The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

considered as better entitled and fitter for his seat, as Nabob of the provinces. To balance
him, there was another man, known by the name of the Great Rajah Nundcomar. This man
was accounted the highest of his caste, and held the same rank among the Gentoos that
Mahomed Reza Khân obtained among the Mahomedans. The prince on the throne had no
jealousy of Nundcomar, because he knew, that, as a Gentoo, he could not aspire to the
office of Subahdar. For that reason he was firmly attached to him; he might depend
completely on his services; he was his against Mahomed Reza Khân, and against the whole
world. There was, however, a flaw in the Nabob's title, which it was necessary should be
hid. And perhaps it lay against Mahomed Reza Khân as well as him. But it was a source of
apprehension to the Nabob, and contributed to make him wish to keep all Mahomedan
influence at a distance. For he was a Syed, that is to say, a descendant of Mahomet, and as
such, though of the only acknowledged nobility among Mussulmen, would be by that
circumstance excluded, by the known laws of the Mogul empire, from being Subahdar in
any of the Mogul provinces, in case the revival of the constitution of that empire should
ever again take place.

An auction was now opened before the English Council at Calcutta. Mahomed Reza Khân
bid largely; Nundcomar bid largely. The circumstances of these two rivals at the Nabob
court were equally favorable to the pretensions of each. But the preponderating merits of
Mahomed Reza Khân, arising from the subjection in which he was likely to keep the
Nabob, and make him fitter for the purpose of continued exactions, induced the Council to
take his money, which amounted to about 220,000l. Be the sum paid what it may, it was
certainly a large one; in consequence of which the Council attempted to invest Mahomed
Reza Khân with the office of Naib Subah, or Deputy Viceroy. As to Nundcomar, they fell
upon him with a vengeful fury. He fought his battle as well as he could; he opposed bribe to

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