1379.] W. Irvine — The Bangasli Nawdbs of FarruMdbdd. 119 



Sahib Dad Khan Khatak and Mir Mahbub 'Alam had both been 

 together in the service of Shamsher Khan, chela, and from being together, 

 a firm friendship had sprung up between them. They had two bodies but 

 one heart. In fact it was in reliance on Sahib Dad Khan that Mahbub 

 'Alam had undertaken this affair. Bhai Khan, Khidmatgar, found the 

 tent of Sahib Dad Khan Khatak, and made over to him the whole of the 

 parwdnahs and letters. He then asked his way to the tent of Hisam-ud- 

 din, to whom he delivered the note from Mir Muazz-ud-din Khan and 

 demanded a reply. When Hisam-ud-din had opened and read the letter, 

 he sent a reply to the following effect : " You think I have got into a 

 " difficult position by espousing Nawab Ahmad's Khan's cause. This idle 

 " thought you must put far from you, for one hundred thousand brave men, 

 " more or less, with their leaders, all carrying on their bodies their own 

 " grave clothes, are in the train of Ahmad Khan and prepared to conquer 

 *' or to die. Now, to slay those who already believe themselves dead, is a 

 " task of extreme difficulty. 



Har kill dast-i-lclnoeshtan azjdn ba-shust 

 Khud ha-mdnd, o dushman-i-khiid rd ba-Wmslit 

 Murdah miydbad nijdt az dast-i-maut 

 Zinda-hd urd namdyand jumla puslit. 

 " Even if it were true that the Wazir would shortly slay or cap- 

 ture the Nawab, I ask you one question: — Suppose that the Wazir 

 u were in danger from Ahmad Khan, and I wrote to you, requesting 

 " you to forsake the Wazir, and save your life by coming over to our 

 " side, I ask if you would not hold it your duty as a leader and a 

 " Sayyad to prefer death to disgrace ? You would not forsake the Wazir, 

 " so what you would not do yourself, you should not advise others to do. 

 " I beg to be excused from obeying such a foolish request." This answer 

 was made over to Bhai Khan, and he returned to Sahib Dad Khan's tent. 

 The latter's answer was as follows : — " I have distributed the parwdnahs 

 " and letters ; hereafter I will report the result. I object to keeping the 

 " messenger here, as it will get me into trouble, I therefore send him 

 "back." The messenger received these two letters and set out on his way 

 back. 



Now the thieves and plunderers among the Bohelas, who infested the 

 camps of Ahmad Khan and Sa'dullah Khan, were unequalled in the arts of 

 thieving and highway robbery. They were in the habit of hiding on the 

 right and left of the batteries. At night they used to repair to the Wazir's 

 camp, where they seized horses, camels and equipage of all sorts, with which 

 they returned to their own camp. After disposing of the property, they 



