For this office there were two rival candidates, persons of great consideration, in Bengal:  one, a principal Mahomedan, called Mahomed Reza Khan, a man of high authority, great piety in his own religion, great learning in the law, of the very first class of Mahomedan nobility; but at the same time, on all these accounts, he was abhorred and dreaded by the Nabob, who necessarily feared that a man of Mahomed Reza Khan’s description would be 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 Khan 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 Khan, 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 Khan 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 Khan 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 Khan, 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 220,000_l._ Be the sum paid what it may, it was certainly a large one; in consequence of which the Council attempted to invest Mahomed Reza Khan 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 bribe, eagle to eagle; but at length he was driven to the wall.  Some received his money, but did him no service in return; others, more conscientious, refused to receive it; and in this battle of bribes he was vanquished.  A deputation was sent from Calcutta to the miserable Nabob, to tear Nundcomar, his only support, from his side, and to put the object of all his terrors, Mahomed Reza Khan, in his place.