________________
JANUARY, 1907.)
AHMAD SHAH AND IMAD-UL-MULK.
15
and marched with the Mir, leaving his regiment at Farrukhābād. The first day's halt was made in the Sarãe at A taipur. Through fear of the villagers and of thieves, every one had run away and our whole night was passed in watching.
Next day we were at Qadirganj," which is situated on the edge of the Ganges and was founded by Shujā'at Khān. We rested there. Next morning we crossed the river (Ganges) and reached the town of Bisanli, founded by Donde Khān, Robelah. The Mir şāhib went to interview Donde Khān. As it happened, on that day Mullā Sardär Khan, Bakhshi, was present. He said that Ahmad Khan (Bangash) was their sovereign, but when he had taken opiam he invented silly ideas. "Your prey is not caught every time. He does not render thanks to God "sufficiently; the Most High having protected him from the hands of the Irānis? and brought *him back from the hills and set him up again at Farrukhābād."
The Mir Sahib said: "It is for that reason that I have appeared here, so that what you " advise can be put into execution." Sardar Khăn replied: "There is no harm in your going, "for Najib Kbān bas written to me that the Shah has mentioned repeatedly that he had come "to uphold Islām, above all, to support the Afghān clans, whose territories have been occupied " by the unbelieving Mahrattahs.. Since Aḥmad Khân, too, is an Afghān, he (the Shāh) will "andoubtedly bestow attention on bis circumstances. But where has Ahmad Khăn the troops "and the treasure, that he can cope successfully with the difficult undertakings that are ahead
of him. Without a large and powerful force it will be impossible to expel the Mahrattahs. * The Shāh has come to Hindustan on this occasion, but he will not remain here."
Donde Khan entertained the Mir Sahib as his guest for one day, and gave him an attendant (jilwadar) by way of escort, to accompany him to his boundary and then return.
Thus after three days we reached parganah Baran, which is known as Unchah-ganw. There, one Karam Khan was faujdär on behalf of Donde Khân. He, too, kept us as his guests for one day. He gave us ten Rohelahs to go with us as escort to Sikandrah, and thence to return. From Baran in three days we reached Sikandrah, whicb was full everywhere of fugitives from round about Shābjahânābād.
The Mir Sahib left his retinue behind at Sikandrah, and taking only the limited number of thirty servants, six cavalry men, and three baggage camels, decided to push on farther. On the fourth day we were at the town of Anūpshahr, which lies on the river (Ganges) bank, On these marches, in every village we passed, not a sign of an inhabitant was to be seen, and along the route unnumbered dead bodies were lying. Anūpshahr, too, was crowded with fugitives from Shāhjabänäbäd, to such an extent that it was difficult to force a way through its lanes. The Rājah of Anūpshahr came to yisit the Mir Şahib, and made known to us that from of old time parganah Anūpshahr had continued in the jagir of the Bakhshi-ul-mamalik, and at that time was in the jäger of Amir-ul-umara, Nawāb Najib-ud-daulah, that is, Najib Khān. Under the oppressive hand of bis Rohelabs its lands had fallen out of cultivation, and every year the amount of waste land was increasing. If the gentleman (i. ., the Mir Şahib, Sher Andaz Khan, would exert himself to get it (parg. Anūpshahr) transferred to the jāgir of Ghaganfar Jang, and if the said Şahib were sent there in charge of it on behalf of that noble, they would reach the spmmit of their desires and their prosperity would return. The Mir Sahib agreed to try.
As it chanced, the anthor had gone to water bis horse at the river (Ganges). I saw two horsemen, residents of Bilgrām, giving water to their horses. I recognized them and enquired • Now spelt 'Atãipur ; it is close to Man-Qaimganj.
In the Etah district. He died 5th Muharram, 1185 H., 19th April 1771 ; he was the father-in-law of Najib Khan, Najib-ud-daulah (Tarikhs.Muhammadi). Sardar Khan, Bakhshi, died on the 22nd Shawwal, 1185 H., 30th January 1772 (Chahar Gulshan-s-Bhojā'i of Har Charan Das, B. M. Or., 1732, fol. 187").
An allagion to Safdar Jang's attacks in 1750, 1751. . "High Village," now known as Buland-Shahr, "High Town"; it is in the Düäbah. In other words, Najib Khan held at the time the office of Bakhshi-ul-Mamalik.
