112 W. Irvine — The Bangash Nawabs of FarmJchdhad. [No. 2, 



Rajah, seated on a gilt throne and clad in jewelled raiment, descended from 

 the hills. Nawab Ahmad Khan went out to meet him, and when they came 

 close, they both saluted at the same moment. The Nawab brought the 

 Rajah to his own quarters and seated him on a separate masnad. Presents 

 were then brought of all the choice products of Hindustan, including an 

 elephant. Of all the things placed before him, the Rajah selected two 

 rumdl and refused the rest. Sayyad Ahmad knew the Rajah's dialect, 

 and whatever the Rajah said was explained by him to Nawab Ahmad 

 Khan. After a short interval, the Rajah rose and taking his leave of the 

 Nawab went to his own camp. Next day the Nawab returned the Rajah's 

 visit. The Rajah came out in state to greet him, and they proceeded in the 

 most friendly manner, hand in hand, into the Rajah's tent, where the 

 Nawab was conducted to his seat on a costly masnad. He was then 

 presented with hill products, such as hawks and falcons, and other birds 

 used in falconry, bags of musk, chaur (?) and gold ingots, called in Hindi 

 suna-sungad* which have a perfume like essence of roses. There were 

 also several hill ponies (Tangavi) of various colours, the like of which would 

 not often be found. The Rajah also gave several kinds of jewels, rare and 

 of great price. At first the Nawab refused those gifts. The Rajah, seeing 

 that his present was not accepted, said to Sayyad Ahmad in his own tongue 

 that he knew the things were not of sufficient value, but he hoped that to 

 give him pleasure the Nawab would accept them. Then the Nawab, to 

 please him, accepted all the things. The day after this, the Rajah took 

 his leave and returned to his home in the hills. 



Negotiations through 'AH Kuli Khan. 

 Meanwhile the difficulties of his undertaking were troubling the 

 Wazir day and night. About this time, 'Ali Kuli Khan, the six-fingered, 

 the 'Abasi, a descendant of the kings of Wilayat, reached camp with the 

 imperial letter, under the Emperor's own signature, directing that peace 

 should be made with Ahmad Khan. The shukka was handed to the Wazir, 

 and the messenger delivered the Emperor's verbal message, with reference 

 to the approach of Ahmad Shah Durrani. The Wazir represented to 'Ali 

 Kuli Khan that, if the first proposals for peace proceeded from him, his 

 reputation would be gone for ever. He asked advice as to how negotiations 

 should be begun. 'Ali Kuli Khan replied that he and Ahmad Khan 

 Ghafib Jang, were old friends and acquaintances, that if the Wazir 



* Perhaps the same as referred to in the following passage, " In Garhwal there 

 "is a vein of iron pyrites, which the people call ' sone-Tcd^athar,' or gold stone, and 

 "sell them to the pilgrims to Badrinath at high rates." Economic Mineralogy of Hill 

 districts of N. W. P. byE. T. Atkinson, Allahabad, 1877, p. 30. 



