Riyaz al-salatin 9: TOWN OF PURNIAH.
The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam) 9
- Language
- English
TOWN OF PURNIAH.
9.1
In former times it was called Pargana-i-havili. Rupees 32,000 were its revenue collections. Since the Rajah of Birnagar also had a force of 15,000 cavalry and infantry, and other inhabitants of that part of the Chakwar tribe, &c, were refractory and of plundering propensity, and used to annoy much the travellers, therefore on the limits of the Morang, the fort of Jalalgadah, to a distance of two karohs from Purniah, was erected, and a commandant, in charge of the fort, was posted there. In compliance with the petition of Nawab Saif Khan, grandson of Amir Khan the elder, who enjoyed the name and title of his father, and was descended from Syeds and illustrious Omra, and had royal connections, Nawab Jafar Khan applied to Emperor Aurangzeb for the former's deputation, and accordingly Saif Khan was deputed for the purpose of chastising the Rajah of Birnagar and other malcontents of that part of the country. Nawab Jafar Khan, considering the arrival of such a person to be an acquisition, conferred the office of Faujdar of Zila' Purniah and that of Commandant of Jalalgadah upon him, and also settled on him the Pargana of Birnagar alias Dharmpur, and Gundwarah, which is in the province of Behar, pertaining to Purniah, and also the mahals of the Jagir forming an appendage to the office of Commandant of the above Fort.
9.2
The aforesaid Khan, being appointed independent ruler of the district, after much fighting expelled Durjan Singh, son of Bir Shah, the Rajah of Birnagar, who was disloyal and refractory, and brought the aforesaid pargana under his subjection, and having thoroughly chastised the other malcontents freed the roads from all perils. He represented the state of affairs to the Emperor, and submitted that the mahals were small, and that his stay in this mahal was unlucrative. In consequence, the Emperor Aurangzeb wrote to Jafar Khan as follows : " I have sent to you a lion, putting him in a cage. If he does not get his food, he is certain to give you trouble." The aforesaid Nawab, who regarded the stay of such a person to be a boon, remitted all the outstanding revenue due from him, and made concession in view of the suitable maintenance of his rank and station. The above Khan, following the example of Jafar Khan, imprisoned all the zemindars of that district, and did not omit any means of realising the revenue. So that realising eighteen lakhs of rupees from those mahals, he appropriated them to his own use, and day by day the strength of his government and finances and of his army increased. And making peace with the zemindars of the Murang, he commenced to cut jungles and to bring them under cultivation. Bringing under cultivation half the wastes up to the foot of the mountains of the Murang, and placing it under his rule, he enlarged his country and his resources.
9.3
And Jafar Khan, seeing and hearing of it, used to connive. At present, Purniah is a large city, and the rivers Kusi and Saura pass through it. Its soil is low and full of water. In the rainy season the floods rush down from the mountains of the Murang, and the fields and wastes are inundated. Much of the cultivation is consigned to destruction by the floods. Paddy, wheat, pulse and mustard-seed and other food-grains and all kinds of corn grow in abundance. And oil and turmeric and saltpetre, both of water and fire, and pepper, and large cardamom and cassia-leaf and very large trees of ebony, are produced well there. And the flowers of jasmine and bela and the red-rose and other flowers that grow there possess exquisite scents. The mountains of the Murang are six days' journey to the north of Purniah. The Murangi wood, which is called Bahaduri, is obtained from those mountains. From the top of the mountains, the road towards Nepal and Kashmir is very close, but it is very undulating. Half the mahals of Purniah pertain to the annexes of the province of Behar; but Purniah itself is within Bengal. It is a cold country and the climate of that tract is insalubrious and incongenial. Tumours of the throat in men and women generally, as well as in wild beasts and birds, are common in that country. Masonry buildings are few, excepting the Fort, the Lai Bagh, and some others. Formerly, Sarnah was more populous than Purniah.
9.4
And Gandah-golah (Caragola), on the banks of the Ganges, was the resort of traders and mahajans from various places. Owing to cheapness of food-grains and comforts, landholders and travellers and professional men came from every part, and dwelt there. And very often boundary disputes led to fightings with the Rajah of the Murang. Saif Khan, every year, used to go to Murshidabad for visiting Nawab Jafar Khan. The above Nawab used to treat him like a brother. Whenever a disturbance occurred in that district, the aforesaid Nawab used to send troops for assistance. From Gandahgolah (Caragola) and the banks of the Ganges to the Murang, the tract of Purniah is about ten days' journey in extent. And from the mountains of the Murang, a route leads to Kuch-Behar and Assam. And the tribute of the Rajah of the Murang was paid in game