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Sleeman, William, 1788-1856

"II"

She soon acquired an entire ascendancy over his
weak mind, and, anxious to surround herself in her exalted station by
people on whom she could entirely rely, she invited the learned Bebee
Mulatee and her daughter, Jumeel-on Nissa, and her son, Kasim Beg, to
the palace, and placed them in high and confidential posts. She
invited at the same time Futteh Allee and Warus Allee, the sons of
Futteh Morad by his second wife; and persuaded the King that they
were all people of high lineage, who had been reduced, by unmerited
misfortunes, to accept employments so humble. All were raised to the
rank of Nawabs, and placed in situations of high trust and
emoluments. Kuramut-on Nissa, too, the sister of Futteh Morad, was
invited; but when Dolaree's husband--the humble Roostum--ventured to
approach the Court, he was seized and imprisoned in a fort in the
Bangur district till the death of Nuseer-od Deen, when he was
released. He came to Lucknow, but died soon after.
Soon after the death of Ghazee-od Deen had placed the heir-apparent,
her husband, on the throne, 20th of October, 1827, she fortified
herself still further by high alliances: and her son, Mahommed Allee,
was affianced to the daughter of Rokun-od Dowla, brother of the late
King; and her daughter, Zeenut-on Nissa, to Moomtaz-od Dowla, the
prince of whom I am writing. These two marriages were celebrated at a
cost of about thirty lacs of rupees; Dolaree was declared the first
consort of the King, under the title of "Mulika Zamanee," queen of
the age, and received an estate in land yielding six lacs of rupees
a-year for pin-money.


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