Part 52 (1/2)
13. This abstract of the history of the Deccan, or Southern India, is not quite accurate. The Emperor, or Sultan, Muhammad bin Tughlak, after A.D. 1325, reduced the Deccan to a certain extent to submission, but the country revolted in A.D. 1347, when Hasan Gango founded the Bahmani dynasty of Gulbarga, afterwards known as that of Bidar. At the end of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth century, the kingdom so founded broke up into five, not four, separate states, namely, Bij.a.pur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda, Berar, and Bidar. The Berar state had a separate existence for about eighty-five years, and then became merged in the kingdom of Ahmadnagar.
CHAPTER 64
Murder of Mr. Fraser, and Execution of the Nawab Shams-ud-din.
At Palwal Mr. Wilmot and Mr. Wright, who had come on business, and Mr. Gubbins, breakfasted and dined with us. They complained sadly of the solitude to which they were condemned, but admitted that they should not be able to get through half so much business were they placed at a large station, and exposed to all the temptations and distractions of a gay and extensive circle, nor feel the same interest in their duties, or sympathy with the people, as they do when thrown among them in this manner. To give young men good feelings towards the natives, the only good way is to throw them among them at those out-stations in the early part of their career, when all their feelings are fresh about them. This holds good as well with the military as the civil officer, but more especially with the latter. A young officer at an outpost with his corps, or part of it, for the first season or two, commonly lays in a store of good feeling towards his men that lasts him for life; and a young gentleman of the Civil Service lays in, in the same manner, a good store of sympathy and fellow feeling with the natives in general.[1]
Mr. Gubbins is the Magistrate and Collector of one of the three districts into which the Delhi territories are divided, and he has charge of Firozpur, the resumed estate of the late Nawab Shams-ud- din, which yields a net revenue of about two hundred thousand rupees a year.[2] I have already stated that this Nawab took good care that his Mewati plunderers should not rob within his own estate; but he not only gave them free permission to rob over the surrounding districts of our territory, but encouraged them to do so, that he might share in their booty.[3] He was a handsome young man, and an extremely agreeable companion; but a most unprincipled and licentious character. No man who was reputed to have a handsome wife or daughter was for a moment safe within his territories. The following account of Mr. William Fraser's a.s.sa.s.sination by this Nawab may, I think, be relied upon.[4]
The Firozpur Jagir was one of the princ.i.p.alities created under the principle of Lord Cornwallis's second administration, which was to make the security of the British dominions dependent upon the divisions among the independent native chiefs upon their frontiers.
The person receiving the grant or confirmation of such princ.i.p.ality from the British Government 'pledged himself to relinquish all claims to aid, and to maintain the peace in his own possessions.'[5]
Firozpur was conferred by Lord Lake, in 1805, upon Ahmad Baksh, for his diplomatic services, out of the territories acquired by us west of the Jumna during the Maratha wars. He had been the agent on the part of the Hindoo chiefs of Alwar in attendance upon Lord Lake during the whole of that war. He was a great favourite, and his lords.h.i.+p's personal regard for him was thought by those chiefs to have been so favourable to their cause that they conferred upon him the 'pargana' of Loharu in hereditary rent-free tenure.
In 1822, Ahmad Baksh declared Shams-ud-din, his eldest son, his heir, with the sanction of the British Government and the Rajas of Alwar.
In February, 1825, Shams-ud-din, at the request of his father, by a formal deed a.s.signed over the pargana of Loharu as a provision for his younger brothers by another mother, Amin-ud-din and Zia-ud- din;[6] and in October 1826 he was finally invested by his father with the management; and the circ.u.mstance was notified to the British Government, through the Resident at Delhi, Sir Charles Metcalfe.
Ahmad Baksh died in October, 1827. Disputes soon after arose between the brothers, and they expressed a desire to submit their claims to the arbitration of Sir Edward Colebrooke,[7] who had succeeded Sir Charles Metcalfe in the Residency of Delhi.[8] He referred the matter to the Supreme Government; and by their instructions, under date 11th of April, 1828, he was authorized to adjust the matter. He decided that Shams-ud-din should make a complete and unenc.u.mbered cession to his younger brothers of the pargana of Loharu, without the reservation of any right of interference in the management, or of any condition of obedience to himself whatever; and that Amin-ud-din should, till his younger brother came of age, pay into the Delhi treasury for him the annual sum of five thousand two hundred and ten rupees, as his half share of the net proceeds, to be there held in deposit for him; and that the estate should, from the time he came of age, be divided between them in equal shares. This award was confirmed by Government; but Sir Edward was recommended to alter it for an annual money payment to the two younger brothers, if he could do so with the consent of the parties.
The pargana was transferred, as the money payment could not be agreed upon; and in September Mr. Martin, who had succeeded Sir E.
Colebrooke, proposed to Government that the pargana of Loharu should be restored to Shams-ud-din in lieu of a fixed sum of twenty-six thousand rupees a year to be paid by him annually to his two younger brothers. This proposal was made on the ground that Amin-ud-din could not collect the revenues from the refractory landholders (instigated, no doubt, by the emissaries of Shams-ud-din), and consequently could not pay his younger brother's revenue into the treasury. In calculating the annual net revenue of 10,420 rupees, 15,000 of the _gross_ revenue had been estimated as the annual expenses of the mutual [_sic_] establishments of the two brothers. To the arrangement proposed by Mr. Martin the younger brothers strongly objected; and proposed in preference to make over the pargana to the British Government, on condition of receiving the net revenue, whatever might be the amount. Mr. Martin was desired by the Governor-General to effect this arrangement, should Amin-ud-din appear still to wish it; but he preferred retaining the management of it in his own hands, in the hope that circ.u.mstances would improve.
Shams-ud-din, however, pressed his claim to the restoration of the pargana so often that it was at last, in September, 1833, insisted upon by Government, on the ground that Amin-ud-din had failed to fulfil that article of the agreement which bound him to pay annually into the Delhi treasury 5,210 rupees for his younger brother, though that brother had never complained; on the contrary, lived with him on the best possible terms, and was as averse as himself to the retransfer of the pargana, on condition that they gave up their claims to a large share of the movable property of their late father, which had been already decided in their favour in the court of first instance. Mr. W. Fraser, who had succeeded to the office of Governor- General's representative in the Delhi Territories, remonstrated strongly against this measure; and wished to bring it again under the consideration of Government; on the grounds that Zia-ud-din had never made any complaint against his brother Amin-ud-din for want of punctuality in the payment of his share of the net revenue after the payment of their mutual establishments; that the two brothers would be deprived by this measure of an hereditary estate to the value of sixty thousand rupees a year in perpetuity, burthened with the condition that they relinquished a suit already gained in the court of first instance, and likely to be gained in appeal, involving a sum that would of itself yield them that annual sum at the moderate interest of 6 per cent. The grounds alleged by him were not considered valid, and the pargana was made over to Shams-ud-din. The pargana now yields 40,000 rupees a year, and under good management may yield 70,000.
At Mr. Fraser's recommendation, Amin-ud-din went himself to Calcutta, and is said to have prevailed upon the Government to take his case again into their consideration. Shams-ud-din had become a debauched and licentious character; and having criminal jurisdiction within his own estate, no one's wife or daughter was considered safe; for, when other means failed him, he did not scruple to employ a.s.sa.s.sins to effect his hated purposes, by removing the husband or father.[9] Mr.
Fraser became so disgusted with his conduct that he would not admit him into his house when he came to Delhi, though he had, it may be said, brought him up as a child of his own; indeed he had been as fond of him as he could be of a child of his own; and the boy used to spend the greater part of his time with him. One day after Mr. Fraser had refused to admit the Nawab to his house. Colonel Skinner, having some apprehensions that by such slights he might be driven to seek revenge by a.s.sa.s.sination, is said to have remonstrated with Mr.
Fraser as his oldest and most valued friend.[10] Mr. Fraser told him that he considered the Nawab to be still but a boy, and the only way to improve him was to treat him as such. It was, however, more by these slights than by any supposed injuries that Shams-ud-din was exasperated; and from that day he determined to have Mr. Fraser a.s.sa.s.sinated.[11]
Having prevailed upon a man, Karim Khan, who was at once his servant and boon companion, he sent him to Delhi with one of his carriages, which he was to have sold through Mr. McPherson, a European merchant of the city. He was ordered to stay there ostensibly for the purpose of learning the process of extracting copper from the fossil containing the ore, and purchasing dogs for the Nawab. He was to watch his opportunity and shoot Mr. Fraser whenever he might find him out at night, attended by only one or two orderlies; to be in no haste, but to wait till he found a favourable opportunity, though it should be for several months. He had with him a groom named Rupla, and a Mewati attendant named Ania, and they lodged in apartments of the Nawab's at Daryaoganj. He rode out morning and evening, attended by Ania on foot, for three months, during which he often met Mr.
Fraser, but never under circ.u.mstances favourable to his purpose; and at last, in despair, returned to Firozpur. Ania, had importuned him for leave to go home to see his children, who had been ill, and Karim Khan did not like to remain without him. The Nawab was displeased with him for returning without leave, and ordered him to return to his post, and effect the object of his mission. Ania declined to return, and the Nawab recommended Karim to take somebody else, but he had, he said, explained all his designs to this man, and it would be dangerous to entrust the secret to another; and he could, moreover, rely entirely upon the courage of Ania on any trying occasion.
Twenty rupees were due to the treasury by Ania on account of the rent of the little tenement he held under the Nawab; and the treasurer consented, at the request of Karim Khan, to receive this by small instalments, to be deducted out of the monthly wages he was to receive from him. He was, moreover, a.s.sured that he should have nothing to do but to cook and eat; and should share liberally with Karim in the one hundred rupees he was taking with him in money, and the letter of credit upon the Nawab's bankers at Delhi for one thousand rupees more. The Nawab himself came with them as far as the village of Nagina, where he used to hunt; and there Karim requested permission to change his groom, as he thought Rupla too shrewd a man for such a purpose. He wanted, he said, a stupid, sleepy man, who would neither ask nor understand anything; but the Nawab told him that Rupla was an old and quiet servant, upon whose fidelity he could entirely rely; and Karim consented to take him. Ania's little tenement, upon which his wife and children resided, was only two miles distant, and he went to give instructions about gathering in the harvest, and to take leave of them. He told his wife that he was going to the capital on a difficult and dangerous duty, but that his companion Karim would do it all, no doubt. Ania asked Karim before they left Nagina what was to be his reward; and he told him that the Nawab had promised them five villages in rent-free tenure. Ania wished to learn from the Nawab himself what he might expect; and being taken to him by Karim, was a.s.sured that he and his family should be provided for handsomely for the rest of their lives, if he did his duty well on this occasion.
On reaching Delhi they took up their quarters near Colonel Skinner's house, in the Bulvemar's Ward,[12] where they resided for two months.
The Nawab had told Karim to get a gun made for his purpose at Delhi, or purchase one, stating that his guns had all been purchased through Colonel Skinner, and would lead to suspicion if seen in his possession. On reaching Delhi, Karim purchased an old gun, and desired Ania to go to a certain man in the Chandni Chauk, and get it made in the form of a short blunderbuss, with a peculiar stock, that would admit of its being concealed under a cloak; and to say that he was going to Gwalior to seek service, if any one questioned him. The barrel was cut, and the instrument made exactly as Karim wished it to be by the man whom he pointed out. They met Mr. Fraser every day, but never at night; and Karim expressed regret that the Nawab should have so strictly enjoined him not to shoot him in the daytime, which he thought he might do without much risk. Ania got an attack of fever, and urged Karim to give up the attempt and return home, or at least permit him to do so. Karim himself became weary, and said he would do so very soon if he could not succeed; but that he should certainly shoot _some European gentleman_ before he set out, and tell his master that he had taken him for Mr. Fraser--to save appearances.
Ania told him that this was a question between him and his master, and no concern of his.
At the expiration of two months, a peon came to learn what they were doing. Karim wrote a letter by him to the Nawab, saying that '_the dog_ he wished was never to be seen without ten or twelve people about him; and that he saw no chance whatever of finding him, except in the midst of them; but that if he wished, he would purchase this _dog_ in the midst of the crowd'. The Nawab wrote a reply, which was sent by a trooper, with orders that it should be opened in presence of no one but Ania. The contents were: 'I command you not to purchase _the dog_ in presence of many persons, as its price will be greatly raised. You may purchase him before one person, or even two, but not before more; I am in no hurry, the longer the time you take the better; but do not return without purchasing _the dog_.'[13] That is, without killing Mr. Fraser.
They went on every day to watch Mr. Fraser's movements. Leaving the horse with the groom, sometimes in one old ruin of the city, and sometimes in another, ready saddled for flight, with orders that he should not be exposed to the view of pa.s.sers-by, Karim and Ania used to pace the streets, and on several occasions fell in with him, but always found him attended by too many followers of one kind or another for their purpose. At last, on Sunday, the 13th of March, 1835, Karim heard that Mr. Fraser was to attend a 'nach' (dance), given by Hindoo Rao, the brother of the Baiza Bai,[14] who then resided at Delhi; and determining to try whether he could not shoot him from horseback, he sent away his groom as soon as he had ascertained that Mr. Fraser was actually at the dance. Ania went in and mixed among the a.s.sembly; and as soon as he saw Mr. Fraser rise to depart, he gave intimation to Karim, who ordered him to keep behind, and make off as fast as he could, as soon as he should hear the report of his gun.
A little way from Hindoo Rao's house the road branches off; that to the left is straight, while that to the right is circuitous. Mr.
Fraser was known always to take the straight road, and upon that Karim posted himself, as the road up to the place where it branched off was too public for his purpose. As it happened, Mr. Fraser, for the first time, took the circuitous road to the right, and reached his home without meeting Karim. Ania placed himself at the cross way, and waited there till Karim came up to him. On hearing that he had taken the right road, Karim said that 'a man in Mr. Fraser's situation must be a strange ('kafir') unbeliever not to have such a thing as a torch with him in a dark night. Had he had what he ought', he said, 'I should not have lost him this time'.
They pa.s.sed him on the road somewhere or other almost every afternoon after this for seven days, but could never fall in with him after dark. On the eighth day, Sunday, the 22nd of March, Karim went, as usual, in the forenoon to the great mosque to say his prayers; and on his way back in the afternoon he purchased some plums which he was eating when he came up to Ania, whom he found cooking his dinner. He ordered his horse to be saddled immediately, and told Ania to make haste and eat his dinner, as he had seen Mr. Fraser at a party given by the Raja of Kishangarh. '_When his time is come_,' said Karim, 'we shall no doubt find an opportunity to kill him, if we watch him carefully.' They left the groom at home that evening, and proceeded to the 'dargah' (church) near the ca.n.a.l. Seeing Ania with merely a Stick in his hand, Karim bid him go back and change it for a sword, while he went in and said his evening prayers.