Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 10.4
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 10.4
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10.4.1
After writing so much, he set out. But as the Radjas of Bundelcund had joined the Marhattas, and both were intent in watching the fords of the Djumna, such a passage was become difficult, and not to be performed in haste ; and meanwhile the Radja, his friend, had received a great defeat, and was reduced to the last extremity. At the same time, Malrao, who was one of the greatest Generals of Badjirao's army, having found means to cross the Djumna, and to turn Saadet-qhan's rear, without his suspecting anything of the matter, had fallen at once upon the province of Ataya, and was actually burning and sacking every thing from the gates of that city to the seat of Moty-bagh, which is close to Ecber-abad ; wherever he passed he left nothing but slaughter, desolation and ashes. From thence he turned towards the towns of Saad-abad and Djelair, and was going to serve them in the same manner, when Saadet-qhan, on the 22nd of Zilcaadah, of the year 1149, suddenly appeared in the Marhatta's rear like a storm that threatens destruction from afar, and finding the freebooters dispersed, he fell so vigorously upon them, that he never ceased killing and slaughtering until he had chased them beyond Ytimad-abad, which was at four cosses distance from the field of battle. Heaps of dead were to be seen everywhere, and the road, for eight miles together, was strewed with corpses.
10.4.2
Three Generals of character were taken prisoners, and Malrao himself being severely wounded, thought himself happy to make his escape with a few followers. The main of the runaways, having thrown away their booty, fled towards the Djumna, and having in their hurry and consternation, mistaken one place for another, they plunged in to a part of the river that had no ford, where disappearing in the eddies of annihilation they perished in shoals. Malrao with the few that kept pace with him, found with infinite pains his way to Badjirao's camp, to whom he presented himself in the most dismal condition, for this Generalissimo of the Marhatta Empire was then encamped at Coutele, a little town inhabited by Seids, close to Gwaliar. Whilst that wretched was flying, Saadet-qhan was pursuing incessantly at the rate of ten cosses a day and more, until he reached the town of Deholpur-bari, which is at eighteen cosses from Ecber-abad, and on this side of the river Chunbul, where he had heard that Badjirao was encamped with the main army, and where he intended to attack and serve that Generalissimo in the same manner, he had served Malrao, so soon as he should have done with the remains of the runaways. He wished by such a double victory to recover the sullied honour of the Hindostanies; but finding after a fruitless pursuit that not one man of that accursed race was to be discovered, he returned to his own camp, where he gave two days' rest to his troops.
10.4.3
At the end of that time, he published that every trooper should keep himself ready to march with four days' provisions and water, and that if anyone should be found in his tent after the hour of departure, his horse would be hamstrung, and himself carried in derision round the camp. Meanwhile he ordered a number of ox-skins and other leathern vessels to be filled with water, and a vast quantity of cakes to be baked, to the end that the troops might not want for either victuals or water, in the intended pursuit. Some light artillery he loaded upon elephants, and a quantity of wall-pieces and swivels upon camels; and having distributed his water and provisions upon his mules, camels, and other beasts of burthen, he published that he was resolved to pursue the enemy beyond the Chunbul, and that he would be the first at the head of his troops to throw himself into the water, and the foremost to give his men an example of courage and perseverance. Whilst he was setting out on this expedition which had now engrossed his affection, letters came from Qhandövran. That Minister had heard of Saadet-qhan's bravery and decisive conduct, and stung to the quick by a success that reflected so much dishonour upon himself, he wanted either to join that General and share in the honour of the expedition, or by withholding him from it, to make him a sharer in his own inaction and disgrace.
10.4.4
With these ideas he wrote him several letters, in which "under the most sacred oaths, he assured him that he was setting out to join him, and recommended his waiting a little until he might proceed with him on the destruction of those freebooters, but by all " means advised him to avoid all precipitation." Saadet-qhan, who had just mounted his horse, found himself stopped short by these letters of the Minister's, and greatly at a loss how to act. Nevertheless, he thought proper to suspend his march, and three or four days after, he was joined by QhandoSran who, on the approach of the Marhattas, had been ordered by the Emperor to join Saadet-qhan with several other Lords and Commanders. All this while the Vezir Camer-eddin-qhan was encamped at thirty cosses from the capital, on the high road of Adjmir; and Mahmed-qhan-bangash, with his body of troops, was also on that side, waiting the arrival of the enemy. On the junction of QhandoSran with Saadet-qhan, six or seven days were spent in visits and entertainments, and this delay having been perceived by the Marhattas, they availed themselves of it to recover breath from Saadet-qhan's pursuit; and turning suddenly his rear, they marched straight to the capital, which they rightly supposed to be empty of troops. This they did with so much rapidity, that on the eighth of that Zilhidj of that same year, they were at Toghloc-pur, under the command of Badiirao, Generalissimo of that nation.
10.4.5
As that town was filled with an immense multitude of Mussulmen and Hindoos from the city, who had flocked thither both on a principle of devotion, and on parties of pleasure, they were all leisurely plundered. An immense booty was made here, and the Marhattas having passed the night near Qhadja Cutub-eddin's Monument, the next day, which was Arefat day, they plundered the street inhabited by the jewellers, and sacked and burned all the shops of that town. About noon they proceeded farther, and sacked the town of Palem, from whence the shoals of runaways and wounded flying into the city, filled it with dreadful accounts of what they had seen and felt; and the citizens, without further inquiry, lost both their courage and senses, filled the city with a general uproar, and the whole soon became one continued scene of dismay and confusion. The Emperor, hearing of this sudden approach of the enemies, ordered the few Lords and troops that were about his person, to sally forth and to repell the Marhattas. On his order, Emir-qhan, Radja Bahqt-mul, and Mir-hassen-qhan-gocal-tash, with Munevver-qhan, brother to Zaafer-qhan, and Abdol-Maabud-qhan, and the Hindoo Shiö-sing, Colonel of the corps called Amberies, with many other Commanders, sallied forth, and advancing out of the city to an advantageous post near the Cazis-sera and the Laal-catra, they extended their ranks, and presented battle to the enemy.
10.4.6
Mir-hassen-qhan and Shiö-sing, who had more courage than either experience or prudence, advanced farther, although Emir-qhan who was endowed with both, repeatedly sent them word to stop, and to observe that to fight the Marhattas at this particular time, so as to part from their main, was a step utterly improper. He thought it better that they should keep together with the others. But this advice made no effect on those two imprudent men; they would not hear it, and continued advancing. The Marhattas at first appeared at a distance by one or a few at a time, until they had drawn them farther and farther into the plain, and then they all at once fell upon them, and with their short spears and long swords commenced such a terrible execution as threw the whole into the utmost dismay. A man wounded found means to escape, and running up to Emir-qhan, he had the boldness to reproach him with backwardness and neglect. "What are you doing here," said he, "whilst a Seyd and an Imam is cutting down?" Emir-qhan who was a man fertile in bon-mots, and of such a turn of mind that for any thing in the world he would have not missed an opportunity of giving way to his vein for raillery, heard the message with a smile, and even at such a moment he had the sangfroid to answer: "Friend, we are perfectly satisfied with twelve Imams;
10.4.7
if some one has a mind to be a thirteenth and chooses to be cut down, we have no objections to it." As the people of Hindostan have not that skill in the art of fighting on horseback, which characterises the Marhattas, most of them were slain, and their leader, Mir-hassen-qhan, with the few that remained with him, made his retreat, wounded, and hardly alive; and the runaways despoiled of their arms and horses, crept back every one to his house. Emir-qhan and the other Commanders, after having tarried at their post the whole day, on the dusk of the evening returned to their tents. Meanwhile the plundering and sacking of Toghlae-pûr, and the danger which threatened Shah-djehan-abad, having been rumoured abroad, the Lords at the head of the armies in the environs of the capital, knowing that the Emperor was left alone, and that the Marhattas had suddenly disappeared, hastened to Court with the rapidity of so many couriers. The Vezir Camer-eddin-qhan who was the nearest of all, being only at thirty cosses, arrived the first, and having had on the ninth of Zilhidj a skirmish with the Marhattas, he, on the next day, which was the day of the sacrifice, encamped in the suburbs of the capital, at which sight the Marhattas retired a little farther. Saadet-qhan on his side, quitted Ecber-abad where he was, and having measured sixty-five cosses in two days, he arrived on the evening of the second day at Talpat which is close to the city.
10.4.8
Qhandöuran who had set out with him, arrived some time after, and the third day Mahmed-qhan-bangash joined them. As the Marhattas had already felt the weight of the blows dealt out by Saadet-qhan, and they had plentifully drank of the water that flowed from his sabre, they did not like to see him again, and in such numerous company, and being besides heavily loaded with booty, they wheeled round and retreated, burning, and sacking, and utterly destroying in their retreat the towns of Rivari and Batûdi; after which, they marched on to Malva and Goudjerat, their new conquests, ruining and destroying every thing in their journey, but without tarrying anywhere. The result of all those troubles and movements was that the Emperor observing that of so many Generals and Lords, not one but Saadet-qhan had thought of attacking the Marhattas or of pursuing them, and that they had all of them availed themselves of some excuse to remain where they were, without moving a foot, he fell into a state of despondence, and concluded with his whole council that it would be expedient to put an end to all his anxiety by paying them a chout or tribute.