Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c55.s8.5

v4.c55.s8.5

His tall manly form, wild courage, inborn power of command, and Irish humour and generosity, soon won the Begam's confidence and, it is said, her love also. After testing his capacity in the Emperor's campaign against Najaf Quli Khan (Ch. 36 § 7) and in many an encounter with the rebel peasantry, she made him collector of the sub-division of Tappal (32 miles n.w. of Aligarh) in her jāgir, which had a revenue of Rs. 70,000, and even married him to one of her adopted daughters,—evidently the child of some European officer in her corps. As a district magistrate, Thomas strongly suppressed law-breakers, scared away Sikh raiders, and nearly doubled the revenue collection of Tappal. Then came his dismissal.