Eitem CR9/4/48. - Letter from Mir Jafar,

Thanks for your reply. I fully understand your advice. Meanwhile, I had received a report from Rif'at Pinah Mansa Ram, dated 16 Muharram, reg.yr. 4. A copy of this report is enclosed for your information. Previously I had sent copy of a report by Ram Narayan Bahadur in which he had informed that the Nawab Shuja al-Daulah had employed some French officers in his court. I hope you have read that report. -- Enclosure 1: Copy of a report sent from the capital [Lucknow] by Mansa Ram, dated 16 Muharram, reg.yr. 4 and received on 14 Safar, reg.yr. 4. -- Although the sardars of the surrounding areas have good reputations but we feel some of them like Raghunath Rao are facing financial difficulties. --Ramchand Pandit went to see the Nawab on 12 Muharram to seek an appointment for Raghunath Rao. Later the Nawab wrote to Raghunath Rao to discuss all-important matters with Muhammad Ali Khan [Kharchi?]. Muhammad Ali Khan arrived here with a force of less than two thousand horsemen and is encamped near the Sarae of the late Rafi al-Daulah Khan. On 14 Muharram when this news came to be known Ganga Dhar Pandit, Diwan of Malhar, and Rajah Anandji Pandit, representing Raghunath Rao Peshwa, went to receive and welcome him there. They went to see him in his tent and presented gifts of cloths, one Lac, one thousand and one rupees and precious stones. At night they all got together in his tent to discuss matters. Later they sent a bag of letters with gifts to Nawab Shuja al-Daulah. Raghunath Rao sent some clothes and one hundred and one rupees as a present. I have managed to meet Rao Malhar and I am staying with the Marhatta army. -- As a loyal servant I would like to point out that Nawab Shuja al-Daulah is planning some secret moves. For this he has called all Marhatta sardars and then march towards you with them. I have, meanwhile managed to impress two or three times on Raghunath Rao that you have retaken the port of Calcutta and have built up a strong force and have achieved a number of great victories. --Raja Ram Narayan, assistant governor of Azimabad, Rajah Banuhar Singh, zamindar of Benares, and Sundar Shah, zamindar of Bakari, had sent a bag of letters to Raghunath Rao. They have now received their replies. Whatever they write in reply will be discussed tomorrow. -- Meanwhile the Afghan Emperor Ahmad Khan Abdali has written to the Nawab that all territories up to the borders of Sirhind come under his jurisdiction and he would not agree to any changes in that. He has asked his sardars not to proceed beyond these boundaries and that the Nawab should also stick to what has been agreed between them. He has also written to the Nawab that he had earlier asked him to send the treasuries of Deccan, the South as well the Jats but he has not received any of them as yet. The Nawab thereafter sought the help of the Marhattas and brought the contents of these letters to the notice of Raghunath Rao and Balhar Rao. The above-mentioned meeting was arranged to discuss these circumstance. In the light of the discussions which took place the Nawab has now sent a reply to Ahmad Shah Abdali. -- Enclosure 2. Copy of a report sent by Rajah Ram Narayan [He was Deputy Governor of Bihar under Ali Vardi Khan and Siraj al-Daulah. Mir Jafar wanted to remove him but he gave proof of his loyalty by fighting against Prince Ali Gohar/Shah Alam II in December 1759. Mir Kasim who became Nawab in 1760 had him drowned in 1763 because of his intrigues against him which were supported by Clive]. --A meeting took place between the Muhammad Quli Khan and the Europeans on 20th Muharram, reg.yr. 4 in which it was discussed and agreed that all [trade] negotiations should be conducted through the Europeans. Later the matter was referred to Nawab Shuja al-Daulah who replied that the Europeans were untrustworthy and whatever Nawab Quli had agreed was done without his approval. Therefore all agreements reached were null and void. The Europeans later left Lucknow and came to Bijnor where they approached Tamkin Khan to plead their case. Tamkin wrote to the Nawab that the Europeans have brought thousands of presents and it would benefit his subjects if their presents were accepted by the Nawab. The Nawab agreed to receive them on his advice and they were received by Nawab Shuja al-Daulah in Barahdari-yi kalan on 22nd, reg.yr. 3 and the Europeans presented three trays of gifts, one laden with cloths, the other with precious stones and jewellery and the third with daggers, pistols and binoculars, etc. There were six Europeans, five of them were, in return, presented with Khillats of four cloths and the sixth with the Khillat of three cloths. Later they retired to their kothi. --Another, contemporary translation of the contents is CR8/1, entry no. 252