History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s1.t7: § 8. Rahim Khan's war with the Mughal Government.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s1.t7
- Language
- English
§ 8. Rahim Khan's war with the Mughal Government.
v5.c84.s1.t7.1
Shova Singh's next step was to detach Rahim Khan with the main part of his army to take the rich cities of Nadia and Murshidabad, while he returned to his head-quarters at Bardwan. Here he was stabbed to death by a daughter of Rajah Krishna Ram, upon whose honour he had tried to make an attempt. His brother Himmat Singh succeeded him. But the rebel army chose Rahim as their chief, and he now crowned himself with the title of Rahim Shah. By this time all Bengal west of the Ganges had passed into the hands of these men, while Ibrahim Khan lay inactive at Dacca, vainly hoping that the enemy would soon disperse of themselves when gorged with plunder.
v5.c84.s1.t7.2
Rahim's army had now increased to 10,000 horse and 60,000 infantry,—a vast medley of vagabonds and adventurers of all kinds. Near Murshidabad he was attacked singlehanded by Niamat Khan, a small jagirdar, who was slain and his property plundered. Then, defeating a Government force of 5,000, the rebels plundered Murshidabad. The neighbouring city of Qasimbazar escaped this fate in consequence of its merchants paying a blackmail. [Surat to Bombay, 23 Oct. 1696, in *Orme MSS.* 119.] Smaller bands spread all over the country, looting, burning and forcing people to join them. In March 1697 Rahim took Malda and Rajmahal.
v5.c84.s1.t7.3
Immediately on hearing details of this rising and Ibrahim Khan's negligence, the Emperor dismissed him from the viceroyalty of Bengal and appointed his grandson, Azim-ush-shan to the post (middle of 1697, *M.A.* 387.) The prince was then in the Deccan, and pending his arrival Zabardast Khan (the son of Ibrahim and faujdar of Bardwan) was ordered to take the field against the rebels, with all the available imperial forces in those parts. Equipping an army as quickly as the previous neglect and administrative derangement of his father's rule would permit, Zabardast marched from Dacca with his artillery and infantry against Rahim, who issued from Murshidabad and formed an entrenched camp on the Ganges at Bhagawan-gola. Detachments of Zabardast Khan's cavalry made a rapid detour and recovered Rajmahal and Malda.
v5.c84.s1.t7.4
At Bhagawan-gola Zabardast attacked the rebel position by land and water. His artillery, well served by Feringis, made havoc in their crowded ranks and silenced their guns. After a two days* fight the Afghans were routed and their camp captured (May 1697). But the victors were too exhausted and too much encumbered with wounded to give chase immediately. After a short stay he resumed his march and drove Rahim successively out of Murshidabad and Bardwan into the woods.*
v5.c84.s1.t7.5
Shortly afterwards, Prince Azim-ush-shan reached Patna and, envying the martial fame already gained by Zabardast Khan, sent him positive orders not to engage the rebels again before his own arrival. The rainy season (June—Sept.) now put an end to operations; Zabardast Khan's army encamped at Bardwan and the prince's at Monghyr for this period of enforced inactivity.
v5.c84.s1.t7.6
∗ Rennell's *Bengal Atlas*, sh. 7, marks the country northwest of Medinipur as "impenetrable woods."
v5.c84.s1.t7.7
In November the prince arrived near Bardwan. Zabardast welcomed him on the way, but was received with so much coldness and slight after all his great services that he resigned his command in disgust and left Bengal with his father for the imperial camp in the Deccan (January, 1698.) The prince halted at Bardwan for many months. Zabardast's defection weakened the Mughal forces in Bengal by 8,000 choice cavalry and a great general. The rebels, who had gone into hiding in the woods after their late defeat, now reappeared and renewed their activity on all sides.
v5.c84.s1.t7.8
Rahim, after plundering the Nadia and Hughli districts, arrived near Bardwan to confront the imperial army. Here he treacherously slew Khwajah Anwar, the prince's chief minister, at an interview, and then delivered an impetuous attack on the imperial army, but was killed.* Their leader being gone, the rebel army melted away. The prince gave a general amnesty; some of Rahim's soldiers were taken into Mughal service and the rest dispersed to their homes and returned to tillage.
v5.c84.s1.t7.9
∗ *Akhbarat*, 11 Sep. 1698, records that on that day a despatch was received from Prince Azim stating "Rahim Afghan and Shova Singh, rebels, were living in fort Chandrakona and robbing the imperial dominions. I took horse against them, arrived there, fought, and defeated them. The Afghan was slain."
v5.c84.s1.t7.10
After a long stay at Bardwan, Azim-ush-shan went to Dacca, the environs of which city he caused to be cleared and beautifully laid out.
v5.c84.s1.t7.11
§ 9. Bengal under Murshid Quli Khan.
v5.c84.s1.t7.12
Muhammad Hadi had distinguished himself and won the Emperor's confidence by his ability and honesty in many minor offices in the Deccan and been created Kar Talb Khan. From the diwani of Orissa he was transferred in 1701 to be diwan of Bengal, with the title of Murshid Quli Khan. "The prudent management of the new diwan soon raised Bengal to the highest degree of prosperity. Particularly careful in the choice of his officers, he obtained through their means complete information about the actual capacity of the lands and the amount of custom duties.......With the Emperor's approval he resumed all the jagirs in Bengal (except those annexed to the governor's and diwan's offices) and in lieu of them gave assignments on Orissa, the cultivation of which province had of late been very much neglected. The diwan took the collection into his own hands, and by preventing the embezzlements of the zamindars and jagirdars, augmented the annual revenue." [Gladwin.]
v5.c84.s1.t7.13
Murshid Quli, conscious of his own ability, power, and dignity, refused to let Azim-ush-shan interfere with revenue matters in any way. The foolish prince instigated a plot of some troopers to mutiny and murder the diwan. The conspiracy was defeated by Murshid Quli Khan's presence of mind courage and tact. But, to guard against further attempts on his life, he removed the revenue office from Dacca, where the prince lived as governor, to a more centrally situated village on the bank of the Ganges, whose name of Maqsudabad he changed to Murshid-abad in honour of himself. Here a city sprang up round his newly built mansion, which was destined to be the capital of Bengal for half the 18th century.
v5.c84.s1.t7.14
Aurangzib, on hearing of the incident, grew very angry, and ordered the prince to remove to Bihar, which had been added to his charge in January 1703. For the next three years (1704-1707) Azim lived at Patna, which he was permitted by the Emperor to name Azim-abad after his own name. [Inayet's *Ahkam*, 116b.] His son, the boy Farrukh-siyar, remained behind at Dacca as his deputy in Bengal.
v5.c84.s1.t7.15
Murshid Quli Khan repeatedly sent to the Emperor large sums as the surplus revenue of the province;—the amount in one year being 2 kror 33 lakhs in Rupees and 16848 gold coins, and 90 lakhs of Rupees in another. [Inayet's *Ahkam*, 220b, 219a.] The money came most opportunely to Aurangzib, whose other resources had been exhausted by the endless war with the Marathas. The faithful diwan of Bengal was highly rewarded, and the Emperor assured him in writing that all his prayers would be readily granted and nobody's complaints against him would be heard. [Inayet's *Ahkam*, 217b-222b.]
v5.c84.s1.t7.16
In fear of Murshid Quli, the ruling chiefs on the frontiers of Bengal began to pay their due tributes punctually. They all felt that a strong master had come to the province. He collected the revenue by his own agents directly and thus saved the profits which middlemen or zamindars used to make. "He did not go to the expense of maintaining a provincial militia or [large] regular army. Two thousand cavalry and five thousand infantry were sufficient for all his purposes. ......The orders of Murshid Quli Khan were so absolute that the most refractory men trembled in his presence, and his commands were so implicitly obeyed that it was sufficient to send a footman to sequester an estate or to punish an offender at a distance. He did not allow the inferior zamindars even public audience, nor permit the Rajahs to be seated in his presence. Two days in the week he administered justice in person, and was so impartial in his decisions and rigid in their execution that no one dared to commit oppression.......He did not place absolute confidence in his accountants, but himself examined the daily accounts of the receipts expenditure and balances and then signed them." Defaulting zamindars were put to unspeakable kinds of torture in order to make them pay the Government dues. [Gladwin.]
v5.c84.s1.t7.17
For these eminent services, he was, in Nov. 1704, promoted to be a commander of 2000. He had before this been appointed faujdar of Orissa (the subahdari being kept in abeyance) and diwan of Bihar, in addition to the diwani of Bengal. [M.A. 483 ; Inayet's Ahkam, 222a ; Akhbarat 26 Feb. 1703.] A few years after the death of Aurangzib he became independent ruler of Bengal, as the Delhi Government sank into hopeless decline. Under him Bengal entered on a career of peace and marvellous material prosperity, which were interrupted only by the follies and crimes of his unworthy successors. [M.U. iii. 751, his life. Salimullah very misleading jumbled and incorrect as to facts. Riyaz a mere late compilation. Ahkam of primary value.]