Riyaz al-salatin 111.3
The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam) 111.3
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111.3.1
Mir Habib, the Generalissimo of Murshid Quli Khan, after the latter's defeat, had gone to Raghoji Bhoslah, and persuaded the latter to undertake the conquest of Bengal. At this time, Raghoji Bhoslah, nephew of the Rajah of the Dakhin, was Governor of the Subah of Berar. Taking advantage of the circumstance that Mahabat Jang was occupied with the affairs of Orissa, and finding that the whole extent of Bengal was denuded of troops, Raghoji Bhoslah detached his generalissimo, Diwan Bhaskar Pandit, and Ali Qarawal, who was an able general, with a contingent of sixty thousand Mahratta cavalry from Nagpur, in the company of Mir Habib, by the route across the forest, in order to invade and pillage Bengal. On receiving news of the approach of Mahratta freebooters, Mahabat Jang abandoned the pursuit of the Morbhanj Rajah, and withdrew towards Bengal. As yet Ali Vardi Khan had not passed through the forests of Morbhanj, when the army of Mahratta freebooters swooped down from the direction of the chaklah of Bardwan. Mahabat Jang, with the celerity of lightning and wind, marching swiftly by night and day, reached the inn of Ujalan adjoining to Bardwan. The armies of Mahratta freebooters, concentrating from different directions, commenced looting baggages and tents.
111.3.2
The Bengal army, which was ignorant of the tactics of Mahratta freebooters, but which had heard tales about their barbarity and ravages, stood motionless from fear like an army of statues, and were hemmed in and attacked by the freebooters. Their baggages were looted, and their food-supplies were cut off. Horses, elephants, and camels of the Bengal army were captured, and carried off by the freebooters. The army of Mahabat Jang, being tired out by the devastating onslaughts and sieges of the freebooters, broke in disorder. The Mahrattas at once hemming in attacked the elephant Landah on which Mahabat Jang's Begam was mounted, and capturing the elephant dragged it towards their own camp. Musahib Khan Mohmand, son of U'mar Khan the General, having his Hindustani courage aroused in him, attacked the freebooters, and advancing his feet of valour and gallantry, by means of valorous onslaughts and Rustam-like onsets, rescued the elephant together with its fair rider from the clutches of the freebooters. In consequence, however, of numerous mortal and ghastly wounds that they received, Musahib Khan and a large number of his comrades and kinsmen drew the red paint of martyrdom on the face, and on that very spot of slaughter were buried. And when the freebooters from impudence and insolence made onslaughts from all sides, Mahabat Jang, of necessity, opened leathern bags of coins, and scattered them on the field.
111.3.3
Thus diverting the freebooters with the work of picking up coins, Mahabat Jang seized this respite, and with the celerity of lightning and wind riding out at full gallop arrived at Bardwan. The hungry troops, who for three days and nights had not seen the face of food-stuffs, quenched the fire of their hunger with the stores of Bardwan. The army of Mahratta freebooters followed up in pursuit. Sacking villages and towns of the surrounding tracts, and engaging in slaughters and captures, they set fire to granaries, and spared no vestige of fertility. And when the stores and granaries of Bardwan were exhausted, and the supply of imported grains was also completely cut off, to avert death by starvation, human beings ate plantain-roots, whilst animals were fed on the leaves of trees. Even these gradually ceased to be available. For breakfasts and suppers, nothing except the discs of the sun and the moon feasted their eyes. And for nights and days together, being constantly mounted on their high saddles, they did not even dream of sleep. The Afghan and Bhaliah troops becoming desperate, determined to die hard. Mahabat Jang, seeing signs of defeat, owing to the exhausted condition of his soldiery, held a Council of War.
111.3.4
It was at last decided to place the artillery round the army, and to put baggages in the centre, and in this form to march out expeditiously from Bardwan to Katwah, where food and fodder would be either procurable, or could he imported by waterways or highways from the environs of Murshidabad, to relieve the distressed soldiery. In short, in pursuance of this plan, setting out at night from Bardwan, Mahabat Jang's army marched towards Katwah, and in a short interval by forced marches reached Katwah. The light Mahratta cavalry, however, covered forty karoh a day, and thus before Mahabat Jang's arrival at Katwah, they had already burnt down its fields, farms, and granaries, and reduced them to ashes. The army of Mahabat Jang now being in a state of utter despair, sent up to the skies wails, similar to the following :— We never get relief from distress ; To whatever country we roam, We see the sky alone. However, Haji Ahmad collecting the bakers of Murshidabad got breads prepared, and sent these together with other eatables and food-stuffs on boats to Katwah. Other provisions and food-grains were also similarly conveyed gradually and in large quantities. At last, Mahabat Jang's army were saved from starvation, and their cattle also received a grateful supply of fodder and grass. Mahabat Jang's soldiers, whose houses were in Murshidabad, felt home-sick, and gradually drifted away towards their homes.
111.3.5
As Mir Sharif, brother of Mir Habib, together with the family treasures, dependants and children, was at Murshidabad, Mir Habib with seven hundred Mahratta cavalry swooped down on Murshidabad, in order to relieve his brother. Marching expeditiously, night and day, early at day-break, Mir Habib reached Dihparah and Ganj Muhammad Khan, to which he set fire. And opposite to the Citadel, crossing the river Bhagirati, Mir Habib reached his residence, and taking out Mir Sharif, together with his treasures, effects, followers, and dependants, he kept them in his company. Sweeping clean the houses of numerous residents of the City with the broom of plunder, and looting as much gold and silver coins as he could from the houses of Jagat Set, and capturing Murad Ali Khan, a son-in-law of Sarfaraz Khan, and Rajah Dulabh Ram and Mir Shujau-d-din, Superintendent of the Bajutarah Sair duties, he encamped at Tiratkonah, which was to the west of the City, at a distance of one farsakh. Haji Ahmad, Nawazish Ahmad Khan and Husain Quli Khan, who were in the City, at the very sight of the Mahratta cavalry, firing their guns once or twice, and closing the avenues to the City as well as the gates of the Citadel, entrenched themselves, but found it impossible to fight and disperse the enemy, or to defend the City. On the next day, Mahabat Jang, with his army marching night and day, entered Murshidabad.
111.3.6
Then the Mahrattas abandoned the idea of assaulting the City, and after desolating the surrounding tracts across the river returned to Katwah. The rainy season now set in. In view of the tumultuousness of the river, the Mahrattas now suspended their fighting, established their quarters at Katwah, and from there commenced making administrative arrangements. Giving Mir Habib a free hand in all affairs, Bhaskar Pandit himself remained at Katwah, and sent out detachments in all directions for raid and plunder. Similarly, Mahabat Jang, in view of giving rest to his army, did not move out of the City. As in his earlier years, Mir Habib had lived at Hugli, the latter place still abounded with many of his kinsmen and friends. Their headman, Mir Abu-l-Hasan Sarkhil, now laid plans to surprise Hugli. He won over many of the Mughals to his side, and held secret correspondence with Mir Habib. Mir Muhammad Riza, the Deputy Faujdar of Hugli, used to treat Mir Abu-l-Hasan as his right-hand in all affairs. In blissful ignorance of the fact that he had a traitor in his camp, the Deputy Faujdar passed nights and days in carousals. At length, at the instigation of Mir Abu-l-Hasan, Mir Habib with a detachment of two thousand cavalry commanded by Sis Rao advanced to Hugli, and at midnight arriving at the gate of its Fort announced his arrival to Mir Abu-l-Hasan.
111.3.7
Whilst Muhammad Riza, arranging a feast of revelry, was quite absorbed in watching the dancing of some pretty women, Mir Abu-l-Hasan said to the former: "Mir Habib has come alone to visit you, and is waiting at the gate of the fort." Under the influence of liquor, the Deputy Faujdar unhesitatingly ordered the gate of the Fort to be thrown open and to admit Mir Habib. Entering the Fort, Mir Habib with the concurrence of Mir Abu-l-Hasan placed Muhammad Riza and Mirza Piran under surveillance, established himself inside the Fort, and posted his own guards at its gate. The noblemen and residents of the town that very night fled to Chuchrah (Chinsurah) and other places, and took refuge in the houses of the Dutch and French. Next morning, Sis Rao with his detachment of cavalry entered the Fort. Many of the Mughal residents who were Mir Habib's acquaintances were introduced to Sis Rao by Mir Habib. The Rao treated them courteously and deferentially, reassured every one of them, and issuing proclamations of peace and security forbade the Mahrattas from looting or sacking the town. He persuaded the Zamindars to assess and collect the revenue, and appointing as usual Qazis, Muhtasibs and other officers to administer justice, he bestowed the office of Faujdar on Mir Abu-l-Hasan. Mir Habib, carrying off some guns and ammunitions together with a flotilla of sloops from Hugli, rejoined Bhaskar Pandit at Katwah.
111.3.8
As it was the rainy season, Mir Habib deputed Mir Mihdi with a detachment of musketeers on boats for collecting revenue from the mahals across the Ganges. But Mir Mihdi, from fear of Mahabat Jang, did not land. The agents of the Zamindars proceeded to Mir Habib, and paying him large sums obtained guards for the immunity of their tracts from the ravages and loot of Mahratta freebooters. The wealthy nobility and gentry, to save their family honour, quitted their homes, and migrated across the Ganges. The whole tract from Akbarnagar (Rajmahal) to Mednipur and Jalisar (Jalasore) came into the possession of the Mahrattas. Those murderous freebooters drowned in the rivers a large number of the people, after cutting off their ears, noses and hands. Tying sacks of dirt to the mouths of others, they mangled and burnt them with indescribable tortures. Thus they desolated and dishonoured the family and children of a whole world. Mahabat Jang, making strenuous efforts towards the chastisement and expulsion of the insolent enemy, set about collecting troops and armaments. Requisitioning to Murshidabad a large flotilla of boats from the neighbourhood of Jahangirnagar (Dacca), from the Jilengi, from Maldah, and Akbarnagar (Rajmahal), &c., he constructed a road leading to Katwah. From the eastern bank of the Bhagirati he detached for bridge-making twelve thousand pioneers and sappers on boats, and attended to the comforts of the army.
111.3.9
Collecting paraphernalia, horses, elephants, and swords, and winning the hearts of his soldiery by bestowing on them gifts and increments in pay, he encouraged and incited them to fight. Finding the enemy absorbed in political affairs relating to Zamindars, Revenue-Collectors and Administrators, Mahabat Jang seized this opportunity, and held a Council of War with his Afghan and Bhaliah Generals in view of delivering a night-attack. In pursuance of this plan, Mahabat Jang marched expeditiously with a large and efficient army, and by forced marches, at midnight, reached a place just opposite to Katwah. In the cover of the night's darkness, he instantly floated a bridge of boats that had been kept ready from before, and with a large army commenced crossing the river. Whilst he with the officers and some veteran soldiers had crossed the river, the bridge suddenly gave way under the heavy weight of a large army. Some of the boats sank, whilst a large number of Afghans and Bhaliahs were drowned in the river. Mahabat Jang, on learning about this mishap, was engulphed in a sea of confusion. His mind was racked with anxiety. He realised that the entire army from the eastern bank of the river had been unable to cross over, and that he alone with a handful of troops was on the western bank face to face with the enemy. In consequence, he apprehended that in the event of the enemy getting scent of his movement, he would meet with a terrible disaster.
111.3.10
He, therefore, put out the torches, and gave directions for immediately repairing the broken portions of the bridge. After the bridge was repaired, he ordered the whole army to cross over and join him. As the enemy was heedless and negligent, everything ended well. Kishwar Khan, the Deputy Faujdar, and Mankant, the commandant of the pioneers and sappers, quickly rendered the damaged boats water-tight by plastering their cracks and rends with mud and bits of wood, and thus displayed Luqman-like skill. An army, waving like the sea, swiftly crossed the bridge, rallied round Mahabat Jang and his Generals, and quickly unsheathing their swords, in a solid and clamorous phalanx, like some heavenly disaster, swooped down on the enemy. Shouts rose up on every side.