Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/35

Book VI. already enjoyed most of the advantages, the brothers agreed that it should be kept secret, until there should be a necessity of asserting it publickly. However, such a transaction could not be entirely concealed; and the first informations leading to farther investigations, Sujah, although unwillingly, was at length convinced of the treacherous ingratitude of his favourites.

He was meditating revenge, when the approach of Nadir Shah struck all the provinces of the empire with consternation, and kept all their rulers in suspense how far the storm would reach: and in 1739, before the Persians left Delhi, Hujah died. The succession devolved to his only surviving son Suffraze Khan, a man of mean abilities, and governed only by his vices. He, however, bore the strongest resentment against the two brothers; but the fear of Allaverdy restrained him from taking away the life of Hodgee, who was in his power: and Allaverdy, trembling for the safety of his brother, refrained from committing any hostilities, but improved his army.

The profligacy of Suffraze Khan increased with the means of indulgence and his debaucheries went to an excess that disordered his understanding. There was, amongst the officers of the court, an old Gentoo of distinction, named Allumchund, whom the late Nabob used to consult with confidence; relying on which, Allumchund ventured, in a private conference, to warn Suffraze Khan of the dangerous consequences of his intemperance; but Suffraze Khan answered him with ignominious abuse and invectives. No one after this ventured to shew any disapprobation of his inclinations; and, left to himself, he soon after committed a more extravagant outrage. There was a family of Gentoo merchants at Muxadavad, whose head, Juggutseat, had raised himself from no considerable origin to be the wealthiest banker in the empire, in most parts of which he had agents supplied with money for remittances; from whom he constantly received good intelligence of what was transacting in the governments in which they were settled; and in Bengal his influence was equal to that of any officer in the administration; for by