History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c40.8

v2.c40.8

’Alīwardī’s condition was serious, as the Afghan rabble in his army was openly mutinous and had to be pacified with large promises.⁴ He had only four thousand foot and three thousand horse with him while the Maratha horse numbered ten thousand strong. ’Alīwardī fled stripped of his baggage and guns and reached Katwa in western Bengal with a famishing army and with very few transport animals. He tried his usual game of treachery and to purchase himself out of the clutches of the Marathas. He sent a Deccani Musalman in the pay of the zamindar of Burdwan, named Mīr Khairullah Khān, to Bhāskar Pandit, but the latter wanted one kror of rupees in cash and all the elephants, which was beyond the purse of 'Alīwardī. At first Bhāskar Pandit wanted ten lakhs of Rupees as *chauth* but his demand rose as soon as 'Alīwardī's real condition became apparent to him. By cajolery and bribe 'Alīwardī regained control over the Afghans and had to fight every inch of his way to Katwa. Hājī Aḥmad and his son, Nawāzish Muḥammad Khān', sent provisions and re-inforcements from Murshidabad and saved 'Alīwardī. Saiyad Aḥmad Khān Ṣaulat Jang brought a train of artillery with him. Bhāskar Pandit now realised that as the rains were near at hand it would be difficult to carry on guerilla warfare any longer, and he wanted to retire with his plunder; but Mīr Ḥabīb dissuaded him from doing so, pointing out the prospect of immense plunder in the defenceless city of Murshidabad, now in the charge of the coward Nawāzish Muḥammad and the depraved wretch Hājī Aḥmad. Mīr Ḥabīb attacked Murshidabad with about one thousand Maratha horse (700 only according to Maratha records,) plundered the house of the traitor Jagat-seth Fatḥchand, from which he is said to have carried away two crore of rupees, and destroyed the suburb of Ḍāhāpara.¹ The *Riyāz* mentions another suburb named Ganj Muḥammad Khān which can no longer be identified. Mīr Ḥabīb reached his own family residence and relieved his brother and his family. He captured Murād 'Alī Khān, the son-in-law of Nawāb Sarāfrāz Khān, Durlabhrām Rāi, the son of the peshkār Jānakirām Rāi, and neither Ḥājī Aḥmad nor his son Nawāzish Muḥammad dared to stir out of the pitiful stockade which they called the Qila of Murshidabad. The Riyāz puts the strength of Mīr Ḥabīb's band at 700 and states that after plundering the suburbs of Murshidabad this army lay encamped at Kiriṭeśvarī or Kiriṭkoṇā, six miles to the west of the Bhagirathi.¹ The Sa'it says that, intimidated by the violence of the monsoon in Bengal, Bhāskar Rāo was retreating towards Nagpur when Mīr Ḥabīb caught him near Birbhum and gave him the proceeds of the plunder of Murshidabad. Bhāskar Rāo now returned to Katwa, whence Mīr Ḥabīb arranged for provisions from the zamindars and captured the fort of Hughly by a stratagem. Hughly was placed in charge of Śesha Rāo, while Bhāskar Pandit stayed at Katwa. Murshid Qulī remained at Amaniganj (Armenianganj) to the south of Murshidabad city. The Marathas spread over the whole of western Bengal and entered Orissa. They exacted money from Balasore and captured that port. The rest of Orissa submitted quietly, but Mīr Qalandar held out at Medinipur while Mīr Ma'asum Khān Panipatī remained in the fort of Barabati at Cuttack. The Marathas roamed over the whole of western Bengal from Rajmahal in the