Riyaz al-salatin 110.1
The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam) 110.1
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110.1.1
When Nawab Sarfaraz Khan mounted the masnad of the Nizamat of Bengal, agreeably to the dying instructions of his father, he appointed Haji Ahmad, the Rai Raian and Jagatset to be his Councillors in respect of Revenue and Administrative affairs. But these meddling more than before in State affairs ignored the old officers of Sarfaraz Khan who expected promotions and mansabs, and further intrigued to bring about their disgrace and overthrow. Although Nawab Sarfaraz Khan and the Begams were anxious to promote their old officers, owing to the opposition of the Triumvirate Council, they could not do so. The Triumvirate Council, after secret vows and stipulations, plotted to call in Ali Vardi Khan with his army from 'Azimabad (Patna) under pretext of visiting the Nazim, and then to instal him on the masnad of the Nizamat in supercession of Sarfaraz Khan. And in deliberations over this plot they passed days and nights, but failed to mature any plan. At this time, Nadir Shah, the king of Persia, had defeated Muhammad Shah, captured Nizamu-l-Mulk, Burhanu-l-Mulk, Qamru-d-din Khan, and Muhammad Khan Bangash, &c., who were the pillars of the Mughal Empire, and entering Shah-jahanabad (Delhi) with his Persian troops had plundered the palaces of both the Emperor and his nobles. In consequence, the whole Empire was shaken to its foundation.
110.1.2
The Triumvirate Council persuaded Sarfaraz Khan to introduce in Bengal the coins and the Khutbah of Nadir Shah, and about the same time they remitted the confiscated treasures of Shuja'u-d-daulah and the Bengal tribute in charge of Murid Khan, who had arrived in Murshidabad on behalf of Qamru-d-din Khan long before Nadir Shah's invasion. Haji Ahmad and Ali Vardi Khan intrigued with Murid Khan, and won him over to their side. On the withdrawal of Nadir Shah, they carried tales of the introduction of the Nadir Shahi coin and Khutbah to Nawab Qamru-d-din Khan and to Nizamu-l-Mulk, and laid various other charges against Sarfaraz Khan. Aided by the machinations of the Imperial ministers, they secured a royal patent granting to them the Nizamat of Bengal, and authorising the execution of Sarfaraz Khan, on account of his treason in introducing the coin and Khutbah of Nadir Shah. When the arrow of their efforts reached the butt of their aim, the Triumvirate Council represented to Sarfaraz Khan that the resources of the State were limited, whilst its expenditure was heavy, and thereby persuaded the Nawab to reduce the strength of his Army. They at the same time secretly sent instructions to Ali Vardi Khan to mobilise troops and collect arms, in view of the invasion of Bengal. Whoever was cashiered from the army of Sarfaraz Khan was straightway enlisted by Haji Ahmad in the service of Ali Vardi Khan, and sent off to Azimabad (Patna).
110.1.3
Nearly one-half of Sarfaraz Khan's troops were in this way disbanded. Ali Vardi Khan, having completed preparations for war and mobilised a large army consisting of Afghans, Rohilahs, and Bhaliahs, set out for Bengal; whilst Haji Ahmad sent his and his sons' hoarded treasures amounting to several laks of rupees for the expenses of Ali Vardi's army. When Sarfaraz Khan, from the despatches of his Political Agents at the Court of the Emperor, and from informations of emissaries, came to be apprised of the machinations of the treacherous enemy, deeming it prudent to adopt remedy for the affair before it came to pass, he set himself to overthrow the traitors, and decided to bestow the Deputy-Governorship of Azimabad (Patna) on his son-in-law, Syed Muhammad Hasan, in supercession of Ali Vardi Khan, and the Faujdari of Akbarnagar (Rajmahal) together with the command of Sakrigali and Teliagadhi passes on Mir Sharfu-d-din Bakhshi, in supercession of A'tau-l-lah Khan, son-in-law of Haji Ahmad. Sarfaraz Khan also determined to appoint Munshi Jaswant Rai as Diwan in the place of the Rai Raian.
110.1.4
But as yet this decision had not been put in force, when the members of the Triumvirate Council adroitly submitting a representation about their long services, the heavy outstandings of the Imperial Revenue, and their losses, persuaded Sarfaraz Khan to postpone their supercession and the installation of others in their places till their preparation of the Annual Balance-sheet, which fell due after three months. Sarfaraz Khan, who owing to guilelessness of his nature had already been victimised by the duplicity of the Triumvirate Council, once again suffered himself to be duped by their wiles. A'li Vardi Khan, utilising this short respite, secured the adhesion of Mustafa Khan, Shamsher Khan, Sardar Khan, U'mar Khan, Rahim Khan, Karam Khan, Sirandaz Khan, Shaikh Ma'sum, Shaikh Jahangir Khan, Muhammad Zulfuqar Khan, Chidan Hazari (Bakhshi of the Bhaliahs), Bakhtawar Singh, and other Generals and officers of the Army. Under the false pretext of waiting on Sarfaraz Khan, A'li Vardi Khan marched swiftly, crossed the passes of Tiliagadhi and Sakrigali, and reached the frontiers of Bengal. At the instigation of Haji Ahmad, Ataullah Khan, Faujdar of Akbarnagar (Rajmahal), had taken steps to prevent all movements of messengers and spies, and to interdict all intercourse through news-letters between A'zimabad (Patna) and Bengal via the passes of Tiliagadhi and Sakrigali, until A'li Vardi Khan had crossed through those passes.
110.1.5
In consequence, no news of A'li Vardi Khan's movements had reached Sarfaraz Khan. It was only when the vanguard of A'li Vardi Khan's army had actually reached Akbarnagar (Rajmahal), that all of a sudden the news of A'li Vardi Khan's movement reached Sarfaraz Khan. This news threw both the City of Murshidabad and its Bazaar into commotion. Perplexed by this news, Sarfaraz Khan instantly imprisoned Haji Ahmad. Although the Rai Raian treacherously explained that A'li Vardi's arrival was for the purpose of waiting on Sarfaraz Khan, this explanation had no reassuring effect. Detailing Ghaus Khan and Mir Sharfu-d-din, who were his old officers, to lead the vanguard, and leaving his son, Hafizu-l-lah surnamed Mirza Amani, together with Yasin Khan Faujdar, to guard the Fort and the City, Nawab Sarfaraz Khan together with Ghazanfar Husain Khan and a son of Muhammad Taqi Khan, (both of whom were his sons-in-law), and with Mir Muhammad Baqir Khan, Mirza Muhammad Iraj Khan, Mir Kamil, Mir Gadai, Mir Haidar Shah, Mir Diler Shah, Baji Singh, Rajah Ghandarab Singh, Shamshir Khan Qurishi, (Faujdar of Silhat), Shuja Quli Khan, (Faujdar of the port of Hugli), Mir Habib, Murshid Quli Khan Faujdar, Mardan A'li Khan (the late Shuja Khan's Bakhshi) and other Generals and Mansabdars and Zamindars of Bengal, marched out from the City with a large army and fire-pouring artillery, and encamped at Bahmaniah, which is two Karoh distant from Murshidabad.
110.1.6
Marching on the second day, the Nawab reached Sarai Diwan, and marching on the third day, he encamped at Khamrah, where he mustered his army and reviewed its strength and armaments. In that the officers of Shuja' Khan's regime were in league with Haji Ahmad, brick-bats instead of shells were discovered in the arsenal, and rubbish was found inside guns. Consequently, cashiering Shahriar Khan, the Haji's brother, who was General Superintendent of the Artillery, and making him over to the custody of his retainers, Nawab Sarfaraz Khan appointed in his place Pancho, son of Antony the Portuguese, to be General Superintendent of the Artillery. The forces of Mahabat Jang were arranged in the form of a circle from Aurangabad, at the mouth of the Suti (where the shrine of Shah Murtaza Hindi exists) to the plain of Balkatah.
110.1.7
On the fourth day, when the silvery-crowned King (i.e., the Sun) pranced on to the plain of the sky from his camp in the East darting forth daggers of radial lines, and the dusky Moon with thousands of its forces (i.e., stars), not finding itself a match for that unique Cavalier, hid itself behind the hills, Nawab Sarfaraz Khan, selecting an auspicious moment according to astrologers, advanced to assault the enemy. By one single assault, the troops of Mahabat Jang were thrown into panic and confusion, were set a-reeling, and were nearly routed. The Rai Raian, finding that the table was being turned, at this moment treacherously represented to Nawab Sarfaraz Khan that the Sun had moved right vertical to the head, and that at that sultry hour if fighting were continued, both horses and soldiers would perish, owing to excessive heat and thirst, and that therefore if that day further fightings were postponed, next morning the bitter-palated enemy could be treated to a similar bitter soup (of death) — Whence will thy enemy command the strength, To fight with thee? Owing to thy good luck, The enemy's head shall be trampled upon by thy feet. Although astrologers descanted on the auspiciousness of that hour for fighting, and adduced arguments in proof of the incoming victory, and although his Generals insisted on continuing the battle, Sarfaraz Khan was unmoved, and forbade by use of threats further fightings that day. Then Sarfaraz Khan encamped on the banks of the Geriah river.
110.1.8
Meanwhile, a letter from Mahabat Jang came avowing his loyalty, and explaining that he had come simply to pay his respects to Sarfaraz Khan. Sarfaraz Khan, who was quite inexperienced, on perusal of the letter, became reassured, dispensed with all precautions, foolishly released Haji Ahmad, who was the root of all the disturbance, and sent him to A'li Vardi Khan Mahabat Jang, in order to reassure the latter and to bring him over. He also sent in the Haji's company Shuj'a Quli Khan and Khwajah Basant, his two special confidantes, with a view to ascertain exactly the prospects of peace and war, to guage correctly the dispositions of A'li Vardi's Army, and then to apprise him accurately. The imprisonment of the Haji with his other relatives had plunged Mahabat Jang into a whirlpool of confusion. He had apprehended that they would be slain, and had, therefore, hesitated to offer battle. Viewing the release of the Haji to be auspicious, nay as the first augury of victory, Mahabat Jang (A'li Vardi) enclosed in a casket a brick, giving out it contained the Holy Qoran, held it in his hand, and swore by it that next morning he would with folded hands present himself before Nawab Sarfaraz Khan, and would sue for pardon for his misconduct. At the same time he presented two hundred gold coins to Khwajah Basant.
110.1.9
These idiots (Shuj'a Quli Khan and Khwajah Basant), not fathoming the water under the grass, returned happy and jolly, and describing to Nawab Sarfaraz Khan the loyal disposition of A'li Vardi Khan cooled the fire of his wrath. Nawab Sarfaraz Khan then ordered his butler to prepare dainty dishes for a banquet, sat re-assured on the bed of comfort, nay slumbered the sleep of insecurity on the bed of sleep (which is akin to death); and his soldiers, intoxicated by the inebriation of the wine-cup of peace, let go from their hands the reins of watch and alertness.