Jaffer Khan he was afterwards known. He lived in the latter
end of the laft century, and the beginning o f the prefent*.
During the reign o f the Nabobs of Bengal, it was the capital
of the province; the buildings are numerous, and in general
mean; but is fo populous, that when Colonel Clive entered
with his handful o f Englijb, immediately after the battle of
Plaffiey, he could not but reflett that he was marching into a
city, containing more inhabitants than the city o f London,
who might eafily have cruihed him and his followers with
clubs and ftones; but fuch was their reverence o f the Britijh
name, that he remained there as long as was neceflary in full
fecurity. He was mailer of the lives and fortunes of the inhabitants,
many o f which were poffelTed of immenfe riches; they
offered the viCtor large funis for his protection. He gave it to
them gratuitouily, and contented himfelf with his reward from
the new Nabob, without the left oppreilion of the people.
Moorjbedabad is now declining very fail; it .loft its advantage of
being the feat o f government, and-fi'oce that time, by the removal
o f the board o f revenue, in 1771, to Calcutta.
Surajah Dovolab■ had efcaped to this city in the night after
the battle of Plajfey; diftrufting every one, he determined on- a
fecret flight; reflections on his barbarities urged that meafure.
The account given by Mr. Orme, of the manner in which he
pafied the midnight hours before his fatal defeat, reminds me
of the awful fcene of the tent of Richard XII. before the battle
o f Bofworth. The Indian tyrant did. not feem lefs agitated.
After attempting to fecure his treafures, he fled from his ca-
* Same p. 65«
pital
pital with a fingle eunuch and his favorite concubine. In the
article Rajahmahel, I have mentioned his fad but deferved fate.
He fell in only the twentieth year of his age, by tfie particular
orders of Meeram, the fon of Jaffier, a youth not exceeding
feventeen, but fierce and cruel as the falling tyrant. It is not
ftrange, that the fame fun which heightens the fury o f the
beafts of prey, fhould infeCt the human kind with congenial
rage and barbarity.
A t Moorjbedabad is a religious building o f great Angularity
and extent, a Cuttera (Hodges, vol. ii. tab. XVII.) ereCted for
the reception of pious or learned perfons, invited from all parts
by its founder Jaffier Kban. He maintained above two- thou-
fand' readers, beadimen, and chanters, who* were conftantly employed
in reading the Koran, and in other aits of devotion.
He was greatly celebrated for the mildnefs o f his manners,
love o f learned men, and rigid obiervance of juftice. The
front is extenfive,, finifhing at each end with a lofty polygonal
tower, with a multitude o f little domes, each covering
the cell o f fome pious or fcientific inmate; Beyond appears
large domes, probably over the taofque.. Thefe were
ereCled at the expenfe of the deftruCtiom of feveral neighboring
Hindoo temples, which he pulled down for the fake o f the
materials, and even, compelled the poor Hindoos to affift in the
abominable talk of building the mofques * .
T he branch o f the Ganges which waihes the city o i MoorJhe-
dabad, becomes a: channel, of great importance, and a much fre,-
M ost eleg ant
A cadem y.
I Narrative of the Government.of Bengal, .tranflatedfrom thePerfian, by Fr. Gladwin, Efq..
g. 121..
quenteda