A History of the Mahrattas v1.c18.58

v1.c18.58

In the meantime, years had been already wasted before Ginjee. Suntajee Ghorepuray, after committing great havoc and defeating or eluding all that were opposed to him in Maharashtra, left two active officers, Pursojee Bhonslay ² and Hybut Rao Nimbalkur, both of whom had served under Sivajee, to give spirit to the Mahrattas in Gungthuree and Berar. With an army of upwards of twenty thousand horse, Suntajee passed to the west of the grand camp by the Satara road, pushed on towards the Carnatic, and as soon as he got within a certain distance of Ginjee, detached about one third of his troops, under Dhunnajee Jadow, who, making rapid marches, brought the first news of his approach by attacking some of the Moghul posts in the neighbourhood of the fort. Orders were immediately issued to the different small divisions to concentrate and form larger bodies to the right and left; but the Moghuls, always slow to obey, were not aware of the activity of the horse that now attacked them, whilst Dhunnajee, assisted both by troops and signals from the fort, cut in upon them and did great execution before the manœuvre ordered could be executed.¹