History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c40.33.1

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.