Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 16.4
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 16.4
- Language
- English
16.4.1
This Djano-dji, after the defeat of the Afghans by the Viceroy, had been obliged to quit the neighbourhood of Azim-abad, and with a loss of forces and character, to endeavour to fall upon Mûrshûd-abad itself, in the Viceroy's absence. But having received by the way the news of his mother's decease, he abandoned his resolution, and leaving Mir-habib with an army of Afghans and Marhattahs, with which he was to find his way towards Midnipoor, and to establish himself there, he quitted the field, and with only an escort, he repaired to Naigpoor; from whence Rhagodji, his father, sent his younger son, Bimba-dji, with a strong body of Marhattah horse to join Mir-habib. Meanwhile the Viceroy, as we have already said, having performed his vows a second time, and returned thanks to the Author of all benefits for so signal a success, was continuing his journey to Moorzhood-abad, in which city he remained to repose himself of the fatigues of his expedition, and to afford some release to the wearied inhabitants of his dominions; who in return never failed to be profuse in expressions of gratitude for the attention and benignity of his Government. And now the country commenced enjoying some tranquillity; nor was anything to be feared, but from the restlessness of Mir-habib's, and the ravages of his Marhattahs.
16.4.2
The Viceroy, who had taken upon himself the task of ridding his country of such ravagers, took early occasion to display his victorious standards, resolved to make an end of those freebooters. It was in the first days of the second Reby in the year 1162. With that view he encamped some days at Catwa to assemble his troops. He had beforehand sent Bahadyr-aaly-qhan, Commander of his light artillery to Bardevan, with a body of eight thousand horse and foot, and an order to remain encamped there, to the end that should Mir-habib attempt, according to his custom, to ruin and ravage a country he could not conquer, he might find his passage barred up by a respectable force. In a little time the troops being assembled, formed a numerous army, and marched to Bardevan. On his drawing near, Bahadyr-aaly-qhan drew up his troops, and marched back a little to join him, and to pay him his respects; and after a few days he was ordered to proceed with his detachment towards Midnipoor; but his troops, gunners, musqueteers and horsemen, after marching a little way, stopped short, and refused to move forward, unless they were paid their arrears; and the foremost of the mutineers was his own Brigade. The Viceroy to appease their clamours, sent two of the Lords of his Court, Mirza-hekimbeg, and Gholam-aaly-qhan; and these noblemen did everything in their power to bring those people to a sense of their duty; but all to no purpose.
16.4.3
The next day the Viceroy came up, and immediately repaired to that Commander's quarters, with intention to extinguish the fire of sedition by pouring upon the flames the water of persuasion and promises; and he concluded that by paying down part of their demands, and giving them for the balances assignations upon his own Deputy at the city, the money might be provided for before they should have time to dispatch their agent to receive it. But such proposals availed nothing; and they continued obstinate in their demand of being paid the whole immediately. It was observed that one Mir-afzyl-aaly, an officer of cavalry in Bahadyr-aaly-qhan's Brigade, was so far from endeavouring to put out the flames, that he did everything to afford them fresh fuel. The Viceroy incensed at so much insolence, conceived that, rather than to put up with such a flagitious behaviour, it would be better to put his trust in God Almighty, the Succourer of the afflicted; and with one word he broke that whole detachment, resolved to have nothing to do with such soldiers; after which he advanced to the enemy. This little incident happened to prove the ruin of that thoughtless man, the discarded Fodjdar of Pûrania. On receiving an exaggerated account of this affair, he thoughtlessly imagined that all was over with the Viceroy, whose power was at an end; and immediately he conceived the design of availing himself of the opportunity to effect his escape.
16.4.4
Listening to some favourites as light-headed as himself, he quitted the city without taking leave; and without giving notice of his design, he crossed the Ganga, and repaired to his troops, which he had left encamped on the Maha-nedda; and there putting himself at their head, he marched towards Pûraniah; but Sayd-ahmed-qhan coming to hear of this unexpected proceeding, soon quitted that city; and putting himself at the head of his troops he advanced to oppose him, and marched two or three stages with that view. On this intelligence Faqhr-eddin felt his courage damped; that flash of resolution vanished in a moment, and it was succeeded by as much trepidation. Coming at once to his senses, he sent a respectful letter to Sayd-ahmed-qhan, to deprecate his resentment, and to request his leave to pass by his army in order to depart the country. He was answered, "That to grant such a permission was not in his power, as it depended on the Viceroy his uncle; but that "in his opinion, it would be better for him to return to the place from which he had lately come." That senseless faint-hearted man on this single intimation, marched back, and stopped at Malda, where we shall leave him at present, to return to Aaly-verdy-qhan. As soon as he had broke that whole detachment of mutineers, he put his trust in the Divine assistance; and continuing his march without being intimidated by so great a diminution of his force, as left him without a single piece of cannon, he arrived at Midnipûr.
16.4.5
This arrival gave umbrage to Mir-habib, who had cantoned himself there. Little pleased with such a neighbourhood, he set his barracks on fire, saw the whole consumed, and then retreated with his army. The Viceroy on seeing this, passed the river Cossey without entering Midnipûr, and he encamped on the other side, after sending spies everywhere to take information. In a little time intelligence was brought that the Marhattahs were encamped in a woody tract of ground, on the other side of Midnipûr; upon which he immediately ordered Mir-cazem-qhan and Dost-mahmed-qhan with some other Commanders to pursue the enemy, and to draw some blood from their veins. These marched the whole night, and arriving before daybreak, they fell upon the Marhattahs, sabre in hand; and an engagement ensued, in which valorous actions were performed on both sides, until at last the Marhattahs gave way, and retired towards Catec with much loss and shame, always flying and always followed by the Viceroy, who tired of so hot a pursuit stopped at Balisser-bender, and encamped in that spot. There he learned that Mir-habib and Mana-dji with their Marhattahs and Afghans, not thinking themselves a match for the Bengal army, had fled farther, retiring into the woody mountainous tracts of the Oressa. The Viceroy continuing to advance, went beyond the river that goes by Badrac and Hadjipûr, where he encamped at a place called Bara, which is at about eighteen cosses distance from the city of Catec.
16.4.6
There he received letters and deputies from Seyd-nûr, and Serendaz-qhan, and from the Gentoo Deshemdas, three officers of Infantry who commanded the garrison of Bara-bhati, a fortress close to that city. The purport was "That they were his humble servants, ready to execute any orders he would send them; and that whenever his victorious ensigns should emit " their glorious beams over the walls of that fortress, the gates of " it would be immediately set open; and his humble servants "would make haste to kiss the sublime threshold of his tent, as " they carried on their hands, and on their eyes, the trappings " of fidelity and submission." The Viceroy intent on pursuing Mir-habib did not pay much attention to such an overture. He was following him incessantly; and he arrived at last in an uninhabited plain of difficult broken ground, where the baggage having not been able to keep pace with the troops, victuals and provisions became scarce and dear. The country was so woody, and the trees so close and so tall, that the vanguard, which had marched some cosses before, was lost, and no intelligence could be had of it for three days together; nor, on the other hand, could the troops that composed it, learn themselves where their main might be. The Viceroy concerned at such an incertitude, ordered all the kettle-drums and trumpets to go out of camp at some distance, and to make as much noise as they could. The expedient succeeded;
16.4.7
and the troops that had been thought lost, being guided by the sound, rejoined their main; so that this arrival was celebrated at camp by the whole army, as a festival. I am not unaware that this entrance of Aaly-verdy-qhan's in the woods, and his losing his vanguard there, as well as his making use of so strange an expedient to extricate his troops, looks pretty singular and fabulous; but as it is pretty well attested, and I hold this fact from numbers of persons that were in that army, I have not thought myself at liberty to pass it over.