distance. It was a Caravan of mules, and camels with a numerous train of attendants. The conductor of the Caravan rode up to Ali and apologised for a delay of four days, which had been incurred he stated through fear of robbers. Now Ali had previously made himself known to the merchants of Bagdad, as one of their class, who had come to the city with a caravan of his own, but had been cut off from it by banditti and compelled to seek safety in flight; in concordance with which story, the Genius of the Treasure had provided these seeming Mules and Camels, which, with their drivers were all phantoms. The Merchants of Bagdad were filled with astonishment, at the wealth of Ali, and accompanied him to his dwelling, where their wives were also assembled to meet the wife of Ali: the men collected in the lower, the women in the upper chambers, and all were treated with great civility, and a sumptuous regale, and rose water and perfumes were scattered lavishly about. In their turn they offered presents to Ali and his family, and nothing was to be seen, but servants with trays of fruits, flowers, confectionary, and rich stuffs. Ali then gave the supposed muleteers and camel drivers their dismissal, with which they were well pleased. On asking his wife an account of her travels she told him that she had fallen asleep, and when she awoke found herself in the midst of the caravan. Ali opening the chests was surprised at the quantity of gold, precious stones, and rich clothes they contained - he shewed his treasures to his wife, and told her his adventures. God be praised she exclaimed; this is the result of your father's benedictions. Now follow his advice and never relapse into the habits into which your former companions seduced you. Ali promised her to reform and he kept his promise. He placed the Brocades and jewels in a Magazine, and engaged assiduously in trade. The reputation of Ali at last came to the ears of the King of Bagdad, who expressed a desire to see him. Ali therefore repaired to the palace, taking with him four large scarlet trays full of the most valu able jewels as his present to the King. The King received him with great condescension, and when he saw the present he was struck with wonder, for its value far exceeded that of the whole of the royal treasury. He called his ministers and principal men, to look at the trays and asked them what they thought of the deserts of a man, who had made so magnificent an offering. He is a man of the highest merit, no doubt replied the Vizir. So I think, said the King, and I will make bim my son-in-law, that is if my consort and the Princess my daughter, have the same notion of his worth that you have, who are, a true mine of sagacity. Upon this he ordered the trays, to be conveyed into the inner chambers. Whence came these splendid gems enquired the Queen: from Khajeh Ali the jeweller, replied the King, one of the most opulent merchants in Bagdad, or in the world. We cannot, continued he, accept these without some return, and what return can we make; the only equivalent would be the inestimable pearl our daughter; what say you, our visir has declared him to be a man of the highest merit, and as he is a very well favoured person and young, the Princess will probably be of the same opinion. On the same day the King called a general council, to which the principal merchants, were invited, that they might express their acknowledgements for the honour to be conferred on their fraternity. The head kazi was also summoned, and commanded to prepare the contract of marriage between the Princess and Khajeh Ali, of Cairo. Your pardon, cried Ali, how can a merchant become the son-in-law of a Prince. You are no more a merchant, replied the King, 1 make you of equal rank with my vizir, and a privy councillor. Sire, yet one word. Speak out without fear. I have, said Ali, been married these fifteen years, and have a son fourteen years old, now if your majesty would transfer to the son the grace you design for the father-Not a bad idea, said the King: let us see your son: what is his name. Hassan, replied Ali. -Hassan, a very good name for the son-in-law of a King, let him be called. Ali immediately went for his son, whose graceful person and gentle manners won all hearts the moment he appeared. The Queen and the Princess gladly assented to the exchange, and the marriage was celebrated with festivities that lasted a whole month. The King had two palaces erected contiguous to his own; one for the young couple, and the other for his new vizir. So passed many years in the enjoyment of all the pleasures of life. The King fell dangerously ill, and having no son of his own, thought it necessary to provide for the succession: a council was therefore assem. bled, and the members who knew the King's wishes, unanimously declared for Hassan the son of Ali. He was accordingly installed. Three days afterwards the King died, and was buried with the usual solemnities, and a mourning of forty days was observed at court. Hassan the son of Ali, filled the throne with so much propriety, that it might be said he had been called to it from his birth: he was beloved by his people, and reigned in peace and prosperity. His father was, vizir, and Hassan had three children who in the course of time succeeded to the kingdom. Praised be the power of God who disposes of kingdoms and thrones at his will, and shews favour upon those who do good unto others. Mohammedan Conquest of Asam. It is well known that repeated attempts were made by the Mohammedan Princes of Hindustan to extend their authority over Asam, and that they were always foiled in the attempt by the peculiarities of the country and the unhealthiness of the climate. The most vigorous efforts occurred in the early part of the reign of Aurengzeb, under the direction of one of the bravest and best of the Mogul Generals, Mir Jumla, and very full details of his proceedings are given by various authors, who have written the History of the imperial house of Dehli: amongst these the description of Asam, as connected with the narrative of the invasion, was translated by Mr. Vansittart from the Alemgir Nama, and published in the 2d volume of the Asiatic Researches: the account of the expedition was no doubt comprised in the translation of the entire work of Mir Kasim, the publication of which was announced, but we are not sure, took place at any rate the work is extremely rare, and has not fallen under our observation: the same account with the text was published in the first volume of the Asiatic Miscellany, and in the Asiatic Annual Register for 1800. In the first volume of the second series of the Miscellany, a life of Mir Jumla is given which includes an account of the conquest of Asam, but the account is brief. Dow and Stewart are still more concise, and we have not any extensive detail of a generally accessible character of the measures which terminated in the subjugation of Asam by the arms of the Moguls. As a subject of some interest therefore, and as furnishing probably, some hints for enquiry or comparison we have extracted from the Hedikat as Sefa, an account of the operations of Mir Jumla, and a description of the scene in which they were prosecuted. Subjugation of Kuch Behar, and Asam, by Mir Jumla, Moazim Khan, Khan Khanan. At the close of the year of the Hijra 1067, (A D 1658) the Emperor Shah Jehan, was seized with a very severe illness, which it was universally expected would terminate in his death: this opinion led to much disorder in the affairs of the state, and many ill disposed persons took the opportunity of disturbing the public tranquillity amongst others, the Raja or Zemindar of Kuch Behar threw off his allegiance, and suddenly falling on Ghoraghat captured the place, and carried off a number of Mohammedans prisoners: he then sent a force against the imperial troops stationed in Kamrup which is dependant on Ghoraghat, and his detachment was joined by considerable re-inforcements from Asam, the Raja of which country, Ranjan Sing + These transactions are very differently stated by Hamilton, who says that the subjects of the Raja rebelled against him in consequence of his acknowleging himself a vassal of the Emperor, and that he called in the Moguls to his succor. The Raja of Asam is called Jaydhaj, (Jayadhwaja) Sinh by Mir Kasim, and Beej Sinh in the life of Mir Jumla. Buchanan, in his account of Asam contained in the first, and only volume of the Annals of Oriental Literature (p. 193.) gives a list of thirteen princes anterior to Gadhadhar the father of Rudra, some of whose coins are dated in 1695, and states that the invasion of Asam occurred in the reign of the thir teenth whom he calls Chukum; a name very unlike, either of those to be found in the Mohammedan writers. The names of these princes of Asam, occur, Buchanan states, in a chronicle amongst the books called Bulongji, written in a character which appears on the old coins, which seems to have a strong affinity with that of Ava. The Kings are named. 1 Khuntai 2 Chukapha 3 Chutaupha 4 Chubenong 5 Chuinong 6 Tukophi 9 Chuchong names more like Chinese than Sanscrit. At the same time the frequent occurrence of names of places decidedly Sanscrit in the Mohmamme dan writers verifiable to the present hour, is rather at variance with the idea that the language and literature, and proper names of the country differed essentially from those of the Hindus. If the account is correct, Khuntai and his successors may have been barbarian chiefs from the east or south, who took advantage of the depressed state of the Hindus after the Mohammedan conquest, to establish a new Sovereignty in Asam, and introduced a new Literature, and apparently a new religion in the worship of the God Cheng, which partially displaced those of the former rulers. readily concurred in the project to expel the armies of the empire from that part of India. Lutf Ali Khan who commanded in Kamrup being unable to oppose the confederates was under the necessity of retiring, and the whole of that district was occupied by the Raja of Asam, the general of the Zeminder returning to his own district. The Asamese followed up their success, and penetrated as far as Jamdhar; Shah Shuja being too much engaged with his own affairs to proceed against these invaders.. These incursions of the Asamese were not entirely a new occurrence in the early part of the reign of Shah Jehan, they had invaded the empire, and had been repelled by the valour of Islam Khan, then Governor of Bengal. Islam Khan was recalled to court in the midst of his operations, when he had advanced to Kajuli, and the enemy had remained quiet during the administration of Bengal by prince Shuja. The events that followed the illness of Shah Jehan precluded any attempt to punish the insolence of the Asamese. In the third year of the reign of Aurengzeb, however, in 1070 of the Hijra (A D 1660) Moazim Khan, Khan Khanán, was sent with an army into Kamrup to recover the country, whilst Raja Sujan Sinh was despatched against the Raja of Kuch Behar. The preparations against him alarmed this latter chief into the shew of submission, and he addressed an humble epistle to the imperial general. Khan Khaan, however, compelled his envoy to swallow the letter, and then threw him into confinement. In the mean time Rashid Khan who had been detached in advance Kamrup is the name by which the western portion of Asam is known in Sanscrit Literature; it is termed also Pragjyotish, and its princes were connected by marriage with those of Cashmir at a very early period; in the first century of the Christian era according to the historians of Cashmir. Bhagadatta king of Kamrup is one of the warriors in the Mahabharata. According to Wade, Asiatic Miscellany 1805 Kamrup seems to have occupied all the countries to the south of the Berhampooter from Bontulli to Kapelimukh, and on the northern side to have extended from the Karatoya river in Bengal to the Dikolai beyond. Derengh. Miscellaneous Tracts p. 120. |