Item CR9/28/39 - Letter from Muhammad Ali Khan

Date(s) from item: Reg. yr 7, Rabi` II 4 received: September 10 received 1766
Envelope numbered B No. 16
Thank you very much for your letter of 25 Dhu al-Hijjah informing that Nizam Ali Khan was having some useless designs and that a comparatively small English force was able to defeat a huge army of Shuja al-Daulah’s together with those of the Rohilla sardars, Gosain, Mir Qasim Ali and Durrani. You have also informed that Nawab Nasir Jang has lost his life and his state at the hands of the French who did not have ability to face the English army. Moreover, that Nizam Ali Khan will have to face nothing but disgrace. As I am away at Chinapatam for the past eight months and have been worrying about my affairs, I was pleased to have received your kind letter. I was also very pleased to read your assurances that you will never abandon me and would honour our friendship while you live and that while you are in this country you will always consider my honour as your own and will endeavour to protect and safeguard it from my enemies
I was also pleased to know from your letter that His Majesty has moved into Allahabad fort and that Raghunath Rao with his large army was going around on a rampage but being afraid of the English army he did not dare to cross the river Jumna. In your letter you have also informed me about the deaths of Malhar Holkar and the Nawab of Bengal, Najm al-Daulah and the appointment of his younger brother, Saif al-Daulah as the next Nawab of Bengal. You have also informed me that you have gone to Azimabad to strengthen relations between Shuja al-Daulah, the Rohillas and Javahir Singh Jat. It is a great credit to the English Company that after the demise of Mir Jafar Khan they installed his eldest son as the governor of Bengal and after his death his second son.
I was very grateful to learn from you letter that when you go to see His Majesty next you will present my petition to him, or otherwise you will send one of your trusted men to do the same. You will try your best that I receive the appropriate honours and titles from His Majesty. I have fully understood what you have written regarding the cases of Sadr al-Islam, zamindar of Tajavar, and Haidar Naik. I hope that before you leave for England you will convince the His Majesty not to issue any firman to Haidar Naik, Tajavar Valah and others.
Just after writing this letter, while I was going to affix my seal, I received a firman from His Majesty bestowing great honours and titles on me. As a small gesture of my gratitude I am enclosing a nuzr of one thousand and one ashrafis