A History of the Mahrattas v2.c32.139

v2.c32.139

The Pritee Needhee and Moorar Rao Ghorepuray continued with Rugonath Rao, who now commenced his march towards Poona. Wamun Rao, with all who openly declared for the ministerial party, separated from his army, but they always encamped a march on his left flank, with every precaution to prevent surprise, reserving attack until the approach of some of the three divisions which were moving to co-operate with them. Trimbuck Rao Mama and Sabajee Bhonslay were advancing from Purinda ; Hurry Punt Phurkay was on his route at the head of a division from Poona ; whilst Nizam Ally was marching across the country from Kulburga, to co-operate with either of these armies that might first appear, still however pretending to be the friend of Rugonath Rao. Trimbuck Rao Mama, jealous of Rugonath Rao’s reputation as a soldier¹ and ambitious of the honour of reducing him, finding that Sabajee, who had views of his own to answer, was very tardy in his advance, pushed on in front of his division, crossed the Beema at Punder-(March.) poor on the 4th March, when Rugonath Rao, who was close in his neighbourhood, made a sudden attack upon him on a fine plain between Kasseegaom and Punderpoor, where in less than twenty minutes, with a force considerably inferior to that of his opponent, Rugonath Rao obtained a complete victory, mortally wounded Trimbuck Rao Mama, and took him prisoner.