A History of the Mahrattas v2.c45.23

v2.c45.23

Nana Furnuwees consulted the chief officers separately.¹ He appointed Pures hram Bhow to act as commander-in-chief. The Pindharees and some other horse were ordered on to plunder in the neighbourhood of the Moghul camp and destroy their forage; the heavy baggage, properly protected, remained one march in the rear, and the best of the horse with the regular infantry, supported by upwards of one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, were sent forward to attack Nizam Ally, who with an army amounting in all to one hundred and ten thousand men advanced towards Kurdla² and descended the Mohree Ghaut; a body of the Peishwa’s household troops under Baba Rao, son of the deceased Hurry Punt Phurkay, attacked the Moghuls when descending the Ghaut and being driven off with some loss, Nizam Ally on the same evening sat in durbar and received nuzurs of congratulation on his victory. On the ensuing day, when the Moghuls were on their march from Kurdla to Purinda, the Mahrattas appeared on their right, and were soon perceived to be in great force. Nizam Ally halted his own elephant, sent off his baggage to the left, and directed Assud Alee Khan with the cavalry, supported by seventeen thousand regular infantry under Raymond, to attack the Mahratta army. Pureshram Bhow prepared to receive them; he took his own station in the centre with the Peishwa’s and Holkar’s troops; Rughoojee Bhonslay commanded the right wing and Doulut Rao’s army formed the left. Pureshram Bhow rode forward to reconnoitre, supported by Baba Rao Phurkay and Khassee Rao, the son of Tookajee Holkar. He had only advanced a short distance when he was suddenly charged by a body of Patans under Lal Khan, a native of Baloochistan, who displayed great personal energy, cut down several men, and with his own hand unhorsed and wounded Pureshram Bhow. But Hurry Punt Putwurdhun, the Bhow’s eldest son, seeing his father fall, instantly attacked the aggressor and killed him on the spot. The Patans, however, did not desist on the loss of their leader: being well supported by Alif Khan, the son of the Nabob of Kurnoul, and Sulabut Khan, the son of Ismael Khan, Nabob of Elichpoor, they persevered until the advanced party of the Mahrattas gave way, and were driven back in such confusion that they communicated a panic to a great portion of their army, and thousands fled precipitately from the field. Baba Rao Phurkay, though in charge of the Juree Putka, seemed about to follow the fugitives, but was prevented by Jooba Bukhshee, who rode up, reproached him as a coward, and told him if he sought a place of safety he would find it behind Sindia’s troops.