The old Raja, Bikramajit, died in June, 1834; and, though his death
had been some time expected, he no sooner breathed his last than
charges of 'dinai', slow poison, were got up, as usual, in the zenana
(seraglio).
Here the widow of Raja Bahadur, a violent and sanguinary woman, was
supreme; and she persuaded the present Raja, a weak old man, to take
advantage of the funeral ceremonies to avenge the death of his
brother. He did so; and Bihari, and his three brothers, with above
fifty of his relations, were murdered. The widows of the four
brothers were the only members of all the families left alive. One of
them had a son four months old; another one of two years; the four
brothers had no other children. Immediately after the death of their
husbands, the two children were snatched from their mothers' breasts,
and threatened with instant death unless their mothers pointed out
all their ornaments and other property. They did so; and the spoilers
having got from them property to the amount of one hundred and fifty
thousand rupees, and been assured that there was no more, threw the
children over the high wall, by which they were dashed to pieces.
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