20 MEER ALI MOORAD, 



Mcer AH Moorad, who was at the time only 

 thirteen years of age, being confided to his 

 care. Instead, however, of faithfully fulfilling 

 this sacred trust, both Meer Roostum and his 

 second brother, ]\Ieer Moobaruck Khan, pos- 

 sessed themselves of large portions of Meer Ali 

 Moorad's patrimonial territory, and otherwise 

 treated him with injustice ; in consequence of 

 which when Meer Ali Moorad arrived at man- 

 hood, feuds and disputes arose between the 

 brothers and their respective partisans. The 

 interference of the British political agent, Mr 

 Ross Bell, however brought about a temporary 

 reconciliation, but on the death of that lament- 

 ed officer, Meer Ali Moorad was attacked by 

 his brother Meer Roostum, and Meer Nusseer 

 Khan, son of Meer Moobaruck, then deceased, 

 with a view to recover certain villages, which 

 had been restored to Meer Ali Moorad by Mr 

 Ross Bell's orders. The villages were bm-ned 

 and several lives lost, and then Meer Ali Moo- 

 rad prepared to retaliate, and, assembling a 

 force at his fort at Dejee, marched against his 

 hostile relatives, whom he completely defeated 

 at Nownahar, a few miles to the east of Khyr- 

 poor. After the action a formal settlement of 



