Padshah-namah 7.3

7.3

At the close of the rains, the royal army left its quarters in Dewalganw, and marched forth against the Nizam-Shahis and the Afghans. On hearing of this, Mukarrab Khan and the other rebels left Jalnapur, where they had passed the rainy season, and retreated towards Pathri. 'Azam Khan, being informed of their retreat, followed them march by march. When he reached the village of Rambhuri, on the Ban-ganga river, he learnt that the Nizam-Shahis had ascended the Balaghat at Dharur, and had taken refuge in the fort of that place, while Khan-Jahan had not yet left his quarters at Bir. Khan-Jahan, having been informed of the movements of the Imperial army, called in a detachment which he had sent to collect the revenues in the dependencies of Bir, and awaited the arrival of reinforcements from Mukarrab Khan, who was at Dharur. 'Azam Khan conceived the design of attacking the forces of the rebel Khan before the reinforcements could reach him; so he marched from Rambhuri to Mahganw. Here he received a message from Saf-shikan Khan Razwi, commandant of the fort of Bir, informing him that Khan-Jahan was at Rajauri, twenty-four kos from Machhli-ganw, employed in dividing the spoil which his predatory followers had obtained by plundering the merchants at Kehtun and Kiorai. Several detachments which had been sent out to make collections had rejoined him, and as he had heard of the arrival of the Imperial army at Pathri, he had made up his mind to move off as soon as it came nearer to Bir.