A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & IISleeman, W. H. (William Henry), Sir
History
A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & II
Sleeman, W. H. (William Henry), Sir
Oudh (India) -- Description and travel
Rajah Ghalib Jung was the superintendent of the City Police, and
commandant of a Brigade of Infantry, and a prime favourite of the
King, Nuseer-od Deen Hyder, for two years, up to November 1835. He
had many other employments, was always in attendance upon the King,
and was much liked by him, because he saw his orders carried into
immediate effect, without any regard to the rank or sufferings of the
persons whom they were to affect. For these two years he was one of
the most intimate companions of his sovereign, in his festivities and
most private debaucheries. He became cordially detested throughout
the city for his reckless severity, and still more throughout the
Court, for the fearless manner in which he spoke to the King of the
malversation and peculations of the minister and all the Court
favourites who were not in his interest. He thwarted the imbecile old
minister, Roshun-od Dowlah, in everything; and never lost an
opportunity of turning him into ridicule, and showing his contempt
for him.
The King had become very fond of a smart young lad, by name Duljeet,
who had been brought up from his infancy by the minister, but now
served the King as his most confidential personal attendant. He was
paid handsomely by the minister for all the services he rendered him,
and deeply interested in keeping him in power and unfettered, and he
watched eagerly for an opportunity to remove the man who thwarted
him. _Mucka_, the King's head tailor, was equally anxious, for his
own interests, to get rid of the favourite, and so was _Gunga
Khowas_, a boatman, another personal servant and favourite of the
King. These three men soon interested in their cause some of the most
influential ladies of the palace, and all sought with avidity the
opportunity to effect their object. Ghalib Jung was the person, or
one of the persons, through whom the King invited females, noted for
either their beauty or their accomplishments, and he was told to
bring a celebrated dancing-girl, named Mogaree. She did not appear,
and the King became impatient, and at last asked Dhuneea Mehree the
reason. She had often been employed in a similar office, and was
jealous of Ghalib Jung's rivalry. She told his Majesty, that he had
obstructed his pleasures on this as on many other occasions, and
taken the lady into his own keeping. All the other favourites told
him the same thing, and it is generally believed that the charge was
true; indeed the girl herself afterwards confessed it. The King,
however, "bided his time," in the hope of finding some other ground
of revenging himself upon the favourite, without the necessity of
making him appear in public as his rival.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account