Dangos 1520 canlyniad

Since I have been appointed as administrator [nizamat] of the provinces of Bengal, Bihar and Orrisa by your Members of the Council and Committee, the Divani of these provinces has been awarded to the East India Company and it has in return delegated the above responsibility to me. I perform my duties in the service of the company and particularly the two responsibilities given to me very nicely. According to the custom of this country, in responsibility and honour the assistant Nazim and assistant Divan is always considered as a Deputy Governor of the province. In order to carry on my duties with dignity and honour I have to incur a number of expenses and the income from the jagir allocated to me at present is not enough to meet these expenses. Navab Saif al-Daulah has been allocated forty-two Lac rupees for his expenses. As my post as assistant of all three provinces carries much more responsibility I should be allocated a proportionally sufficient amount to carry out my duties. I am enclosing details of the income from various district of Bengal which the zamindars of those districts have written in their account -- Enclosure: Details of the income from Jahangirnagar.

Maharaja Dhiraj Narayan had promised that he would go to Murshidabad on the 15th of Jamadi al-Sani, San 8. He left here by boat only today, the 21st of Jamadi al-Sani. I hope you will forgive him for this breach of promise.

I have received from the district of Kochvan one thousand Kahulah in ten cases; these are being sent to you. I have not received any income of Kahulah from Sylhett as yet. As soon as I receive this it will be forwarded to you.

Navab Vazir al-Mumalik Shuja al-Daulah Abu-al-Mansur Khan Bahadur Safdar Jang has sent two letters to me, one addressed to you and the other to me. I am enclosing the letter addressed to you. I have no knowledge of its contents, [letter not enclosed].

I have sent today, the 24th of Jumadi al-Sani, five hundred Kholah in ten cases and eighty Bhut-i bir in two cases. These should reach you soon.

From olden times the stamp of authority used on the commodities and goods belonging to traders and businessmen in the province of Bengal used to be engraved in the name of the Darogha of Bakhsh Bandar. During the time of Mir Qasim Khan it used to be in the name of his son Shams al-Din Ali Khan who used to be Divan of the province at that time. The same stamp has been in use since then. As it was, because of the ignorance of the later post holders, it is requested now that we have the Madar al-Maham of the Company as Divan of the province and it would be wise to have a new stamp made. I am enclosing an impression of the old stamp on paper for your information so that you can order a new stamp to be made on the same pattern. -- Enclosure: -- -- Impression of the seal of Muzaffar al-Mulk, Mansur al-Daulah, Mir Shams al-Din Ali Khan Bahadur Nasirjang, fidvi-yi Shah Alam Badshah Ghazi.

In your previous letter you had advised us to send all our correspondence addressed to you to the Nawab at Allahabad who was to forward them to you. Following your instructions I had sent a letter from Maharaj Pirthi Indra Bahadur and a letter from Padri Sahib and my own letter in which I had described some of the details brought to me by harkaras to Allhabad. As it is clear from the reply to the letter of Maharaj Pirthi Indra, which he received through Navab Shuja al-Daulah Bahadur, that my own letter and that of the Padri Sahib was not received by you. Subsequently I have written to enquire about my previous letter but have not been given a satisfactory explanation. I am now sending this letter through one of your admirers. Meanwhile, Padri Sahib is now at Akbarabad with myself in the service of Maharaj in Denkha?. As a messenger is coming towards you I am sending a letter from Padri Sahib. In future, all letters from Padri Sahib will come to you through this channel.

When you came to visit us here you assured me that you would be able to attend to the bank drafts on your return to Murshidabad. Now my bankers/creditors [mahajans] are pressing me hard to return their money and they have installed guards on my doors. They are saying that it is a time of war and that they want their monies returned at all costs. As I have no one else to turn to except you I seek your help to save me from these mahajans.

Thank you very much for your letter informing me that you will come and see us when you have recovered from your illness. I very much hope and pray that you recover from your ilnness very soon and visit us in the near future.

Today, 22nd Zi al-Hijj, the Nawab went to the house of Mirza Salih the merchant and afterwards to the house of Mirza Misbah al-Din Muhammad Khan Bahadur and later to the houses of Shaikh Jahu, the brother of Fakhr al-tajjar. Each one of them presented some nazur and offerings to the Nawab. At night he marched towards Murshidabad and dismissed Divan Nand Kumar and Amir Beg Khan from his company at Hoogli.

The late Navab, Shuja al-Mulk Mir Muhammad Ja'far Khan, during his life and with all his faculties functioning and following our religious tradition appointed me as his heir. He also told me that out of all the cash and precious stones he had in his treasury three Lac and fifty thousand rupees in cash and jewellery and fifty thousand rupees and Ashrafis to the value of one Lac rupees, making a total sum of five Lac rupees, should be sent to Nawab Sabit Jang Bahadur [Clive]. Therefore I have passed this sum to my mother, Begam Sahibah. After she has signed and affixed her seal the above sum will be sent to Lord Clive. -- Enclosure: Munni Begam -- The late Nawab during his life, and with all his faculties functioning and following our religious tradition, told me that whatever cash and valuables he had three Lac and fifty thousand rupees in cash and jewels and fifty thousand rupees in cash and ashrafis worth one Lac rupees, altogether five Lac rupees, should be passed on to Lord Clive. I am writing these sentences as a testimony.

I have just reached home after travelling for two days. After I have attended to my customary duties here I will come and pay another visit to you. As you are my only benefactor and patron I continuously pray for your prosperity and good health.

News reports from Benares -- On the 18th of Sha'ban, San 6, Rajah Balvand Singh Bahdu along with Rajah Beni Bahdur went to see the Prince. Rajah Ram Singh came from Ramnagar and Rajah Beni Bahadur from Benares and they met in Gang Maki and then went to see the Prince. After staying for four ghari there they returned to their states. Beni Bahadur's servant, Mir Murtaza Jamadar, is staying in Ramnagar. Rajah Beni Bahadur is at present (19th Sha'ban) staying in Madhudas Bagh in Benares; his army is encamped around the garden and water tank. Rajah Beni Bahadur called Rae Kirpa Dayal, who is a trusted servant of Nawab Muhammad Quli Khan, in Benares and asked him to write to Nawab Muhammad Quli Khan that he should not try to come to Benares as he will be arrested. This is because Nawab Shuja al-Daulah has criticised the conduct of Quli Khan. -- Zain al Abidin, Jamadar, with four hundred horsemen and foot soldiers was sent here by Nawab Shuja al-Daulah; he has gone to see Muhammad Quli Khan.

I received you letter of the 23rd of Zi al-Hajj, San 6, at Murshidabad informing me about you and your friend's welfare; it was presented to the Nawab. A doctor who is employed by us is coming to Calcutta to purchase some medicine. Please ask your official to assist him in the purchase of the medicines he may require.

He was sending one of his trusted servant Atiq Allah Shah who would brief him on the affairs and requests him to send all confidential information through him.

You had promised to send me some tea. I would be [grateful] if this could be sent to me now.

Thank you for your letter asking me to send information regarding Fath Singh through Nand Kumar. I have collected this information with great interest and it is being sent to you. I hope you will be satisfied with this.

I have been taking the medicine you had so very kindly recommended for my illness. It has not yet had any effect but I am hoping that it will take effect and cure me from my illness in a week or ten days. I will then be able to come and pay my respect to you. I will inform you about my intention before I leave.

I had sent three pairs of letters to the Bara Sahib through our messenger but have received acknowledgement of only one pair. I had received a letter from one of our agent working in the Prince's camp; this is enclosed with this letter. It is learnt that some French officers have arrived here from Benares and a large number of people in Azimabad are corresponding with them. -- Enclosure 1: Seal of Harkara La'l Rang Konpani-yi Angrez. -- On the 4th of this month the Prince woke up in the morning and had his breakfast. After one ghari had passed Rajah Ram Nath came to see the Prince. Later, Bahadur Ali Khan also came to see the Prince and presented a petition of Murad al-Daulah Bahadur. He signed the petition and ordered an official document to be prepared. Later he went into Tasbih Khanah and remained there for one ghari. He later came and sat in the Diwan-i Khas and ordered the army to get ready to march. Bahadur Ali Khan informed the Prince that four French artillery officers had arrived. The Prince ordered that they should be sent to operate the guns on the front. When four ghari of the day had passed Rajah Ram Nath, Bahadur Ali Khan, Murad al-Daulah Bahadur, Naubat Khan and Aintha? Khan assembled at one place to discuss future strategy. The meeting was presided by the Prince who sat in an English chair. At the same time a petition from Muhammad Quli Khan was presented. The Prince signed the document and ordered a reply to be prepared. The meeting continued for one ghari and after it was over the Prince ordered the food to be served. Bahadur Ali Khan, Murad al-Daulah Bahadur, Naubat Khan and Aithiya Khan also joined in. After one ghari the Prince went into his Tasbih Khanah and came out from there after one ghari and again sat on his chair. He ordered his horse to be made ready; the name of the horse is Barqandaz. He went around visiting on his horse for one ghari. Later, he transferred himself on to an elephant and ordered Murad al-Daulah to lead the procession and in this way reached the house of Mir Begam. At this time four cannons were fired. From the Kothi to Alipore, which is a distance of one Koh, the whole area was full of morchals and banners; at this time a number of guns were fired. Maharajah Sahib had meanwhile arranged for ammunition to be sent. He also sent a number of people to find out the location where Sahib [probably an English General on the payroll of the prince] had arrived. Maharaja Sahib has also asked to write to Sahib and to inform him as soon as he arrives. It is rumoured that the Sahib is coming to join the forces of the Prince and for this reason the Prince has travelled to reach the South Gate of the city and has erected morchals there. It is also rumoured that the French forces have also reached the frontiers. -- In addition, a messenger named Ram Dahn and another named Sital? Chand are employed by Gulab Chand in the court of Bahadur Ali Khan. Gulab Chand receives a salary of 12 rupees per month and pays seven rupees a month to Sital Chand. His job is to receive newsletters from harkaras of Gulab Chand and then he writes them down. For this purpose the aforesaid messenger writes to Sital Chand and then Sital Chand reveals them to Bahadur Ali Khan and Bahadur Ali Khan, in turn, informs Huzur about the details of the Prince's army. Sital Chand writes to Ram Dahn and Ram writes to Gulab Chand and Gulab Chand, after verifying all the details, reports to Huzur. -- Enclosure 2: -- -- I have already sent four letters by post. Please do let me know if you have received all these letters as the people here have arrested Ram Dahn the messenger of Gulab Chand when he was on his way to you.

Acknowledges receipt of two letters and two vouchers for payment of salaries for the years 1165 and 1166 Bangla. He will pass on the parvanahs sent to him on to Amir Beg Khan and will send a detailed report afterwards.