Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 12.7.15

12.7.15

Become now fully sensible of the extreme danger of his situation, he resolved to leave no means untried for extricating himself, and, first of all, he sent underhand to the Marhatta camp an officer of character, called Mir-qhair-ollah-qhan, who was himself a Decani, or born in Decan, and now enjoyed the office of Paymaster to the Radja of Bardevan's forces. He was entrusted, as from the Radja himself, with a message which advised the Marhatta General to give his preference to ways of pacification. This was Bha-sukur the Pandet, who had just plundered the whole baggage of the Bengal army, and of course knew all the extremities to which it must have been reduced. He received the message with much indifference, and he answered in these words: — Tell your master from me, that the Viceroy of Bengal is now stripped totally of his baggage, and totally surrounded by my troops; nor is there a possibility of his escaping. How then can you talk of a treaty and agreement? Still, as he is one of the greatest Sovereigns of India, I consent to spare him for the sake of his station. But let him pay down one corror directly, and surrender all his elephants; and then we shall open all our ranks, and allow him to pursue his journey to his capital.