Tarikh-i saʿadat-i jawid 6: Defeat of Hurmat Khan, son of Hafiz Rahmat Khan.

6

In these days, Hurmat Khan Rohilla, son of Hafiz Rahmat Khan, having collected a force of about 20,000 vagabonds and Afghans, crossed the Ganges at Anupshahr. He laid siege to the fort of Pilibhit, which was in possession of the minister's adherents, and began to spread devastation throughout the country. He determined that when the army of the minister should come against him, he would fly to the forests at the foot of the Kumaun hills. Maharaja Surat Singh sent the father of the writer of these pages, Rai Gurdas, against Hurmat Khan, who, on hearing that the army of the minister was approaching, abandoned the siege of Pilibhit, and pitched his camp on the borders of the jungle. Rai Gurdas Singh pursued and came up to his encampment, upon which Hurmat Khan set his army in array, and, after a very severe engagement, was defeated and fled, leaving some of his men in ambush in a ravine. Rai Gurdas Singh, being an experienced man, obtained intelligence of the ambuscade, and with a body of his gallant companions in arms went to the place. The scheme of the Afghans being thus disconcerted, they fled away. About two thousand of them were killed and wounded, and victory declared in favour of the Nawab Wazir. Hurmat Khan took refuge in the Kumaun hills, and Rai Gurdas Singh sacked the villages which were below the hills, and within the territory of the Raja of Kumaun. He also determined to invade him in the hills, but the Raja sent his ambassadors, and sued for peace. Hurmat Khan fled beyond the Kumaun jurisdiction, and sought protection under some other hill chiefs. In the mean time a letter was received from Nawab Asafu-d daula, of which the following is a copy:
"May the sincere and faithful Rai Gurdas Singh be protected from evil! It has been represented by the intelligencers, that having proceeded with the army placed under you against Hurmat Khan Rohilla, you have given him a complete defeat. This is considered a most valuable service on your part. You should now take a written engagement from the Raja of Kumaun to the effect that he will never give protection to the enemies of this State within his dominions, and having done this, you should return from that country. You should consider these orders imperative, and act according to them."
In short, the father of the writer of this book took a definite agreement from the Raja of Kumaun to this effect, and returned. During these same days Maharaja Surat Singh was removed from the governorship of Bareilly, which was bestowed upon other officials.