Tarikh-i Hindi 15: Nineteenth Year of the Reign.
Tarikh-i Hindi, of Rustam 'Ali (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 15
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Nineteenth Year of the Reign.
15.1
The Mahratta armies entered the territory of Bhadawar, the chief of which, Amrat Singh, collected an army, advanced from the town of Ater with the utmost intrepidity, and gave battle at the distance of a kos from that town. It is commonly reported that the army of the Raja consisted of seven thousand horse, twenty thousand foot, and forty-five elephants; while that of the invaders amounted to near one hundred thousand horse. The war continued for one month; and although the territory of Bhadawar lay close to the capital, yet that Emperor, the asylum of negligence, took no measures for the expulsion of the foe. It is said that one of the brothers of the Raja, who had long cherished hatred against him in his own bosom, joined with the enemy, who, at his instigation, left half of his army to confront the Raja, and sent the other half through the towns of Gohad and Barhad to the town of Ater, which they began to plunder. The Raja was obliged to retreat, fighting all the way with the enemy, and got safe into the fort. Although the enemy had plundered much treasure and property, yet he took besides a contribution of twenty lacs of rupees in cash and ten elephants.
15.2
After this, in the beginning of Zi-l hijja of the same year, the enemy's army having crossed the river Jumna, near the village of Rapri, besieged the fort of Shukohabad. Lalji Khatri, the governor of that place, presented him one hundred and fifty thousand rupees and an elephant, and thus saved the town. Marching thence, the invaders burnt down Firozabad and I'timadpur, which is five kos from the capital, Agra, and plundered them, and then proceeded towards Jalesar. All of a sudden, about dawn, Burhanu-l Mulk drew near, having marched from Etawa in pursuit of the enemy. At first, his nephew Abu-l Mansur Khan Safdar Jang, with twelve thousand horse, came in sight, when the Mahrattas, with their usual confidence, considering his force to be small, surrounded him on all sides. Abu-l Mansur Khan slowly retreated, fighting all the way, till he reached the spot occupied by Burhanu-l Mulk, at the head of fifty thousand horse. When the Mahrattas approached near, he suddenly charged the army of those rebels with his cavalry, like a wolf falling upon sheep, or a tiger upon a deer. Thus those vagabonds, seized by the hand of death, were obliged to run away in alarm towards the forest.
15.3
The Muhammadan army pursued them, made heaps of the slain, and kept the battle raging for the distance of thirty-five kos. A body of the invaders were overtaken near the tank of I'timadpur, and three chiefs with about a thousand men were taken prisoners. Those who escaped the sword crossed the river Jumna. Many of them missed the ford, and were drowned in the river of eternity, but most of them escaped and joined their countrymen. When the prisoners were brought before Burhanu-l Mulk, he gave each man a rupee for his expenses, and set them all at liberty; but he kept the three chiefs loaded with chains. After this, he returned towards Shah-Jahanabad, from which place Amiru-l umara Khan-dauran was advancing with a body of twenty-five thousand horse, some guns, and many elephants, accompanied by Muhammad Khan Bangash Ghazanfar Jang, at the head of twelve thousand horse. The army, which in the beginning of Zi-l ka'da had been ordered by His Majesty to proceed against the enemy, met Burhanu-l Mulk near the city of Mathura, in the beginning of the month of Zi-l hijja. One day, the Amiru-l umara invited Burhanu-l Mulk to his tents, and prepared a feast for his reception. In the midst of the banquet it was suddenly reported that the enemy's army, having marched through the town of Fathpur, and leaving Dig, the native land of Badna Jat, on the right, had arrived at Dehli.
15.4
Burhanu-l Mulk, on hearing this, bit the finger of sorrow with the teeth of distraction, and, mounting an elephant, hastened towards that city. It is commonly said that I'timadu-d daula Kamru-d din Khan, who, with the intention of expelling the enemy, was then encamped near Kaman Pahari, also returned to Dehli. In the mean time, Raja Jai Singh, having marched from Jaipur with an army of fifty thousand Rajput horse and above seventy elephants, advanced as far as the town of Nimrana; but when he heard the news of Burhanu-l Mulk's march towards the capital, he returned to Jaipur. The enemy's army, having sacked the village of Nakal, near Dehli, went to the shrine of the great Khwaja Kutbu-d din; but as they could not obtain admittance, they plundered the inhabitants of the place, and the next day appeared before the Barahpola. Early in the morning, according to the Emperor's orders, Mir Hasan Khan, the commandant of the Emperor's body-guard, came out to oppose him with a body of one thousand mansabdari horse. Immediately behind him, Amir Khan, and other nobles, with a large army and artillery, came out of the city, and stood before the enemy; but as they had not been ordered to fight, they did not commence the battle. Mir Hasan Khan and Raja Sheo Singh, however, advanced and fought valiantly. * * During the fight the enemy retreated, and pitched their tents near Tal Katora.
15.5
The next morning, on hearing the news of Burhanu-l Mulk's arrival, Baji Rao, the chief of the Mahrattas, rode like a jackal running away at the roar of a tiger, and fled from the place. Kamru-d din Khan, who had advanced with three hundred men, engaged in a severe skirmish, and retired after killing some of his opponents. As Burhanu-l Mulk had advanced without orders and engaged with the enemy, he fell under His Majesty's displeasure, and being distressed at this, he crossed the Jumna without an interview with the Emperor, and returned to his own residence. When the Amiru-l umara and Muhammad Khan were returning to Dehli, the Jats of the village of Mitrol, between Kodal and Palwal, fell on their baggage and plundered it. Consequently the army surrounded the village, and having sacked it, set it on fire. The Amiru-l umara entered the seat of the Empire, and, according to the royal orders, Muhammad Khan returned to Agra for its protection. Towards the end of the same year Nizamu-l Mulk arrived from the Dakhin, and on Monday, the 16th of Rabi'u-l awwal, had an interview with His Majesty in the capital.