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MOORSHADAB AD. 
attar. No presents were given, as he had tendered none to me. He 
would allow me to go no farther than the door, but Mr. Pattle and 
the other gentlemen attended him to the bottom of the steps. My 
opinion of him has improved much to-day. I was prepossessed in his 
favour, by learning that his private character is amiable, and his 
disposition benevolent. 
The conduct of the East India Company to the descendants of 
Meer Jaffier has been by no means generous. When they first be- 
came Dewans of Bengal, in 17 65, by the grant of Shah Allum, the 
allowance to the Nawaub was fixed at fifty- three lacs of rupees. In 
1 7 70, they induced his successor to submit to a reduction of twenty- 
three lacs; but not satisfied with this, the Directors, in the following 
year, ordered that only sixteen lacs should be paid ; probably con- 
sidering that as a sufficient allowance for a boy of ten years old. It 
would however be difficult to discover their authority for this act; 
and I am inclined to suspect that a legal right exists in the present 
Nawaub, to recover the immense arrears that have become due to 
his family within the last twenty-two years. The sixteen lacs, now 
allowed, are distributed among the descendants of Meer Jaffier, his 
Begums, and faithful servants. TheMunny Begum has twelve thou- 
sand rupees per month. The present Nawaub 's grandmother has eight 
thousand rupees per month. These sums, with the allowances to the 
branches of the family living at Calcutta, and to the aged servants, 
leave only to his Highness seventy-seven thousand rupees per 
month, to defray the expense of his zenana, durbar, and guards ; and 
twelve thousand rupees per month for his private amusements and 
presents. The latter sum would be fully sufficient, were he not 
loaded with debt, the interest of which eats up the whole, and leaves 
