History of the Maratʾha wars in Hindustan 12.5

12.5

but the whole rainy season was spent in negociation, and no peace was established. In the interim, Raja Suraj Mal Jat, who discerned the speedy downfall of the Mahratta power, having moved with his troops, in company with 'Imadu-l Mulk, the wazir, from his position at Sarai Badarpur, which is situated at a distance of six kos from Dehli on the eastern side, and traversed fifty kos in one night, without informing Bhao betook himself to Balamgarh, which is one of his forts. As the Mahratta troops made repeated complaints to Bhao regarding the scarcity of grain and forage, the latter, on the 29th of the month of Safar, 1174 a.h. (9th October, 1760 A.D.), removed Shah Jahan, son of Muhi'u-s Sunnat, son of Kam Bakhsh, son of Aurangzeb 'Alamgir, and having seated the illustrious Prince, Mirza Jawan Bakht, the grandson of 'Alamgir II., on the throne of Dehli, publicly conferred the dignity of wazir on Shuja'u-d daula. His object was this, that the Durrani Shah might become averse to and suspicious of the Nawab in question. Leaving Narad Shankar Brahmin, of whom mention has been made above, behind in the fort of Shah-Jahanabad, he himself set out, with all his partisans and retainers, in the direction of Kunjpura. This place is fifty-four kos to the west of Dehli, and seven to the north of the pargana of Karnal, and it is a district the original cultivators of which were the Rohillas.