Page:A memoir of Sir Salar Jung.djvu/55

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42

But few except the Minister knew how great had been the danger here and the peril was passed.

The noble conduct of both Salar Jong and his Master received most grateful recognition from the Supreme Government. In the beginning of the year 1858, the Resident, Colonel Davidson, recommended that the Government of India should show its appreciation of His Highness's loyalty as well as that of his Minister and the chief nobles of the State. Speaking of Salar Jung, Colonel Davidson said: "The unhesitating energy and promptitude with which the Nizam's Minister assisted the British Government was beyond all praise. No Minister of the Dekhan ever before showed himself so strenuously and truly the friend of the English and the British Government. From his open and avowed determination to assist us at all hazards, he became most unpopular and almost outlawed by the Mahomedans, but no invectives, threats, or entreaties ever made him swerve from the truly faithful line of conduct he from the first adopted. His assassination was planned a dozen times, and I believe he was aware of this; but neither dread on that account, nor for a time the continued intelligence of repeated reverses to our arms in the North-West, shook him for a moment; every contingency and every requisition made to him by me was met with the same firmness and consistency, and the resources of the Nizam's Government were, as far as lay in his power, placed unhesitatingly at my disposal" One of the highest Indian authorities wrote at the time, "His services