The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v2.c44.3

v2.c44.3

The break-down in the internal administration of Bengal which followed Shujā's departure from the province in December 1657 to contest the throne, ended only six years later with Shāista Khan's entry into Rājmahal as subahdār on 8th March 1664. The remainder of Shujā's viceroyalty (two and a half years) was spent in Bihar, when all his attention and resources were concentrated on the struggle with Aurangzīb, so that the government of Bengal was starved of men and neglected. After Shujā's flight from Bengal, Mir Jumla passed a year and a half (May 1660-1 Nov. 1661) at Dacca in peace, but all his energies were absorbed by the necessary preparations for the conquest of Arakan and Assam. Then followed his seventeen months' absence on the Kuch and Ahom wars from which he returned a dead man (31 March 1663). Between this last date and Shāista Khan's arrival lay a period of exactly one year, when this province was ruled by subordinates without a supreme master on the spot, so that disorder and misrule reached their extreme.