HINDOOSTAN, 
90 
he fent a meffage to Mohammed Koollee Khan, Hating, 
“ that he confidered himfelf as a fervant of the nabob of 
Bengal, and had only vifited him as a gueft of his matter's ; 
but did not underftand his demand of the province.” On 
this Koollee Khan flew into a violent rage, vowing that 
he would bring him by force to the prince. According¬ 
ly, in the morning he began to cannonade ; and the fiege 
was carried on for fome days with great brilknefs. In all 
probability Patna would have fallen into his hands, had 
not the operations been interrupted by intelligence, which 
caufed him inftantly to raife the fiege. This was, that 
Sujah ul Dowlah, who had obtained his permiflion to fhel- 
ter his women at the fort'of Allahabad, had treacheroufly 
feized upon that llrong-hold, and polfefled himfelf of the 
province. Mohammed Koollee, therefore, turned from 
Patna, in order to protefl his own province; and the 
prince, unable to aft with his own fmall army, reludlantly 
accompanied him. On his arrival at Phoolwawree, only 
four miles from the city, he was met by M. Law, who 
had haftened with his fmall band of Frenchmen from 
Chitpour, to offer his fervices. M. Law remonftrated with 
him, but in vain, on the folly of a retreat, whfen he was 
fo near fuccefs. He marched onwards, and M. Law went 
to vifit the prince, and offer his affiftance. The prince 
unhefitatingly informed him, “ that he depended on Mo¬ 
hammed Koollee Khan even for his daily expences, and 
without him could not continue the fiege; therefore muft 
retire to Chitpour, in hopes of fupport from the rajah of 
that country.” M. Law requefced leave to accompany his 
highnefs; and faying, “ that he was ready to expofe the 
lives of himfelf and his people, in endeavouring to reftore 
his rights.” The prince then complained loudly to him 
of the folly of the nobles of Hindooftan ; who, he faid, 
were cowardly, giving up their empire to ruin ; that he 
had travelled from Delhi to the coaft of Bengal, and been 
witnefs to nothing but oppreffion of the poor, and plun¬ 
dering of travellers. “ Though I,” faid he, “ have ufed 
every argument to excite fuch powerful nobles as Sujah 
uf Dowlah, the vizier, and Ummaud *ul Muluk, the emir 
ul omrah, to regulate the empire, and attempt the reco¬ 
very of Bengal from the Englifh, they would not attend 
to me, nor underftand their real interefts.” 
So foon as Sujah ul Dowlah heard of the return of Mo¬ 
hammed Koollee Khan from before Patna, he commanded 
a large body of his troops to intercept his march, and 
take him prifoner ; but on fight of the troops, Mohammed 
Koollee Khan, againit the advice of his friends, confented 
to dilband his army, and throw himfelf on the protection 
of Sujah ul Dowlah ; who immediately on his arrival kept 
him a prifoner, and ftiortly after put him to death. 
It was at this juncture that the Mogul prince Ali Go- 
hur received intelligence of the murder of his father Au- 
lumgeer, as related under that reign ; upon which he dif- 
patched an exprefs to Sujah ul Dowlah, whom he appointed 
his vizier ; and the office of emir ul omrah he bellowed 
on Nujeeb ul Dowlah. The prince, on his accefiion, af¬ 
firmed the name of Shah Aulum II. but he could not re¬ 
pair to Delhi, on account of the great armies of Mahrattas 
which hovered round that capital, and would infallibly in¬ 
tercept his march. That noble city too, having been juft 
at that time facked and plundered by Ahmed Shah Ab¬ 
dallah, nothing reigned therein but confufion and diftrefs. 
He was, however, now joined by Kaumgar Khan with five 
thoufand horfe, Dilleer Khan, and Alfaulut Khan, with 
their numerous followers; and, being thus reinforced, he 
proceeded to engage Ramnarain in his camp; who was 
defeated, and with difficulty efcaped to Patna. Captain 
Cochran and Mr. Barwell were killed, with fome foldiers 
and fepoys; but the remainder of the Englifh, who had 
joined Ramnarain, having fpiked one of their cannon, 
retreated in good order to Patna. The emperor and Kam- 
gaur Khan did not purfue the enemy, having fuifered 
much in the action, and loft the two gallant chiefs Dil¬ 
leer Khan and Aflaulut Khan. But had the royal army 
foUowed the fugitives, it is moft probable Patna would 
have fallen without refiftance. For fome days the city 
was in the utmofi confufion; but, no enemy appearing, 
the fpirits of the inhabitants revived. 
The emperor next marched to attack Meeraun, the na¬ 
bob Jaffier’s fon, who was ad vaneing from Moorfhedabad; 
but in this movement the royal army was defeated by the 
gallantry of the Engiifh. In this action Meeraun was 
wounded. Shah Aulum, by advice of Kaumgar Khan, 
now baftened by forced marches through the hills, in 
hopes of furprifing Meer Jaffier in his capital; but the 
nabob, having timely intelligence from his fon Meeraun, 
was prepared; upon which the royal army retreated, and 
marched by another rout towards Patna; hoping, as 
Meeraun had moved towards Moorfhedabad to the affift¬ 
ance of his father, that the city might fall an eafy prey 
before he could return to relieve it. Unfortunately for 
the young emperor, his army halted a few days at Bahar, 
which gave time to Ramnarain to prepare for defence; 
for the greater part of his troops were with Meeraun, and 
only a few fepoys in the Engbfh factory. Upon intelli¬ 
gence of the approach of the enemy, as many troops as 
were in the neighbouring diftricts were called in ; and 
Mr. Amyatt increafed his force to about three companies 
of fepoys, from the feveral ftations. At length the enemy 
commenced the fiege, and a few nights after,' M. Law 
with the French troops attempted an elcalade; but were 
defeated by the vigilance and adtivity of the Englifh, and 
rajah Shittabroy. An Englifn detachment arriving under 
captain Knox, they made a fally upon the befiegers, who 
were eafily defeated. Kaumgar Khan now retired towards 
Gyah Maunpour with the emperor, and railed contribu¬ 
tions upon the neighbouring diftricts for his lupport. 
At this period, the rajah Khadim Houflein Khan, being 
fearful of the treachery of Meeraun, the nabob Jaffier’s 
fon, refolved to join the emperor, with five thoufand horfe, 
feven thoullmd infantry, and upwards of forty pieces of 
artillery; and pitched his camp on the bank of the river 
oppofite Patna. Had he done this before the arrival of 
captain Knox, Patna would certainly have fallen into the 
hands of the emperor, and Khadim Houflein Khan would 
have acquired great honour. Ramnarain, upon intelli¬ 
gence of his approach, confulted with Mr. Amyatt; who 
obferved, that, as the emperor was now at a diftanee, the 
rajah fltould detach the greater part of his forces with 
captain Knox, who had undertaken to crofs the river, and 
fall upon Khadim Houflein. Ramnarain was aftonilhed 
he fhould think of attempting it with fo fmall a force; 
but, Mr. Amyatt preffing him, he prornifed to prepare his 
troops to join the Englifh. Mr. Amyatt alfo defired the 
affiftance of rajah Shittabroy, who with great willingnefs 
joined captain Knox, with two hundred horfe and foot. 
The Englifh detachment confifted of three or four com¬ 
panies of fepoys, one of Europeans, and two field-pieces 
of artillery. The troops of Ramnarain, however, did not 
join; fo that the Englifh, with Shittabroy, alone attacked 
the enemy, and defeated them with great daughter. Kha¬ 
dim Houflein Khan retreated towards the diftridt of But- 
teah; and captain Knox, unable to purfue him, left the 
abfence of his detachment fhould leave Patna expofed to 
the emperor’s army, re-croffed the river a few days after 
the battle. 
In the mean time Meeraun, who had been detache d by 
the nabob, his father, .from Moorfhedabad, upon 'intelli¬ 
gence of the defection of Khadim HouffeiivKhan, arrived 
near Patna with his own army, and the Englifh forces 
under colonel Caliiaud. Without entering the city, they 
crofted the river in purfuit of Houflein ; who, having al¬ 
ready been defeated by fo few of the Englifh, ftrove only 
to efteft a fafe retreat from the province. He kept up a 
fort of running fight for fever.il days with Meeraun, till 
his progrefs was flopped by the hills, and the river Ghun- 
duc ; fo that he mull inevitably have fallen into the hands' 
of Meeraun, had not his death happened by the vifitation 
of divine Providence.' But as the death of this young 
prince, in one of the charges brought by Mr, Burke againit 
2 Mp* 
