Dangos 14 canlyniad

Today, 22 Dhu al-Hijjah [i.e. 27 August 1758], 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, brother of Fakhr al-Tujjar. 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

I have always served your government with dedication and hard work and have never exceeded my authority but in spite of that Narayan Singh and my brother Mathra Mall have been killed and I have been put under army custody and without cause they want to create unnecessary disturbances. I am requesting you as a just person to remedy this situation and arrange for my release so that I could come and pay my respect to you and explain this situation to you personally. -- Another, contemporary translation of the contents is CR8/1, entry no. 236.

Thank you for your reply to my letter, along with copy of a letter from the Nawab and your assurance that you regard me as your friend and that I should not loose my wits. Since I have put all my trust in you and regard you as my protector and benefactor I consider myself safe. As far as the dismissal of Mir Ali Akbar is concerned, the Nawab has written in his letter that I should show his orders to Muhammad Misri and to give him the parvanah so that he could bring Mir Ali Akbar here and then we could send him to Murshidabad. Outwardly, the Nawab wants to show that Muhammad Misri was coming here with five hundred cavalry and one thousand musketeers as well as parvanahs addressed to them to bring landholders who had been arrested by them. I believe this has nothing to do with the dismissal of Mir Ali Akbar otherwise, as before, he would have asked you to perform this duty. Now he is writing to you so that you could send it to me. -- Enclosure 1: On the instructions of Fakhr al-Tujjar, a couple of messengers from Hoogly went towards Machli Bandar on 23 Safar, reg.yr. 5 to go to Bijhapore [?]. Because of some trouble in that area both Hamdev and Narayandev reached here after a delay of fourteen days. They informed me that Anand Raj, Rajah of Bijenagar, was not well and had asked his Hakim and Hamdev to go to the English for his treatment. -- Enclosure 2: About four hundred Guards and Tilanga soldiers have entered Midnapore. From here they intend to go to Balsar Port. Similarly two hundred more have arrived at Bhadrak. It looks as if they have been summoned by Valajah. -- Another letter from Ram Singh also with an enclosure and received on the same date as this, but which is now missing, was summarised: Thank you for your reply to my letter along with a copy of a letter from the Nawab informing me about the dismissal of Mir Ali Akbar and that I should ask Misri Khan to deliver the summons to him and as soon as he arrives he should be sent to Murshidabad. You have informed me that Muhammad Misri Khan was coming here with five hundred horsemen, one thousand musketeers and with parvanahs addressed to zamindars.

Refers to Amir Beg Khan, Muhammad Misri, Ali-khan Bahadur and Ramnarayan. -- Enclosure 1: Copy letter from Amir Beg Khan relating to the Nawab and the sum of 1,600 rupees. Enclosure 2: Bears the authentication seal of the cazi [Ahmad al-Din Khadim Sadr al-Haqq Khan Qazi Shar` Rasul Allah], is a copy of a letter from Mir Ali Akbar, dated 25 Safar [i.e. 28 October 1758], relating to Muhammad Misri also.

I am sure you are aware of the situation here from the regular reports I have been sending you. I have now received a parwanah on 3 Rabi` I, reg.yr. 5, with an official seal of the Nawab Sahib informing that he has bestowed the jagir of Shahpur and Amarasi to his son Najabat Ali Khan Bahadur and that I should leave Shahpur. I am now residing in Kashichandah. Amir Beg Khan has written to me asking me to present a nazur of one thousand and six hundred rupees in three instalments. I am keeping the original documents of these orders with me and would be able to produce them in your presence.

I had earlier sent you a detailed report about the affairs of this place. Later Mir Ali Akbar wrote a letter to Rajah Ram Narayan, zamindar, who had sent it to me with a covering letter. Now I am enclosing this for your information. This will clearly show that Mir Ali Akbar is bent on waging war. In the light of the above please let me know what action to take against him.

I have earlier informed you about the details of war waged against me by Mir Ali Akbar. It would have shown you that the Mir with his army, his personal guards, cannons and armaments has arrived in Mohanpore and his advance guards and army has already reached Sahore. I have moved at a distance of five Karaoh [ten miles] and the Mir is threatening to make a night attack on my forces. The parvanah you sent to him has made no difference and he is telling people that by the time I receive any help from Calcutta he will have me killed in a battle. As I have no one else but you to turn to I seek your help to save me from this trouble. I am sure if you write to him strongly he would not dare to disobey your orders. He follows the orders of his master Misbah al-Din Muhammad Khan. Your letter received by him on 28 Safar, reg.yr. 5 has had no effect. If you wish I am willing to come and see you personally.

A messenger has arrived from Bandar Balsar carrying papers belonging to the Bara Sahib [Governor of Calcutta?] He informed that these papers belonged to Colonel Bhut[?]/ Sot and were taken at Machhli Bandar. They were brought in here after receiving a reply from here. With the help of God I have managed to rescue these from him. Please let me know what steps to take next.

A contemporary translation of the contents is CC2/4, entry no. 142 with two enclosures (not translated), referring to affairs in Deccan, Nawab Tariq(?) Alikhan Bahadur and Misri Khan. Envelope includes short inscription in unjoined nagari script.

Muhammad Misri with an army of four hundred cavalry and five hundred foot soldiers has entered Burdwan. Seeing this force Ali Akbar fled from the city with his force and belongings and came to me and wants to wage a war. The forces of Mir Sulaiman have also joined him. I am sending my men to you to inform you about this in detail. I myself will be coming to see you in two or three days so that I can explain to you the details personally.

A contemporary translation of the contents is CC2/4, entry no. 157

Thank you very much for your letter received here on 10 RabiI, reg.yr. 5 asking me to act on the advice given in Amir Beg Khan's letter. Amir Beg Khan has written to me that I should go and see him for four or five days so that he can tell me what to do next. As Muhammad Misri is here with a force of four hundred horsemen and five hundred foot soldiers and the Divan is in Madanpore the administration of the state is not as it should be. Muhammad Misri meets Mir Ali Akbar in private and we do not know what they discuss during these meetings. Therefore I have written to Amir Beg Khan that I will not be able to go and see him until I get rid of the trouble makers from here. If everything goes well I hope to leave here on 12 Rabi I by land and reach there soon.

A contemporary translation is CC2/3, item no. 125.

Thank you very much for your letter inviting me to come and see you. In fact, before I received your letter I was myself intending to come and see you but when I mentioned my intentions to Khvajah Abd al-Hadi Khan Sahib who was visiting Burdwan he persuaded me not to go un-invited. I will be grateful if you could arrange to send five guards and a permit to travel for me so that I could pay my respect to you without delay and plead to you personally for the release of my brother Narayan Singh and my son Mathra Mall. -- Another, contemporary translation of the contents is CR8/1, entry no. 253.