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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 along with a parvanah from Maharajah Sahib informing me that the army of the prince was on the run after it's defeat and that I should stop or destroy it if it tries to pass through my territory. As a matter of fact, the prince had already crossed the river Suan before I received parvanahs from the Maharajah Sahib, Navab Sahib and Nasir al-Mulk Bahadur. I am sending my vakil, Devdatt Das, who will be able to explain the situation to you in detail.

Thank you very much for your letter informing me that your vakil, Shaikh Muhammad Anis, will be staying at Calcutta to attend to certain important tasks and that you have appointed Bhayyah Ram in his place and that all business with the Company should be referred to Mr Hastings for approval. Bhayyah Ram is known to us and we will contact him when he is needed.

Thank you for your letter with the good news that two large ships with a large force on board have arrived and some more are on their way. I am sure these will help you to achieve your heart's desires in full. Meanwhile, the letter which Rajah Singh wrote to me is enclosed for your information. -- Enclosure: From Amir Beg Khan to Clive. -- I had earlier informed you about my circumstances in detail. The latest news is that I reached Calcutta with my army on the 15th of Rabi al-Avval, San 5, and went to see Navab Sabitjang, Masih Jang Bahadur and Diwan Nand Kumar. I explained to them my circumstances in detail and sought their advice in paying back the loans I had obtained to pay the government. They have adviced me to settle the loans of the mahajans first. As the repayment of these loans is increasing day by day it is becoming difficult for me to pay the loans back and I seek your help to intervene.

The condition of Rajah Sahib has deteriorated and because of his sufferings he is near death. I see no one else but you to turn to for help.

I hope that you have seen the reports which I have been sending regularly about this region through our messengers based at Benares and Allahabad. The latest report is that after taking my leave from the King on the 14th of Jamadi al-Avval, San 7, I set out to see the Maharajah Sahib. You have advised me to discuss with him terms and conditions of an agreement between you and him in such a way that there is not only any differences left between us but also that it would promote better relations. I have no other interest in mind except to endeavour for friendship and understanding between you and the Maharajah. As soon as I receive details of your terms and conditions I will pass them on to the Maharajah. Whatever questions you have to put to him it would be better that the Major Sahib provides you with a literal English translation. I hope he has conveyed all the information he had received from me.

I reached Hoogli at mid-day on Friday the 12th of Jamadi al-Sani. The next day, Saturday, the director of the Dutch East India Company came to see me and in the evening I entertained the French director. On Sunday I went to see the Director of the Dutch Company and yesterday I went to see the French director again and discussed with them the issue of duties. I am enclosing details of the discussions which took place and the proposals which were put forward. Please let me know if you agree with these terms. I left Hoogli on Sunday to reach Murshidabad. -- Enclosure 1: Details of an agreement reached regarding the duties paid by the Dutch and French companies on their goods.

Please let me know the quantity of timber you require and ask the chief accountant to send me the money accordingly. Meanwhile, I have written to the administrators of the relevant district to supply twelve thousands pieces of timber. -- Enclosure: [Gold-sprinkled]. -- Whatever timber is required I am trying to arrange for its delivery; however, I do not have enough boats to carry this load to Calcutta. I have written to various amils to provide fifty large ships and sixty or seventy small boats to carry this load but so far I have not been able to get enough boats to carry the required amount of timber. This may result in some delay in the supply of this timber.

I hope you have received my earlier letters in Bengali as I have not received any in reply. In my letters I had pointed out the discrepancy in the revenue levied on the District of Balya which comes under the administration of the government. The tax on this land has been assigned at fifteen or sixteen thousand rupees whereas papers for the previous years show that it should not be evaluated more than five pr [sic] six thousand rupees. I have compared these papers with those of the previous years and prepared new papers showing the correct amount of revenues. I have sent a copy of this account to you as well as to the Bara Sahib [Nawab Sahib] but did not receive any response. I would be grateful if you could help in expediting this matter.

Shuja al-Daulah Bahadur has written informing me about the mischievious activities of Mir Qasim against the British which he is carrying on with the help of Afghan hosts and that you are sending an army towards Allahabad under the command of Colonel Barker. From the news I have received from Qasim Ali Khan it appears that he is a prisoner of Rohilla Sardars. They keep a very strict eye on him in case he tries to escape. Only if some disaster happens to the Rohillas will he be able to escape and create trouble for the British.

Because of the disorder created by the Telangas and Jholdarans and the devastation they have created in the region, the people of Hajli ? have not been able to pay their dues. It is requested therefore that you issue a parvanah that until peace and tranquillity and normal business returns any revenue collection from this district may be postponed.

I was going through our previous correspondence and found that I have not received any news of your well-being for some time. I hope you will be able to write and inform me of your good fortunes.

You and your officers are very well aware of my circumstances. Because of this I have been very worried and disturbed. I have asked my Diwan, Labha Kishor Ji, to inform you about these circumstances in detail. I am a poor zamindar who has always lived under the protection of your government. I would appreciate if you could consider the petition of my Diwan sympathetically and send a parwanah to your Faujdar Sahib so that he could instruct his officers. -- Enclosure: Details of a nazur presented of 2 Muhr Ashrafi and 12 rupees.

I have been working very hard from morning to midnight every day to perform my duties. Because of this I have managed the administration of the province as it should be done. The instalment for the month of Kanar has already been collected and so is the instalment for the month of Katak. By the end of the month all accounts for this year will be settled. Between the 15th of Rabi al-Sani and the end of Jamadi al-Avval I have given six Lac rupees to Mr Middleton to deposit in the Kothi. Whatever amount is collected afterwards will also be deposited there. -- Meanwhile, I am enclosing a letter from Munir al-Daulah Bahadur addressed to you which I had received recently. I was not informed about the subject matter of this letter. -- Enclosure 1: From Shitab Rae to Lord Clive. -- The annual tax levied against Asad Allah Khan is thirty thousand rupees. Maharaj Dhiraj Narayan has paid thirty thousand rupees as land tax for the year 1172 fasli. Another thirty thousand was paid by me as tax paid by the above mentioned Khan. -- -- Enclosue 2: [Large multi coloured flowwers on gold background given between the inner and outer borders]. From Munir al-Daulah to Lord Clive. -- I have not had any communication from you for some days and worry about you health and safety. Kindly let me know as soon as possible that you are well. -- -- Enclosue 3: [Decoated with gold cubes]. From Munir al-Daulah to Lord Clive. -- I had earlier sent you a report on the activities of the wretched and useless Qasim Ali Khan. He, expecting help from the Prince, had assembled a guard to protect him. With the advice and consultation of some of his sirdars he called his men from Farrukhabad to Basolah and Amlah to be near when they were taken into custody by Hafiz al-Mulk Bahadur and they were sent to H.M. In this regard I had received two letters from Hafiz Rahmat Khan; these are enclosed for your information. After receiving instructions from His Majesty these men were set free and not killed. I have written to you about this in my previous letter and hope that you have read it by now. While Hafiz Rahmat Khan is alive Qasim Ali Khan would not have the power or ability to do anything against his wishes because Hafiz Rahmat Khan is a very faithful and devoted servant of H.M. and a great friend and ally of Nawab Shuja al-Daulah Bahadur [Clive]. He is also one of my close friends and a friend and well-wisher of the English. I am writing all this to you so that you are satisfied about him and do not worry on his account. I see trouble brewing in Shahjahanabad and will write to you if anything happens; please do remember my situation also. I have not been able to pay the sahukars, Kahmiri Mall and Bejnath Pandit, the amounts I owe them yet. Their messengers are demanding the sum from me. Kindly write to them not to do so. -- -- Enclosue 4: From Hafiz Rahmat Khan Bahadur to Navab Munir al-Daulah Riza Quli Khan Bahadur Nadirjang. -- -- You may have received my reply to your earlier letter by now. In accordance with your wishes, and following the command of His Majesty, I had sent some of my trusted men to Navab Muhammad Ahmad Khan who had given protection to the pretender[shakhs-i ja'li - Mir Qasim] in his state so as to convince him about the bad consequences of doing so. He replied that the person concerned had gone to Anulah where he wanted to start the flame of rebellion and where local people had assembled to pay their respect to him. Knowing this I tactfully called him here and took him into custody. Please do not worry about him any more and let His Majesty know that I am here to serve him in any way I can. -- Navab Najib al-Daulah has left Shahjahanabad because of his illness and has gone gone to his country. This has left the seat of the Khilafat at the mercy of troublemakers; it is necessary to look after the affairs there. -- -- Enclosue 5: From Hafiz Rahmat Khan Bahadur to Navab Munir al-Daulah Riza Quli Khan Bahadur Nadirjang. -- -- I had earlier sent you news about the imprisonment of the pretender. In order to pursue this matter I have sent my trusted officers in all directions to search for him. At the same time I had sent some of my trusted men to Nawab Ahmad Khan Bahadur. I had instructed them that in case of trouble they should not hesitate to cut his head off. However, with the grace of God and the blessing of His Majesty as well as with great tact and diplomacy they were able to take him into custody. After putting him in shackles he was given into the custody of two of my most trusted officers, Khvajah Muhammad Tarab and Dhukal Singh Hazari, to escort him and to present him before His Majesty. Rae Dalchand and Kanjhidas may have already sent you details of this affair.

Just to let you know that I had passed your previous letter to His Majesty and have now received a reply which is enclosed with this letter. -- Enclosure: From Shah Alam Badshah to Lord Clive. -- We were very pleased to have received your letter assuring us of your loyalty and that you will be pleased to obey any of our commands. Two months have passed since you informed me that you had asked Munir al-Daulah Bahadur to send us six Lac rupees to pay the salaries of our army. Out of this amount you had asked him to send us a bank draft/Hundavi of five Lac rupees at once so that our army could be paid their salaries. Because of the delay in receiving this sum my army is getting very impatient. I would appreciate if you could expedite this payment.

Report by Gangali Harkara sent from Benares on the 15th of Rabi al-Avval and received at Azimabad on the 19th of the above month. -- The army of the Prince marched from Riwan and are encamped on the banks of [the river] Bishode?; they are stationed at Aunchi Dhaba. He has an army of one thousand and five hundred horsemen and three thousand foot soldiers with him. None of the sons of Rajah Ajit Singh is with him. Kardar Husain Baig has recently joined him. He is also accompanied by Madar al-Daulah, Buland Khan and other Jamadars have also arrived. On the advice of Kardar Husain Baig some of his men have gone to Allahabad with their banners; however, the Navab Baqa Allah went there and threw them out of the city.