History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c40.33

Language: English

v2.c40.33.1

'Alīwardī Khan sent an ambassador named Mun'im Khān to Raghujī Bhonsle, as the latter had already appeared in western Burdwan. Mun'im Khān met Raghujī and proposed a treaty, but Raghujī wanted three krors of rupees, which was just then beyond the power of 'Alīwardī Khān to raise. As soon as the news of Muṣṭafā Khan's defeat and death was received the peace proposals were dropped. Raghujī had come to avenge the murder of Bhāskar Rām and his little band of heroes, but his first attempt had been defeated by the advent of Peshwā Bālāji Bāji Rao and his subsequent defeat at his hands.² The defeat of Muṣṭafā Khan was followed by the third Maratha invasion of Bengal and Orissa under Jānujī, a son of Raghujī Bhonsle I, and his adopted son Mohan Singh in 1748. The defection of Abdur-Rasūl Khān had compelled 'Alīwardī to leave the government of Orissa in the hands of the traitor Durlabhrām Rāi, the son of his minister Jānakirām Rāi. According to Ghulām Ḥusain Durlabhrām was duped by a number of Hindu *sanaysis* whom the Musalman writer describes as the spies of Raghujī. When 14,000 Maratha troops advanced towards Orissa, Durlabhrām was busy on the banks of the Mahānadi in the performance of some religious rites and the Marathas were actually upon him before he realised his position. A Musalman commander named Mīr 'Abdul 'Aziz received intelligence of the near approach of the Marathas and went to Durlabhrām with twenty troopers.

v2.c40.33.2

He found that the Na'ib Nāzim was still asleep and knew nothing of the approach of the Marathas. Durlabhrām woke up and got into a palki with the intention of taking shelter inside the fort of Barabati. On the road he saw Maratha troopers plundering the city. He then left the palki and took to horse and reached the fort after great difficulty. Raghujī Bhonsle arrived immediately after and surrounded the fort. Durlabhrām was frightened out of his wits, as he knew that 'Alīwardī had left Murshidabad for Patna and there was no chance of immediate succour. According to the suggestions of the sanyāsīs Durlabhrām proposed surrender but they were resisted by Mīr 'Abdul 'Azīz. Ghulām Ḥusain says that Mīr 'Abdul 'Azīz and certain Musalman officers stated that the surrender of the fort would be derogatory to the honour of the Nawāb Nāzim 'Alīwardī Khān Mahābat Jang. As a matter of fact this Mīr 'Abdul 'Azīz refused to surrender the fort even after the surrender of the person of Durlabhrām Rāi, the Na'ib Nāzim. For this reason Durlabhrām was imprisoned by the Marathas and kept as a hostage till Mīr 'Abdul 'Azīz surrendered and certain bankers paid three lakhs of rupees as his ransom. Even when the news of the surrender of Durlabhrām and the holding out of Barabati fort reached 'Alīwardī's ears he made no move towards Orissa.

v2.c40.33.3

It was clearly impossible for him to do so in the face of the Afghan rebellion and he merely temporised by sending the embassy of Mun'im Khan to Raghujī described above. As soon as the proposal fell through Raghujī advanced towards Birbhum and brought the whole of Orissa, Medinipur and Hijli and the greater part of Burdwan under his sway. Mīr 'Abdul 'Aziz surrendered and was permitted to join the Musalmans of Murshidabad, but Durlabhrām was detained for more than a year till the payment of the ransom.¹ The Afghans, who had rebelled, now sent proposals to Raghujī Bhonsle to join his standard and the latter found it to be a great advantage to have several thousands of trained Musalman troops under him. So he set out for Kharagpur, plundered Tikari and Shahpura in the Gaya district and crossed the Sone to reach the hills near Sasaram where the Afghans had taken refuge. 'Alīwardī followed him with 12,000 horse. A battle with the Marathas proved indecisive but his baggage was plundered. At this stage 'Alīwardī's begum sent two envoys named Muẓaffar 'Alī Khān Bahādur and Faqī 'Alī Khān to call upon Raghujī and Mīr Ḥabīb with proposals of peace. They were introduced to Mīr Ḥabīb and though Raghujī would have listened, Mīr Ḥabīb definitely refused to have any treaty with the murderer of Sarāfrāz Khān.² According to his advice Raghujī now took the road to Murshidabad and was followed by 'Alīwardī.

v2.c40.33.4

But while the Maratha horse forayed over a country exceeding 80 miles in length, provisions and forage grew scarce in the Bengal camp, as the country was totally ruined. With lightning speed Raghujī fell upon Murshidabad, burnt and sacked the suburbs of Chhapāidaha and Mīr Ja'afar's garden and retired into Birbhum before the arrival of 'Alīwardī. 'Alīwardī fought a skirmish near Katwa where he had an advantage over the Marathas. Raghujī now left a small army under Mīr Ḥabīb and retired towards Nagpur.¹ The Marathas, though expelled from Bengal, still held Orissa in great strength with the dismissed troops of the Afghan leaders Shamsher Khān and Sardār Khan. After the fall of Durlabhrām, 'Alīwardī could not send any high officer of State to Orissa. Now he appointed Saiyad Aḥmad Khān Ṣaulat Jang, once more to be the Na'ib Nāẓim of Orissa, but took care to retain him in safety at Murshidabad by sending the arch-traitor Mir Ja'afar Khān (afterwards Shuja'-ul-mulk Nawāb Mir Ja'afar 'Alī Khān Bahādur) as his deputy. The Faujdāris of Medinipur and Hijli were conferred upon Mir Ja'afar in additon to his double appointments, Chief Pay-Master-General to the troops (Mir Bakhsī) and deputy to the Na'ib Nāẓim of Orissa. In order to encourage the coward the appointments were bestowed upon him in a public durbar and he was honoured with a khil'at, an elephant, a horse, a sword and a sarpech and a jhikā of jewellery.

v2.c40.33.5

Mir Ja'afar deputed Mir Isma'il, the son of his maternal uncle, to hold charge of the Bakhshi's office at Murshidabad and sent a Hindu named Sujan Singh as his deputy in the Faujdāri of Hijli. Then he set out for Katak as the head of 7,000 horse and 12,000 foot and defeated a body of Marathas and Afghans near Medinipur. The Marathas fled to Jaleswar where they were persued by Mir Ja'afar, who encamped on the side of the Kehnasa (Kāsā-Bāsā ?) river. There he was frightened out of his wits by the news of the arrival of fresh Maratha troops under Raghuji's son Jānuji and the future victor of Plassey fairly turned tail and ran for his dear life, closely pursued by Maratha horse. The brave Mir did not stop till he reached Burdwan. Every one knew that Mir Ja'afar controlled nearly 20,000 troops and all were surprised. 'Alīwardī sent 'Aṭa-ullah Khān to his succour. Jānujī and Mir Ḥabīb now attacked Burdwan. Mir Ja'afar 'Alī now aspired to follow in the footsteps of his august master by murdering him and succeeding him on the *masnad* of Murshidabad, but the conspiracy leaked out and 'Alīwardī advanced to join the two generals.¹ Severely reprimanded for his cowardice, Mir Ja'afar ceased to attend court and even had the courage of refusing to send for Sujan Singh when 'Alīwardī wanted to check the account of Hijli. 'Alīwardī sent *Jasāwals* to bring Sujan Singh by force.

v2.c40.33.6

He appointed Nūr-ullah Beg Khān as the Pay-Master General by dismissing Mir Ja'afar but confirmed Sujan Singh in the *Faujdārī* of Hijli. Mir Ja'afar's brigade was dismissed and the latter retired to Murshidabad where he threw himself on the mercy of Nawāzish Muḥammad Khān, the Nā'ib Nāẓim of Bengal.² 'Alīwardī is said to have defeated the Marathas under Jānujī who rushed upon Murshidabad in the hope of plunder, but was headed back towards Medinipur, followed by the Bengal army. Upon the approach of the monsoon 'Alīwardī returned to cantonment after abandoning his project of re-conquering Orissa. The traitor was further rewarded at this stage of his life by the projected rebellion of Zainuddin Aḥmad Khān, his son-in-law and nephew and the Nā'ib Nāẓim of Bihar and the father of his dearest grandchild Sirāj-ud-daulah, who aspired to the *masnad* of Murshidabad. Zainuddin strengthened his army by appointing the dismissed troops of Shamsher Khān and Sardār Khān. But the result was that he himself was murdered by them and his family kept in confinement. Old Ḥājī Aḥmad, one of the greatest Musalman traitors of the 18th century, was captured together with his women and concubines and murdered after 15 or 16 days. Patna fell into the possession of the Afghans, who gathered a large army of their countrymen. 'Alīwardī had to raise another army and take the field in Bihar in 1749.¹ But the Marathas were on the *qui vive*.

v2.c40.33.7

A body of troops sent to 'Alīwardī by Saif Khān of Purnia was attacked by the Marathas at Sultanganj near Bhagalpur and detained until assistance was sent to them. Mīr Ḥabīb attacked the rear of 'Alīwardī's army in the Bhagalpur district and plundered the baggage.² Both Jānujī and Mīr Ḥabīb arrived in the neighbourhood of Patna and sent notice of their arrival to Shamsher Khān and Sardār Khān. The Afghans now joined the Marathas and considered themselves to be in the service of Jānujī. They visited the Maratha camp and were honoured with *khila'ats*. When Mīr Ḥabīb came to their camp, they committed the blunder of detaining him. Mīr Ḥabīb was extricated from this difficult situation by his friend Mīrzā Ṣāleh. A body of Maratha troopers suddenly appeared and informed the Afghans that 'Alīwardī was attacking them. A confusion ensued during which Mīr Ḥabīb escaped to his own camp. He paid two lakhs of rupees through a banker and retired. This mistake of the Afghans was the real cause of their defeat in the battle, because 'Alīwardī's position was really very serious and if the Marathas had attacked him from the rear while he was fighting with the Afghans in the front the day would have gone very hard upon him. The Maratha army was drawn at right angles to the Afghan line and was skirmishing till the end. The death of Sardār Khan broke the rank of the Afghans and was the cause of their defeat.

v2.c40.33.8

The Marathas under Mīr Ḥabīb fell upon the left wing of 'Alīwardī's army and caused confusion. 'Alīwardī sent Faqīr-ullah Beg Khān to the left wing. Murād Sher Khān was killed and the Afghans ran away from the field. The Maratha army thereupon commenced to retreat. 'Alīwardī was not in a position to pursue them without consolidating his own position at Patna.¹ Orissa was left in the possession of the Marathas and no attempt was made to reconquer it, 'Alīwardī being kept fully occupied by the treacherous members of his family and the rebellions in his army.