1852.] The Mausoleum of the Nawabs Ali-Verdi Khan > fyc. 509 



The second tomb in importance, is that of the Nuwab Sooraj-ood 

 Dowlah of " Black Hole" notoriety, (c. Plan II.) The death of this 

 Ticious prince, who perished in the 20th year of his age, in July, 1757, 

 is fully recorded in Orme's History of Hindustan,* but differs some- 

 what from the tradition amongst the natives at Moorsheclabad. Orme 

 declares the guards of Meerun, the son of Meer Jaffier Ali, to have 

 received with alacrity, their master's orders to slay their prisoner, 

 whereas it is said, that, on Meerun directing the guard to bring him 

 the head of the deposed prince, they all refused, with the exception of 

 one man named Mahomed Beg, a fosterbrother of Sooraj-ood Dowlah, 

 who in accepting the cruel mission added these words : " I will erase 

 from the face of the world the picture of Sooraj-ood Dowlah." He 

 then proceeded, scimitar in hand, into the presence of his victim, who 

 seeing him thus armed said, " O Mahomed Beg ! are you come to kill 

 me, or do you bring a message from Meerun ?" The wretch replied, 

 that he was the bearer of no message, but came to kill him, and 

 immediately severed his head from his body. The mangled remains 

 were afterwards paraded through the streets of the city on an elephant, 

 and the murdererf highly rewarded by Meerun. J 



The tomb in the centre of the west verandah, (b. PI. II.) con- 

 tains the remains of the wife of Ali-Verdi Khan, who was known by 

 the title of the Nawab Begum, but her name, or that of her father, 

 does not appear to be mentioned in any History of Bengal which I 

 have had the opportunity of consulting. She is said to have been the 

 only wife of Ali-Verdi, and on one occasion to have played an 

 important part in the eventful reign of her lord, during his wars 

 with Boscar Rao, the Maharhatta, when the latter and all his attend- 

 ants were treacherously slain in a tent, at a conference with Ali-Verdi, 

 under the safeguard of an oath on the Koran. § 



To the left, in the same verandah (h. PI. II.), is the tomb of 

 Oomut-il Mehndi, called the Nowasi, being the grand-daughter of 

 Sooraj-ood Dowlah. She married Syud Mahomed Hussein Khan, a 

 son of Syud Hussein Khan Bahadoor Selabut Jung. 



* Vol. 2nd, page 184. 



f Mahomed Beg died at Moorshedabad, where his tomb has been pointed out to 

 me. 



X Stewart's account is somewhat similar to this. § Orme, vol. 2nd, p. 36. 



3 T 



