Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 24.1
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 24.1
- Language
- English
24.1.1
Sabut-djung, now Lord Clive, is coming to Bengal with an absolute authority— Nedjm-ed-dowlah, alias Mir-pahlovy, succeeds to his father, Mir-djaafer-qhan— Nand-comar, his Prime Minister, is dismissed by Lord Clive, who introduces Mahmed-reza-qhan in his stead, and acts everywhere as a despot— He attacks Johnstone's and Middleton's conduct, and is vigorously repulsed— Billers, Chief of Azim-abad, frightened by Lord Clive, kills himself— Doctor Fullerton dismissed the service— Some account of Mirza-cazem-qhan— Lord Clive goes to Ilah-abad, where he obliges the Emperor to invest the English Company with the Divani or Divanship of the three Provinces— Insolence of Colonel Usmut (Richard Smith)— Lord Clive returns— Changes and promotions throughout Bengal— Lenity and generosity of the English towards the Land-holders of Bengal— The young Navvab dies suddenly and unaccountably— He is succeeded by his brother, Seif-ed-dowlah, alias Mir-candya, who also dies suddenly— Death of the author's father, the Vezir Hedaiet-aaly-qhan— Shytab-ray, Viceroy of Azim-abad— Discovers strange mismanagements in Durdj-narain's administration— Lord Clive makes a second journey to Azim-abad, and secures Radja Belvent-sing's situation by a treaty— He returns to England, fully bent on impeaching Governor Vansittart— M.
24.1.2
Verls (Verelst) succeeds to the government of Bengal— New regulations with respect to finances, police, and justice — Famine and mortality all over Bengal — Mubarec-ed-dowlah, third son to Mir-djaafer, nominal Nazem of Bengal — Intrigues at his Court — Oblique hints against Mahmed-reza-qhan — A strange way of distributing justice — Severe insinuations against Mahmed-reza-qhan — Strange character of Roh-eddin-hossein-qhan, Governor of Pûraniah — The Council resolve to investigate the finances to the bottom — Bengal divided in six Districts — Charges exhibited in England against Vansittart by Lord Clive — Vigorously repelled by Vansittart — Who is sent back with honour to Bengal — Mester-hushtin-bahadyr arrives in Calcutta, where he spends ninety days and ninety nights in perusing records — Mahmed-reza-qhan arrested — Shytab-ray arrested — The Nazem of Bengal's allowance reduced from twenty-four to sixteen lacs a year — Shytab-ray honourably acquitted, and sent back to resume his office — Dies of a broken heart — Brilliant character of his — Horrible famine at Azim-abad, and generosity of Shytab-ray's in that trying occasion — Curious anecdotes about Shitab-ray — Dies a Musulman in his heart — Mahmed-reza-qhan released from his confinement — Arrival of General Clavering, and Colonel Monson, and M. Francis.
24.1.3
The diary of Mir-djaafer-qhan's government and life had been already closed by the hand of destiny, when intelligence arrived in Bengal, that the renowned Lord Clive, that man so much tried in war, was coming from the country of England with an absolute authority over the provinces of Bengal and Azim-abad. As such an intelligence had nothing pleasing for Governor Vansittart, and he did not think his presence convenable in Calcutta at such a time, he set out for England some time before that nobleman could arrive, and left the remaining gentlemen of the Council to regulate and settle, as Sovereigns, such business as concerned the Government. And these determined that Nedjm-ed-dowlah, heretofore known under the name of Mir-pahlory, eldest son to Mir-djaafer-qhan by Munny-begum, should succeed to his father in the power of loosing and binding every business of Government and sovereignty with the advice of the gentlemen of the Council. When this matter came to be settled at Calcutta, Mr. Middleton, Chief of Moorshood-abad, and Mr. Djonson (Johnstone), Chief at Bardevan, went to the palace, and ordered Nedjm-ed-dowlah to take his seat on the mesned of sovereignty; a favour for which this Prince shewed his gratitude by respectfully presenting them with such a sum of money as had been agreed upon. And for some time he acted as absolute Governor, having Nand-comar for his Divan, a Minister who became the centre of all the private and public business of his master's in Bengal.
24.1.4
Mir-mahmed-cazem-qhan, brother to Mir-djaafer-qhan, was appointed Governor of the province of Azim-abad on the part of his nephew, and Radja Durdj-narain, brother to Ram-narain, was named his Divan or Prime Minister. Shytab-ray seemed to have been forgotten in this arrangement. He enjoyed already the office of Divan of the Bahar, on the part of the Emperor; and he had such connections with all the English, and specially with General Carnac, the Commander-in-Chief, that Shudja-ed-dowlah thought proper to take advice from the times, and to make him a present of a District about Azim-gur and Djohonpoor, called Mahoo, which produced more than one lac of rupees a year; and this he gave him as a free-hold or Djaghir. Some little time passed in this manner, when Nand-comar, with whom Henry Vansittart had been much dissatisfied, was sent for to Calcutta by the gentlemen of the Council, but not dismissed from his office, where his dependants continued to exercise full authority in his name. This Governor had set down in writing this man's misdemeanours and bad qualities; and he had got those sheets bound in the form of a book which he left in the hands of his brother, George Vansittart Hooshiar-djung, with orders to produce it in Council, and to read it completely, whenever Lord Clive should come, and take his seat. The Council struck with the contents of that memoir, forbade Nand-comar from stirring out of the city of Calcutta, but did not choose to dismiss him from his office;
24.1.5
because that Minister some time after the revolution that had overset Seradj-ed-dowlah to set Mir-djaafer-qhan in his stead, had served Lord Clive as his Moonshy or Secretary, and also as his Divan or Minister, at a time when that Lord was yet only Colonel Clive; and likewise because this Divan had from thence conceived mighty hopes that his power and influence would receive a great accession on that nobleman's arrival in Bengal. Matters remained on that footing until Lord Clive arrived himself; when George Vansittart producing in full Council the book written by his brother, read it to that nobleman, word by word; and although the new Viceroy had intentions to oblige Nand-comar, yet such was the impression made upon him by the light thrown on that Minister's misdemeanours and character, that he altered his opinion of him at once, and dismissed him from his office, with injunctions not to stir out of the city and precincts of Calcutta. Nand-comar's downfall made room for Mahmed-reza-qhan, son to the Physician Haddy-qhan-akuly, of Shiraz, a man who upon Mir-djaafer-qhan's second accession to the mesned, had been made Deputy Governor of the province of Dacca. This man came at once upon the stage of the world, in order to become by the mere force of his destiny the favourite object of boundless favours and endless graces from Lord Clive.
24.1.6
He was recommended to the Deputyship of Nedjm-ed-dowlah's by that nobleman, who heaped honours and favours upon him, and gave him an absolute authority over his master in whatever concerned the Government; an office which made him the centre of all business, public and private. At the same time he procured for him the titles of Mahmed-reza-qhan the Valiant, ever Victorious in War; and little by little he obtained for him the further titles of the Eminent of the State, the Foremost of the Kingdom, and Lord of Lords. To these was added the privilege of riding in a Naleky, which in Hindostan is a distinction reserved to Sovereigns. It must be observed that, when the intelligence arrived in England of the revolution effected in favour of Mir-cassem-qhan, and of the troubles that had been the consequences of it, the people of that country conceived such fears for the Company's safety, and fancied their affairs to be so teeming with mighty difficulties, that they thought no one equal to the task of re-establishing the Company's affairs, and quieting the country, but Lord Clive himself. And as such a commission was in their opinion an object of mighty importance and difficulty, they thought it incumbent upon themselves to make some amends to that Commander, by promoting him at once from the station of simple Colonel, to the dignity and title of Lord, which in England and London answers to the dignity of Omrah, in Hindostan.
24.1.7
He was furnished at the same time with such ample powers, and such an extensive authority, that no Governor to this very day has ever been invested with so unbounded an influence, unless it be the valiant Navvab Mr. Hushtin, who is the prop of the State, and the daring in war and in battles; and who by surpassing even Lord Clive himself in dignity and importance, can have no equal or companion either in Hindostan or in Europe, and really deserves all that elevation. Lord Clive in taking the steps he had taken, or indeed in any business whatever, was not bound to deliberate with a Council. Looking upon no man to be his equal, he made no account of any one, whether Hindian or English; and to give a specimen of his power, he first of all informed Djanson and Middleton, that they had done properly in placing Nedjm-ed-dowlah in his father's station; but that they had acted very improperly and very unjustly, in taxing money from him. He added, that such a sum must be accounted for by charging it to the Company's credit. To this requisition, the two gentlemen answered, first of all, by sending in their resignation, and then by declaring openly, "That so long as they were in the Company's service, they were bound to obey his commands, but now that they had resigned it, they had no further orders to receive from him; and that, if he had any thing to say to them, he must say it in the Royal Court of Justice.
24.1.8
That as to his injunctions for refunding the money they had received, they would be ready to submit to such a measure, and to refund the two small sums they had received from Nedjm-ed-dowlah, whenever "himself should think it proper to pay into the same treasury "the enormous sums he had received from Nedjm-ed-dowlah's "father, at the time he had placed him on Seradj-ed-dowlah's "mesned." Lord Clive on hearing so resolute and so undisguised an answer, and on finding that they had resigned the service, did not dare to enter into any discussion with them, and he remained silent. Djanson himself went home; but Middleton who had been long in Hindia, addicted himself to a mercantile life; and after some time he found means to be readmitted in the service, where he became Chief of Moorshood-abad; when his last moment arriving, he died at Painty, a spot near Shah-abad, midway betwixt Azim-abad and Moorshood-abad. He was entombed on that very hill of Painty, where his monument is seen from afar. In his nation he bears a celebrity for goodness of heart and much benevolence. But supposing that he was a man of much goodness, nevertheless there was no comparing him in genius and many other good qualities to Doctor William Fullerton; nor in bravery and military abilities, as well as firmness in friendship and steadiness of temper to Colonel Godard;
24.1.9
nor in wisdom of conduct, or attention to the rights of friendship and love, or in knowledge and keenness in the intricacies of business and government, to George Vansittart; nor in goodness and in civility and many other qualifications to Mr. Aayoun-Law and Mr. Thomas-Law, who was younger brother to Mr. Ayoun-Law, and equal to his elder brother, in merit. Nor was Baaloo Sahab inferior to them. But Tamsan Sahab was incomparable in many valuable qualifications; and so were Mr. Anderson and Mr. Elliott, two young men who had no equal in the very perfection of wisdom, civility, and kindness, and in the whole assemblage of whatever could conciliate respect or love to a character. It is even reported of Mr. Anderson's younger brother, that he is equal to his elder brother, and in some sciences, such as the Mathematics, his superior. Few men equal to these have been seen in that nation; for although some other English characters are spoken of with encomiums, yet as I never had any business or connections with them, I have not sufficient knowledge to write of them.