Manazil al-futuh 1.2
Tarikh-i Manazilu-l Futuh, of Muhammad Ja'far Shamlu (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 1.2
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1.2.1
The two vast armies, having fixed their standing camps at a distance from each other of twice the range of a cannon-ball, maintained their respective positions; and the skirmishers on either side used daily to engage one another. On one occasion during this interval a thousand horsemen, each one carrying 2000 rupees with him on his horse, were proceeding from Shah-Jahanabad to their own camp, and as they stood in fear of the Abdali army, they used to march during the night. One of the horsemen belonging to the party, having become oppressed with drowsiness towards morning, missed his road, and moved towards the Abdali camp. Having thus come face to face with the hostile picquets, he got caught in the grasp of calamity, and prepared for the road of ruin. From his own mouth it was discovered that they were conveying treasure to the Mahratta army; so a number of the boldest spirits out of every band set out for the Mahratta camp without any order from Ahmad Sultan, and during that short period of dawn until the rising of the great luminary pillaged three or four hundred of the horsemen. Among the number of those out in quest of booty was 'Aka Sandal Habshi, chief eunuch to Shah Kuli Khan the Wazir, who put one Mahratta horseman to death himself, and carried off his 2000 rupees. The remnant of the Mahratta party gained their own camp by a precipitate flight, and so escaped from the grasp of death till their predestined day.
1.2.2
In like manner, as often as one or two thousand of the Mahratta horse went out for grass and forage, the Abdali and Hindustani heroes used to pillage them on their way; till at length affairs reached such a pass that none would stir out fruitlessly from their position, which they had surrounded with a strong intrenchment, except wretched naked labourers who, going by stealth into the open country, used to dig up grass from the ground with their kharpas, and offer it for sale. As soon as Ahmad Sultan became cognizant of these matters, he directed Khanjan Khan, the head of the Fufalzai chiefs, who is generally known as Jahan Khan, along with three or four thousand Kazalbashis who were under his command; as well as Haji Nawab Khan Alkuzai; to mount every day and patrol round the Mahratta camp at a distance of two kos from their intrenchments, one from the northern side, and the other from the southern; and whenever any forager with grass should approach the enemy's camp, to put him to death. The chiefs in question accordingly continued for a period of two months to patrol round the intrenched camp, slaying and pillaging every forager they came across, who attempted to convey grain, fodder, or grass to the enemy; afterwards they used to separate from each other on the east and west. The Mahratta army being reduced to great extremities for want of grass, fodder, and grain, marched out with intent to give battle;
1.2.3
and at the time of their moving off from their position, such clouds of dust ascended up to heaven from beneath their horses' hoofs, that the bright day appeared to all eyes darker and gloomier than the murky shades of a pitch-black night; in so much that two persons seated side by side could not distinguish each other. Ahmad Sultan then commissioned Shah Pasand Khan,—who was both a great chieftain and charkhi-bashi, as well as commander of the vanguard, and darogha of the stable,—the harkaras and the paiks, to go and procure information as to the state and strength of the Mahratta army. The chief in question, taking the author of this work, and ten other dauntless cavaliers from amongst his relatives and dependents along with him, pursued the road to their camp in the intense obscurity with perfect certainty, as there had been daily skirmishes with them on the plains, and a thorough knowledge of all the paths had been acquired. In the course of four hours we had advanced half a kos, when at that moment the noise of artillery wheels struck on the sensitive ears of the author and his comrades, while the tramp of our horses' hoofs also reached the ears of the enemy's gunners. They immediately suspected that a force from the Abdali army was advancing under cover of the dense clouds of dust to make an assault, and fired several rounds, the shot of which passed close by our horsemen.
1.2.4
The horsemen in question having thus happily escaped the destructive effects of those cannon-balls, we turned back, and reported the news to Ahmad Sultan, that their army was steadily advancing with the resolute determination of giving battle. The Sultan then set about disposing his troops in order, and marshalling their ranks. * * Ahmad Sultan took his stand in the centre of the army, and planted 2000 camel swivels well in advance of his position. In rear of the camel swivels came 20,000 infantry gazallas, backed by the domestics of the royal darbar. Behind these again was the band of music, and in rear of that Ahmad Sultan took up his position, supported behind by the Kazalbash cavalry, counting over 10,000 sabres, and lastly by the force composed of Durranis, Ghiljais, etc. In rear of the line on the right-hand side was stationed Haji Jamal Khan Barakzai, who stood alert and ready for action at the distance of half a kos; so that whenever the enemy should make a desperate assault upon any one of the divisions that were drawn up in front, he might render it assistance. On the left Shuja'u-d daula and others stood ready to furnish succour, and to do his utmost to repel the enemy, whenever any reverse should happen to one of those divisions in the front line.
1.2.5
Both sides having arrayed their troops in line, stood confronting each other till noon, when * * the ranks of the two armies appeared clearly to each other's sight. Then the gallant youths, entering upon the martial strife, commenced the battle and dealt out lusty blows, whilst the expert gunners of European birth kindled the flames of war by discharging their thunder-voiced ordnance, and the rocketmen of magical skill consumed the thread of life of the heroes of the battle-field by darting their falcon-winged missiles. As for a musket bullet, the heroes cared not what it might do, and in that scene of carnage and slaughter the only dread entertained by the renowned and gallant combatants was for a cannon-ball, or the flight of a rocket. From noon until only three gharis of the day remained, the battle continued to rage, the brave warriors being earnestly engaged in wielding sword and spear, and the wounded in yielding up life with groans and agonizing cries. Bháo and Wiswás Rái, in the early part of the engagement, made such incessant assaults, that Ahmad Sultán was under an apprehension that he would not be able to withstand them, and despatched a person to mount the ladies of his household on fleet steeds swift as the wind, and keep them waiting inside his private pavilion; so that, whenever the infidels should gain the superiority, they might be ready to pursue the path of flight, and betake themselves to the verge of safety and the nook of security.
1.2.6
That day, however, Mahmúd Khán Gurd Bulhás, who was chief eunuch, Kulalar-akási, and commander of eight or nine thousand dauntless and bloodthirsty Kazalbásh horse, was posted in rear of Ahmad Sultán. He having planted his foot firmly on the plain of contention, caused great slaughter with his keen-edged sword. * * Through the reiterated charges of the Khán and his adherents, the pagan Mahrattas were unable to push on a step in advance of the position they had first assumed; and at this juncture an order was given to the zambúrakchís and jazáílchís, not to be slack in keeping up their fire, but to consume the harvest of the enemy's lives with the flame of their bullets. * * At length, by Ahmad Sultan's good fortune, one zamburak ball struck Wiswas Rai on the forehead, and another hit Bhao on the side. From these bullet wounds both of them quickly pursued the road to the realms of perdition, and betook themselves to the lowermost pits of hell; while the rest subsided into the sleep of annihilation through the sword cuts inflicted by the Kazalbash youth.
1.2.7
In a word, as soon as the Mahratta army perceived its chieftains travelling the desert of perdition, turning its face from the field of battle, it pursued the path of flight; and in an instant the scene of strife and bloodshed became cleared and purified, like the surface of a mirror, from the foulness of the vile infidels' presence. Couriers then conveyed the information to Shah Pasand Khan that the worthless pagan Mahrattas had fled, and not one of them was left remaining on the field. Jhanku and Malhar, who were two mighty chiefs, having planted firmly the foot of stability, kept fighting at the head of a lac of horsemen in front of Shah Pasand Khan; so the latter, being re-animated with the news of the infidels' retreat, charged the chiefs opposed to him, and was occupied for two gharis in dealing forth blows and taunts on them. Eventually they came to the determination of fleeing, and taking the route to the Dakhin, they departed from the field of battle. The Irani and Durrani warriors, who were with Shah Pasand Khan, pursued them; excepting the author of this work, who remained standing close by him. At last Shah Pasand Khan remarked that he was going to offer his congratulations to Ahmad Sultan, and told me to go and carry off some booty for myself.