and Nandkumar were fitting to delay a decision until the arrival of Clive and also that ©f the imperial Sanad, which was t© then most essential to give sanction to Najm ud daulah* s access3ion0 Kandkumar had a private object , for he had to attend the marriage ceremony of his son with Raja Krishna Chandra’s daughter] hut he also used the tii«e gap to try
Leycester again with money if nhe would hut endeavour to keep things in
2
the state they were”,and to tempt Senior with five lakhs of rupees M te withhold his favours from Mahomed Reza Cawn"#^ The English delegation*s official reason for delay was that Reza Khan had still to arrive. But they also wished to find out more ahout the revenues of the province and the ” people most worthy and capable ef being entrusted with the management
4
ef those branches”# Theugh Cray’s opposition to Reza Khan , ana Burdett*s preference for Rai Durlabh ( who had followed the delegation to Lurshida— bad), had been overruled, the delegation were in fact still looking for possible alternatives te Reza Khan. Before and after their meeting with the Nawab they w*jre busy reporting te Calcutta on possible candidates* Kirza Eraj Khan, an old Mughal noble, father-in-law of Siraj ud daulah, and iir Jafar*s deputy at Kurshidabad from 1763 2 Ismail Ali Khan, another relative , and guardian of one cf Kir Jafar*s sens**} Asad ullah Khan,
a Mughal chief ©f Shuja*s army and brought to Bengal by Major Kunr©^# All were eismissed as ”creatures dependent on Nundcenar” nnd ” from age and weakness utterly unfit for undertaking and conducting so weighty a
7
charge as that of Naib Subah”; Finally even Resa Khan delayed. Spencer had written te hi# te proceed te Hurshidabad not only by way ef the Nawab
3
but also directly# But he had also had orders from Najm ud daulah , not to otir. He took eight days on the way from Dacca to Murshidabad, a length of time which suggests that his delay was purposeful. He could not
disoblige Spencer, he could not disobey the Nawab, and he would net enter 1-iurshidabad until at the Delegation’s request, Najm ud daulah wrote ©n 25 February asking him to hurry te the city# He reached the capital ©n tiie 28 th o
1, jelegates* letter , 3 • • M C 6 i ar 17'65o
2# Leycester’s minute, BSC. Appendices#I#C«Records* Range A. Vol 6. 3o Senior’s evioence. HP Tnird Report, 1773# p 309*
4« Delegations’ letter 23 Reb. BSC 28 Beb 1763.
5# Thi3 least known son ©f Kir J a f a r ,was Kir Jan 0 6C CPC, 1,2344 ,^432,2426 %0 Nidegvtionb letter 23 -VT. . BC 28 Bebol?^* BBC 14 Bob 17-0*
it
Even th&n the installation of the Nawab was A clayed for another three days. When it took place on 3 March , 1765 *it made very plain the power of the Cempany©Gray and Burdett had already pretested in Calcutta
against the ceremony being held up for Reza Khan’s coming as a measure which carried " the appearance of tee much respect and consideration for hjm to the diminution ef the Nabob* s authority" .^;:©w the authority ©f the
2
Emperor was also publicly lowered*; Najm ud daulah had applied for the emperor* s sanction to his succession* and this had been sent through
Shitab Rai and under the emperor’s private seal. Nandkumar therefore came to the delegates* headquarters at Motijhil te Ask " whether a tent sheu’d as usual on such occasions* be erected without the city* where the Nawafe might publickly and with due reverence receive the Perwanna ef the Kin^*0 Since the delegates had come te make the Nawab take his government freia the Company and not from the emperor * they nature lly resented the
"impropriety ef such a measure" ana hurried te the palace to prevent ito As they reported* the Nawab was " easily convinced" and he " readily
3
acquiesced in receiving the government only from the Company". Buck alighting ef the eaperor* s parwana must have ore&ted abherrenoe in the Nawab and the nobility at Hurshidabad* including the Khan. It also ereated an uproar among the English as wellQ Carnao refused to obey directions te proclaim Najm ud daulah in the camp in the circumstances which he
regarded as " the greatest indignity that ceud be offered te His Majesty* being directly ^opposed^to the constitution of the empire"
Vihatever the private feelings ef either Najm ud daulah or Reza Khan may have been* the Nawab was publicly reinvested as the Subahdar ef Bengal* Bihar and Orissa on Sunday the 10th Ramzan corresponding te 3 March 176% On the same day Reza Khan was formally installed in his office as Naib Subahdar0 The Nawab conferred* Karan All says* the titles •f Kubariz ul Hulk (the Foremost in the Kingdom)P Muin ud daulah ( the Eminent in the State)* I uzaffar Jang ( the Victorious or Triumphant in War] 1.BSC 28 Feb 1765<>
2.At the same time the English secured Sanad for five Northern Sarkars around Luslipatam.The English interest in being kind to the Emperor was te prevent !U Law from securing any advantage from bin,’:no French r/ere returning to Bengal after the Treaty ef Marie, 1763.Spencer’s letter te Court* 14 ; '<rch 1765©
3oDelegatee* letter 3 Mar© BSC 6 K.-r 1765.
4*Camae*e letter 21 Haro BSC 9 Apr 1765o For Grav’s protest BSC 6 Kar 176* % Delegation's letter 3 M*r© BSC 6 liar. 1765o
88
on Reza Khan together with & Khilat of five j.)iec<-8, - jewelled aigrette, a ncimitar, a sword and a r.ale elephant* Titles and similar gifts were presented te the English members of the delegation an. further honours and titles were bestowed on the Nawab* s brothers.and friends] The cepios ef the treaty between tho Nawab and the English as drawn up bj the Council on
2
20 > February were formally exchanged*,
Under Clause Two of the new treaty the Nawab undertook as essential " for myself, for the welfare of the eeuntry and for the Company*s 1 business** te have a person " fixed with me with the advice of the Governor and Council in the station of Naib Subah who shall accordingly have
immediately under me the chief management ef all affairs*0 And * as Mahomed Reza Cawn the Naib ef Dacca*, the Clause further read, "has in
every respect my approbation and that of the Governor and Council I do further agree that the trust shall be conferred on hin and I will not displace hin without the acquiescence of these gentlemen" 0 '^*he Clause furtner provided that in case of the Khan*s removal he would * be reinsta ted in the N&ibship of Dacca with the same authority as heretofore"
provided, ©f course, that the Khan had "acquitted himself in his adminis— 3
trationS By Clause Three it was further provided that " the business of the collection of tho revenues shall bo under the Naib Subah* and that tho English should have the right to object to any mutasaddi or officer and that the Nawab should pay due regard to their objection* \ i citations wore thus imposed on the power of the Nawab, but Reza Khan had through the same process been raised to tho highest position short of the Nizamat itselfo The Khan ackno?;lodgod his gratefulness to Spencer together with a remittance of Rs 50,000 two days later, on 5 Marcb i'1765o^
The formal exchange of the copies of the treaty , however, did not automatically transfer the control of tho administration to Heza Khan0 In Gray*s language » the delegates seemed " to find no difficulty in porsua- ding tho Nabob to agree to their proposals" | trouble arose about actual 1* til f 151*Karam Ali appears slightly in^cerrect©The first of the throe titles was a subsequent acquisition perhaps through Clivo and from the emperor*( The Nawab*b letter,6 I-ar0CPC,I,2599 and Seir,lll, 4)
2, Delegates* letter 3 far* BSC 6 Nar 17^5* 3oB3C 20 Feb 1765® 4o ibid 5# Reza Khan’s statement, BSC 6 June 1765®