Perhaps you may remember the day I came to see you with my son and that you informed me that you were considering arranging for a honourable discharge for me from my services. I am grateful for your kindness. Meanwhile, at this time of the harvest the situation in the country is getting worse and because of the extortion and mismanagement of the tahsildar most of the cultivators are running away and the remaining inhabitants are complaining. Although I do not consider this a very pleasant duty it is essential that I inform you about the mismanagement of the company's tahsiladar. I do not wish to ask anything more than my pension to support my dependants. As I am not keeping very well I wish to go away from this place for a change of air. I would be grateful if you could issue orders for my pension to be paid.
On the night of the 8th of Safar a middle-aged men clad in a blanket came here and stopped at the mausoleum of a faqir next to the Sarae Mo. He has put up his bed there and claims that he is the son of Rafi al-Darajat and Nuh/son-in-law of Emperor Bahadur Shah. I went to investigate this in the morning and found out that he claimed that he had escaped from Delhi Fort to Hyderabad and came here to gather support and conquer the country. I intend to take him into custody but will wait until I have completed my investigation.
A friend of mine, Mir Tahavvur Ali, has lost a valuable horse and it has apparently come into your possession. I would be grateful if it could be returned to its rightful owner.
Just to let you know that all is well here. I have written a number of letters to you which you may have received by now. I look forward to receiving news of your good health.
I received your letter and was happy to know that you are well. I have already written a letter to you which will be sent by the next post. I am sure it will reach you soon. I have also written to Mr Askrafton [Luke Scrafton] and Mr Heshton. I will be posting these letters as well soon.
I am glad to know that you are on your way from Murshidabad to Calcutta. I was hoping to see you before you left but I was prevented from doing so because of some unfavourable circumstances. Meanwhile, I am sending today, the 21st of instant, an instalment of one Lac rupees. I am not neglecting my duty in paying the rest of the amount and, God willing, I will be paying my dues in regular instalments. For this I will be travelling to Burdwan soon to see the Maharajah Sahib and Diwan Sahib.
Contrary to the practice of your predecessors we have not heard from you for a long time. I have been informed that some ships have arrived from England; no doubt they will be carrying some presents for us. It is requested therefore that you submit a list of all valuable and rare items along with their prices so that we can select what we may need from this list. Please also tell your agents who come to this part of the world to sell their goods that they should approach us first for the sale of their goods.
I had gone to Ajudhia for the sacred baths when I had the opportunity to seek an audience with Shuja al-Daulah Bahadur. He was very kind to me and repeatedly asked me about you and I replied to him, very diplomatically, that which I consideres to be appropriate. He wished to appoint me to negotiate between you and him but I refused this offer; he took me aside to question me further privately. Later on the Navab Vazir on the advice of his courtier came to this part of the country. After travelling two manzils the Navab Vazir asked his Begam and his son Mirza Amani to return to Faizabad. As I did not find the conversation of courtiers very amiable I separated from the company of the Navab and returned to where I am now. The Navab who is at present coming to see you expects a large number of favours from you. I am writing to you to warn you of his intentions. I will be waiting for whatever you want me to do next.
Before my departure from you we had a lot of questions and answers regarding my attitude towards your sending me to see the benefactor/mushfiq. God is a witness that I was not happy to come to this place but it is after a lot of assurances and cajoling from you that I agreed to take your leave and proceeded to see the mushfiq. This was done only because I care for the well-being of Gods creation and regard myself as your friend, and care for the welfare of the people, the prosperity of the country and your future. That is why, after disregarding my own wishes, and in order not to embarrass you and blacken my face before God, his prophet and his followers and considering the interests of my people above my own interests and considering you as the Plato of this age I departed to see the mushfiq. After a short stay at Benares with your approval I went to see him and stayed with him four to five gharis with him; I am now on my way to come and see you.
Forty boats loaded with sherbet have recently arrived here but by mistake they went back without delivering their cargoes. As this sherbet is required here I would appreciate if they are asked to return. In addition, we would like to have two hundred maunds of candles for our use during the month of Muharram.
Thank you very much for your letter along with your instructions. Soon after receiving your letter I instructed my kitchen staff to prepare a meal following your instructions and to serve it at exactly two pas. I would like to assure you not to worry about the arrangements. Following your orders I have sent the following three items to the Nawab, -- 1. A reply to his letter. -- 2. News that Nawab Sabitjang Bahadur wishes to pay him a visit. -- 3. News that the army, which had arrived by way of Dini[?], has now left.
I am writing to inform you that we are all well and that I am looking forward receiving good news of your welfare and good health. I hope my earlier letters have reached safely.
Maharajah Rajah Januji Bhonsla has asked me to deliver some of his letters to you. For this purpose I have now reached Katak on the 29th of Zi al-Hajj. Prior to this my son Gopal Puri had written to you about my mission. I hope to be with you soon. Meanwhile, Mr Allen Sahib of Katak Kothi may have also sent you some information about me.
I received your letter informing me that you had reached Muradbagh on the 9th of Ramazan and came to know that Navab Nasir al-Mulk was annoyed with Maharajah Dulabha Ram. You managed to resolve this issue after negotiating between the two and that you have called Jagat Seths to assist you in the court case of Genda? Mall. When I reached Murshidabad I came to know from my servants that you were unhappy about my performance and that until I perform my duties properly you would not be happy with me. Please rest assured that I am a devoted servant of the company and that I am extremely happy that you have now entered Murshidabad. Maharajah Dulabha Ram is a very sincere well-wisher of yours and I am glad that the misunderstanding between him and Nasir al-Mulk have been removed. As far as the case of Genda [?] Mall is concerned it was not appropriate that a person of your status should involve himself in such minor affairs. However, whatever you have decided must be proper.
Thank you for your letter informing me that this is the season for ships to depart and asking me why the company ships have not left as yet and that I should make sure that they depart immediately and if I do not follow this order I should explain the reasons not for doing so. -- -- I am very surprised to read the contents of this letter as until now the rulers have never bothered to know anything about this matter. We people know better when these ships should depart and have always sent these ships when we thought it was the right time for them to go.
I have pleasure in sending you a piece of special cloth manufactured in our factory at Jahangirnagar along with some sweets and perfumes as a gift. Please let me know if you like the cloth so that, if required, I can send you some more.
