HINDQOSTAN. 
Mr. Haftings, was attributed to aflaflination through the 
treachery of the Englilh, we have thought it right to copy 
the true account of that event, as given by Erudat Khan, 
oneofthe native hiftorians of Hindooftan/in his own words: 
“ As it was now the commencement of the rainy feafon, 
and the decree of divine vengeance hung over Meeraun, 
about the third hour of the night of Wednefday the iSth 
of Zeekaud, 1173, (A. D. 1760,) a heavy ftorm began. 
The world was dark and gloomy to Meeraun and his af- 
fociates ; and the fplendour of the day of his life and prof- 
perity changed to the black night of deftru&ion. About 
a third part of the night was elapfed, when his compa¬ 
nions, with his attendants, were difmifled. Meeraun, to 
guard againft the violence of the ftorm, quitting his large 
tent, retired to a fmaller one, called, from the inventor of 
it, a Dulleel Khaunee, low, and without walls, fecured by 
ftrong pegs fixed in the ground very clofe. A favourite 
courtezan, with whom he generally flept, alfo two or three 
other finging girls, a lfory-teller, and a domeftic to pat 
his limbs, were with him. (This patting of the limbs is 
common in the eaft, to promote circulation of the blood.) 
As the life of the women was yet to remain, after a ftiort 
time he difmifled them ; when the domeftic began to pat 
his feet, and the ftory-teller his charm, to the fleep of 
death. God knows, whether he was fieeping, or his eye 
wakeful in expectation of the mefl'enger of fate ; when, in 
the height of a molt heavy fhower, the threatening thun¬ 
der of avenging anger roared, and the lightning of wrath 
defcended on the head of Meeraun, who reached the place 
of final vengeance in the pofture in which he lay upon his 
bed. The fame flafti, falling on the domeftic and the ftory- 
teller, killed them alfo. Some time after the accident, 
when the fury of the ftorm had abated, the attendants 
whofe turn it was to watch, coming in, law them in the 
fleep of death, and immediately, without noile or clamour, 
informed fome of the principal officers, whofe tents were 
neareft. Upon examination, five or fix fmall holes were 
found on the back part of his head, and, on his body, 
ftreaks like the marks of a whip. His fcymetar, which 
lay near his head on the bed, had alfo holes in it, and 
part of the point was melted. The tent-pole appeared as 
if rotted.” 
Meeraun had the character of a bloody and unrelenting 
prince ; with whom the flighted jealoufy was fufficient to 
bring death on its objeCt. By his inftigation, Khaujeh 
Hadee Khan, and Meer Cauzim Khan, were aflaffinated. 
He killed leveral women of his harem with his own hand, 
and would boalt of the act; faying, “ this was the true 
mode of clearing up doubts, and eafing the mind of jea- 
loufies.” With this favage ferocity, he procured the death 
of Ameena Begum, and Goofeety Begum, the daughters 
of Mahabut Jung, whom he caufed to be drowned ; and 
among his papers was found a lift of many perfons whom 
he had refolved to cut off at the conclufion of the cam¬ 
paign ; determined, as he faid, to rid himfelf of the refrac¬ 
tory, and fit down in comfort with his friends. 
On the nineteenth, in the morning, the fate of Meeraun 
was difclofed by his fervants to colonel Calliaud, the com¬ 
mander of the Englilh army; wTio delired that his death 
might be concealed from his troops, for fear they fliould 
withdraw themfeives from the fervice To effeCt this, the 
body being opened in the colonel’s prefence, the bowels 
were taken out and buried on the l'pot; and the corple 
being Huffed, was dreffed, as if alive, and placed upon an 
elephant; a report being at the fame time given out, that 
Meeraun was indilpofed; but his death was foon difco- 
vered, and the carrying of his corple in this manner was 
regarded as a contrivance to cover fome foul tranfaCtion. 
About this time, fome changes took place among the 
Englilh. Colonel Clive had returned to Europe, leaving 
Mr. Holwell in the government till the arrival of Mr. 
Henry Vanfittart, who was appointed to fucceed him, from 
Madras. Mr. Amyatt, having received fame flight, re¬ 
paired to Calcutta, where colonel Calliaud was alfo or¬ 
91 
dered with him ; and the command of the Englilh army, 
at Patna, devolved upon major Carnac. 
The nabob Meer Jaffier, inconfolable for the lofs of his 
fon, fecluded himfelf from fociety ; while the public affairs 
became negleCted, and confufion more or lefs pervaded 
every department of the government. The nabob, in this 
diftrefs of mind, placed all his confidence in his fon-in- 
law, Meer Coffim Khan; and fent him to negociate the 
public bufinefs at Calcutta: where, during his agency, he 
nnpreffed the minds of the council of his own fuperiority 
of talent and ability for governing, over that of Meer 
Jaffier, or his deceafed fon; both of whom he reprefented 
as having been guilty of every atrocity. Having frailhed 
his embaffy, he returned to the nabob; v/ho, pleafed at his 
fuccefs, and not fufpicious of his treachery, Ihowed him 
more kindnefs than ever; and gave him the higheft con- 
fequence in his court, by making him his adopted fon. 
Mr. Vanfittart was by this time alfo arrived from Cal¬ 
cutta. To him Meer Coffim had related the various 
negleCts of the nabob in the affairs of his government, the 
fallen ftate of the revenues and army, and the expences of 
the houfehold, owing to the rapacity of thofe he impro¬ 
perly put in truft. Mr. Vanfittart, who was unequalled 
for his judgment and abilities in ftate affairs, perceived 
that Meer Coffim Khan was, of all the relations and fer¬ 
vants of the nabob, the moft diftinguifhed in underftand- 
ing; and he wilhed to form fome plan for the regulation 
of the declining provinces. It occurred to him, that Meer 
Coffim Khan fliould be entrufted with the adminiftration 
of the government, as the deputy of his father-in-law, the 
real nabob. He laid his plan before the council for their 
advice and approbation, and the majority aflented to its 
execution ; but Mr. Amyatt, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Batfon, and 
major Carnac, difapproved the meafure. However, the 
ftronger party prevailed in the cabinet; and in a very 
lhort time the following twelve moft extraordinary ar¬ 
ticles of impeachment, W'ere exhibited by the fervants 
of the Englilh Eaft-India Company, againft Meer Jaffier 
Khan, the foubahdar, nabob, or viceroy, of the Mogul 
emperor of Hindooftan ! The charges were : 1. That foon 
after his advancement to the naboblhip, he had refolved 
to reduce that power which railed him to the dignity. 
2. That, to effeCt this, he aflaffinated or banilhed every 
perfon of importance, whom he fufpected of being in the 
Englilh intereft. 3. That he negociated with the Dutch 
to introduce an armament for the expullion of the Englilh. 
4. That he had in different inftances been guilty of the 
deepefc deceit and treachery towards the Englilh, his be¬ 
nefactors and allies. 3. That at three different periods 
the Englilh commander in chief had been bafely defected, 
both by the nabob and his fon, when he and the troops 
were hazarding their lives in his fervice. 6. That he me¬ 
ditated a fecret and feparate treaty with Shah Aulum, the 
Mogul emperor Aulumgeer’s fon, and had intended to 
betray the Englilh to him. 7. That the whole term of his 
government had been one uninterrupted feries of cruelty,, 
tyranny, and oppreffion. 8. That he meditated, and was 
near carrying into execution, an infamous treaty with the 
Mahrattas, which would have proved the total deftrudion 
of the country, if it had taken place. 9. That he threw 
every obltruction in the way of the collection of the Eng¬ 
lilh tunkas, or affignments upon lands. 10. That he en¬ 
couraged the obltruCfions given to the free currency of 
the Englilh ficcas; by which the company fuffered heavy 
loffesr 11. That by his cruelties he had rendered it fcan- 
dalous for the Englilh to fupport his government any 
longer; and, 12. That by his mifconduCt he had brought 
tha affairs of the company, as well as his own, into the 
utrrioft danger of ruin. 
On the 13th of June 1760, Mr. Holwell wrote from 
Calcutta to Mr. Warren Haltings, that, by exprefs, he had 
received intelligence of the murder of the princeffes of 
Aliverdi Khan and Shah Ahmed, in a moft inhuman 
manner, by Meer Jaffier’s orders, in. order to feize their 
treafures- 
