The dead are buried with their heads towards the east. The poor inter the body simply under ground, but the opulent erect sepulchral monuments over their relatives. The wives and slaves of a man of rank, are - put to death, and buried with him, and food and clothes for several years consumption, a lamp, and supply of oil, and a live (Mashalchi or) servant to trim it, as well as money are put into the grave with the corpse. Khan Khanan ordered ten monuments to be broke open, and found about 90,000 Rupees in them. In the tomb of a Raja, who had died about 90 years before, a gold pan-dan was discovered, filled with pan-leaves, which were still fresh and green. The Mohammedans settled in Asam observed the usual forms of the faith when not prevented by the natives.

*

Gergaon has four gates constructed of stone and clay. From each gate to the palace of the Raja is a distance of 3 cos. The city is inclosed with a fence of canes, and raised causewayst so as to keep open communication in the rains, lead from the city. In front of every house is a garden, and some cultivated ground, and it is rather a fortified inclosure of villages than a The palace of the Raja is on the Dekho which flows through the city, and is lined on either side with houses, and small markets for the sale of betel, there being no daily traffic in food or necessaries, as the inhabitants are accustomed to lay in what they require for a year at once. The Raja's palace is surrounded by a

town.

* Gergaon according to Wade was made the capital of Asam, by Sukapha conqueror of the country, a name that is no doubt that of the second prince in Buchanan's list or Chukapha. The latter writer records the conquest of Asam, but attributes it to Khun-tai, but who were these conquerors, and from whom did they wrest Asam. The transaction is not very remote if Buchanan's list may be trusted, for 14 reigns anterior to 1695 will not carry us farther back, than to 1275, even allowing 30 years to a reign. Gergaon was in ruins, when Dr. Wade visited Asam.

The banks of the Dikho are connected by a lofty rampart with the southern mountains through an extent of ten or fifteen miles: it was constructed in remote antiquity for the protection of Gergaon-Wade. The high road or causeway in some places forty feet high leads from Rangpur to the mouth of the Jazi, and is continued from the opposite bank.Ibid. A military causeway extends from the limits of Kuch Behar to the utmost limits of Asam-Ibid.

causeway defended by an inclosure of bamboos, a and ditch always full of water. The circumference of the

inclosure is one cos and four jaribs, and it contains lofty halls and other apartments, some of wood, and some of mats. The Dewan Khaneh is 650 cubits long, and thirty broad, supported by 66 wooden pillars: polished stones, and iron plates are arranged about the hall, so as to shine like mirrors in the rays of the sun three thousand carpenters and 12,000 labourers were employed upon the hall for two years. When the Raja takes his seat in the hall, or when he travels, the Dhol and Dand are beaten instead of the Nakara. The Dand is a round plate of bell metal.

Namrup whither the Raja had fled is a district in Dekhinkul lying between three lofty hills. It is three days distance from Gergaon, and is approachable by paths difficult even for travellers on foot. There is a road for mounted travellers leading in the commencement through a thick forest for a cos and a half, and terminating in a defile strewed with stones, and full of water

Military operations of the Moguls, concluded.

After effecting the reduction of the country, Khan Khanan read the Khotbeh, and struck the coins in the the name of Alemgir. Upon the approach of the rains, he made preparation for keeping open the communications and securing the safe arrival of supplies. He left Mir Mortiza and Amer Sinh in Gergaon, and on the 26th of Shaban, he marched 3 cos to Muttrapur, on the skirts of a hill to the south west of that city, where he encamped. When the account of his operations was brought to the Emperor by his son Mohammed Amir that noble was honoured with an imperial Khalat, and the same was forwarded to Khan Khanan with a firman acknowledging his high desert.

The rains now set in with great violence, and inundated the whole of the country: the encampment was deluged and the tents washed away, and great and

small were exposed to the inclemency of the elements: the enemy habituated to the climate, now came forth from their hiding places, and quickly recovered the possessions that had been wrested from them, so that Muttrapur and Gergaon were the only places retained by the imperial army. The intercourse between these two stations was cut off: it was certain death for any man to attempt to pass from one to the other: no one could even quit the defences an arrow's flight, but he became a butt for the shafts of the Asamese, and such was the vigilance with which the communication was intercepted, that not a bird was allowed to alight within the imperial entrenchments: perpetual attacks were made upon the army, and the infantry were constantly under arms and the cavalry always mounted. At last however the ingenuity of the Raja and his chief Phokun were exhausted, and finding they could make no impression by arms, they again solicited peace: their envoys were received and Raja Puran Mall dispatched in return, and after considerable negotiation these terms were insisted on--that the Raja of Asam, should give five hundred tusked elephants; three lacs of tolas of gold and silver; and his daughters for the haram ; and the country as far as the army had advanced, should be attached to the empire, whilst Namrup and the hills should be the unmolested sovereignty of the Raja. As these conditions were not accepted, the troops continued in their exposed and miserable plight, and such vast numbers perished, that there was not earth enough to afford graves for the dead: men of rank were immersed in their clothes between clay and water, whilst those of inferior rank remained a prey to the beasts of the jungle and birds of the air. The detachment of Diler Khan, which consisted of 1500 men was reduced to four hundred, and the other divisions in the same proportion: grain soon became scarce, but the cattle of the camp furnished a substitute for some time untill at last they were all destroyed, and famine added its ravages to those of the climate:

the price of articles rose to these rates; Ghee was 14 rupees a seer, Mash one rupee, Opium a gold mohur for a tola, three rupees for a Chilam, ten rupees for a seer of Mung, and thirty rupees for a seer of Salt; Khan Khanan himself was reduced to live upon Mash, Curds and Dry Rice.

Such was the state of things until the middle of Sefer, when the rains abated and the roads became passable; the enemy then began to retire to their hiding places, and the officers of the King to resume their duties. On the 28th of Rabi al Awel, boats with supplies arrived at Gergaon, and the royal affairs once more assumed a favourable aspect: the Phokun Behadli again applied for peace, but his application was disre garded.

Orders were now received by Khan Khanan from the Emperor, to appoint Ahtisham Khan Subahdar of Asam, and Rashid Khan Foujdar of Kamrup, but those officers declined the nomination.

On the 14th of Rebi us Sani in the 5th year of Aurungzeb, Khan Khanan resumed active operations, and marched out against Behadli Phokun, but when he ap proached the enemy they abandoned their stockades, and disappeared. It happened that whilst the Khan was observing a stockade upon the Deheng, he suddenly dropt senseless, from his horse, the first indication of the malady which speedily had a fatal termination. The army halted here some days, when Madli Phokun who was disatisfied with the Raja Bhuktihai* came to the camp, and was received with every honour by the Khan, and put in charge of the native affairs of Gergaon and Kamrup. On the fifth of Jemadi al Awel, the army marched from the Deheng to Namrup whi ther the Raja had fled from Simlagerh. On the 7th, they crossed the river of that place---they halted there the 9th, as Khan Khanan complained of pain in his breast, and was attacked by fever. The pains in the

* We give this name as it occurs, but it does not appear whether the same person is intended as the Raja previously named Ranjan Sinh.

Q

breast increased, and he became evidently weaker, and more incapable of effort every day. The troops were now much alarmed and apprehended being detained another rainy season in the country, in which case the principal offices determined, that they would leave the camp, and return to Bengal. Khan Khanan was made acquainted with their intentions, and the anxiety he suffered in consequence aggravated his complaints. On the fourteenth he advanced one stage. The state of affairs in camp being known to the Raja, who had culti vated the friendship of Diler Khan, he applied once more through him for peace. Khan Khanan having arrived at the defile leading to Namrup, thought the opportunity favourable, and consented that the negociations should be renewed: he continued his march, however, and advanced to a place called Benam beyond the forest of Namrup, where the tents were pitched, negociations held, and a peace agreed upon, on the following conditions. The Raja agreed to give his own daughter, and that of the Raja of Benam with 20,000 tolas of Gold, 12,000 tolas of Silver and twenty Elephants, as a present to the Emperor, fifteen Elephants to the Khan, and five to Diler Khan, and he promised in the course of a year, to send 300,000 tolas of silver and 90 elephants, and that untill these conditions were fulfilled, he would deliver the sons of his Phokuns or nobles, as hostages, and all the chiefs of Namrup, agreed to guarantee the treaty. This being written and signed by the Khan, the vakils of the Raja arrived in the camp with his daughter, and that of the Raja of Benam and four youths, as hostages, and the articles given as Pekhkesh agreeably to the stipulations.*

The army in consequence commenced its homeward march, on the 10th of Jemadi al sani in the year

According to Buchanan (Annals of Literature 196,) Mir Jumleh, was not only compelled to make a precipitate retreat, but to yield up a large part of lands, which had belonged to the Moslems, before the invasion took place, "and which now forms the greater part of the western of the three governments into which Asam is divided." This is the Asamese way of telling the story.