hoarded wealth of which the new viceroy became the possessor. Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan promised to pay to the English only three crores of rupees, the amount that had been looted from their factory at Calcutta, and brought the whole of Bengal and Bihar in his possession and control. Meeran alias Mohammad Sadiq Ali Khan was the son of Nawab Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan from his nibaki

wife Shah Khanum. This young man was by nature unscrupulous and intriguing and had a great hold on his father. He was appointed the deputy of the Viceroy during his father's lifetime. He meddled unnecessarily with the administrative and financial affairs of the country and had some innocent persons, specially some women of Nawab Mahabat Jang's family, executed without any fault. But Divine revenge fell upon him for his cruel act, an account of which is given below :

General consternation prevailed in Behar owing to the arrival of Shah Alam in its vicinity. Kamgar Khan, a loyal zamindar of Behar, together with some respectable Khans of Patna, viz. Nawab Hidayet Ali Khan and others went over to the King's army, and there was a great dislocation of both public and private business. Much loss of life and property was caused in consequence of this disturbance. Hearing all this Saddiq Ali Khan came from Murshidabad to Patna, and with the help of the English army defeated the King's force first in Behar and then near Burdwan and thence returned to Murshidabad.

As the events of the viceroyalty of Meer Mohammad Jafar Khan and Meer Mohammad Kasim Khan are long, e.g. the return of Meeran from Murshidabad to Patna for the purpose of fighting with Khadim Hossain Khan, the Amil of Purneah, the death of Meeran on the way by a lightning stroke, Mir Mohammad Jafar Khan's arrival at Patna for the purpose of confiscating the forts, etc., of Raja Ram Narain, Raja Ram Narain's peace with Colonel Clive Sabit Jang, the interview of Maharaja Shitab Rai Bahadur with Colonel Clive Sabit Jang through Mr. Amyatt, the senior officer of the Azimabad Factory, the alliance entered into by Colonel Clive and some other English officials with Maharaja Shitab Rai Bahadur, the wars of Shah Alam, the accession of the King on the throne through Maharaja Shitab Rai Bahadur and the treaty between the Company and the king through Maharaja Shitab Rai Bahadur, an account of which cannot be fully narrated even in two volumes, the author leaves them for the present and relates only such events as relate to Meer Mohammad Kasim Khan.

The author remembers that Khadim Hossain Khan, Mir Mohammad Jafar Khan's subordinate at Purneah, possessed riches amassed by previous governors and misappropriated the revenues of the Perganahs. He had appointed some eight thousand men (horse as well as foot) and through the fear of Nawab Saddiq Ali Khan broke with Meer Jafar Khan, looted Purneah, and in the hope of gaining the goodwill of the king came to Hajipur. Captain Knox and Maharaja Shitab Rai Bahadur with their men crossed the river Ganges, gave battle to Khadim Hossain Khan and defeated him completely. Captain Knox says that Maharaja Shitab Rai Bahadur displayed much courage and bravery during the fight, which were highly commended and appreciated by the English.

After his defeat Khadim Hossain Khan went towards Champaran. A few days after, Meeran with British troops under the command of Colonel Clive marched to Patna and thence towards Champaran. Meeran was struck by lightning on the way and died. Colonel Clive drove Khadim Hossain Khan out of the country and with the corpse of Meeran returned to Patna and thence to Murshidabad. After a few days Colonel Clive went to Calcutta, made Mr. Drake a senior officer of the Calcutta factory (perhaps temporary) and himself sailed to England. From Madras he sent Mr. Henry Vansittart Shamauddaula Bahadur, the senior officer of Madras, to Calcutta. Mr. Vansittart was a capable officer and was eminently fitted for the honourable post to which he was newly appointed. Mr. Amyatt, the senior officer at Patna, was transferred to Calcutta as a junior member of the Council and Mr. Apes became the senior officer at Patna.

Meer Jafar Khan felt very sad and disturbed in consequence of the death of his son and could not therefore attend to his business, which as a matter of course eaused much disorder, and led to the rise of Meer Mohammad Qasim.