Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Character of Siraj-Ud-Daulah

Siraj-Ud-Daulah is usually regarded as a freedom fighter in modern India, Bangladesh and Pakistan for his opposition to the British annexation. As a teenage, he led a reckless life, which came to the notice of his  grandfather. But keeping a promise he made to his dear grand father on his death bed, he gave up gambling and drinking alcohol totally after becoming the Nawab.
     "Siraj-Ud-Daulah has been pictured ," says the biographer of Robert Clive , " as a monster of vice, cruelty and deprivity". In 1778, Robert Orme wrote of the relationship with his maternal grandfather Alivardi Khan.
Two Muslim historians of the period wrote of him.
Ghulam Husain Salim wrote,
"Owing to Siraj-Ud Daulah's harshness of temper and indulgence, fear and terror had settled on the hearts of everyone to such an extent that no one amongst his generals of the army or the noblemen of the city was free from anxiety. Amongst his officers,  whoevet went to wait on Siraj Ud Daulah despaired of life and honour, and whoever returned without being disgraced and ill-treated offered thanks to God . Siraj ud-Daulah treated all the noblemen and generals of Mahabat Jang with ridicule and drollery, and bestowed on each some contemptuous nickname that ill-suited any of them and whatever harsh expressions and abusive epithet care to his lips, he uttered them unhestatingly in the face of everyone , and on one had the boldness to breath freely in his presence."