Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/54

48 with great authority; whilst his subjects beheld with equal surprise arid consternation an instance of such dotage in a prince, whose judgment had never failed him until this, the most important option of his life. The doom was, however, irrevocable, and Mirza Mahmud on his appointment received the name of Chiragee-al-Dowla, signifying the lamp of riches, by which he was afterwards called; but by the Europeans, Surajah Dowlah. His uncles Nowagis and Sid Hamed, did not indeed break out into open rebellion, but shewed so much discontent, that Allaverdy was convinced they would dispute the succession after his death; and knowing that Nowagis Mahomed was governed by a man of abilities, named Hossein Cooley Khan, he determined to remove this minister. But Nowagis having for some years held the government of Dacca with its appurtenances, had acquired great wealth, which enabled him to maintain a large retinue of armed men in constant pay; and the city of Dacca was at this time governed by a nephew of Hossein Cooley Khan: Allaverdy therefore was apprehensive that Nowagis might retire to Dacca, and throw off his allegiance, if he should take the alarm, whilst that city remained under his authority; but Surajah Dowlah undertook to remove the nephew of Hossein Cooley Khan, and sent a party of assassins, who entering Dacca in disguise stabbed him in the dead of night. As soon as his death was known at MuxadaVad, Nowagis took up arms, but more from apprehensions of his own danger than with intention to revenge the injury: Allaverdy therefore easily quelled this insurrection, by assuring him that the murder had been committed without the participation either of himself, or Surajah Dowlah. Some days after the tumult was quieted, Surajah Dowlah caused Hossein Cooley Khan himself to be assassinated in open day, as he was passing through the streets of Muxadavad.

These murders increased the gloomy conjectures which the appointment of Surajah Dowlah to the succession had already raised in the minds of the people. His uncles Nowagis and Sid Hamed had hitherto acted independently of each other, but now united; and although their reverence to Allaverdy restrained them from revolt during