Later Mughals v2.c13.s19: Sec. 21.—The Battle of Hasanpur.

Later Mughals v2.c13.s19

Language: English

Sec. 21.—The Battle of Hasanpur.

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Early in the morning of Wednesday, the 13th Muharram, 1133 H. (November 13th, 1720), before the sun rose, Muhammad Shah mounted his elephant Padshah-pasand and took his place in the centre. In the Emperor's immediate retinue were Sayyid Ikram Ali Khan and Shaikh Ghaffar-ullah with the red and the yellow regiments, the Bhil and Karnatik matchlockmen, the mace-bearers and the Ahadis (gentlemen-troopers). Haidar Quli Khan was sent on ahead with the strong artillery force under his command, while Khan Dauran and Sabit Khan were ordered to follow and support him with the left wing. Muhammad Khan Bangash and Saadat Khan were sent towards the river and the rear. Round His Majesty's person were the new Wazir Muhammad Amin Khan and his son Qamar-ud-din Khan, Dil-diler Khan, Sher Afkan Khan, Hizbar Afkan Khan and others. Zafar Khan, Fakhr-ud-din Khan, his brother, Rajah Raj Bahadur of Kishngarh, Nusrat Yar Khan, Jag Ram, Jai Singh's diwan, Aziz Khan, Mir Mushrif, and Rajah Gopal Singh Bhadauriya, were placed in charge of the main camp, which was at a distance of one kos from the position taken up by the Emperor. The prisoner, Ratan Chand, was now sent for. He was brought before the Emperor on an elephant; he was then made to dismount and was at once executed. The severed head was thrown before the Emperor's elephant and trodden under foot. [Shiu 59b, Kamwar 240, K. K. 924-28, Khush-hal 1013b.]

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Churaman Jat, who was hovering near the army on the west, cut off many followers and penetrated into the camp. But the above-named Rajahs drove him out again. Next the Jats attacked on the south, whence they carried off some private goods and part of the imperial baggage. Zafar Khan, Muzaffar Khan, and Muhammad Khan Bangash once more repelled them. They then made a further attempt on the east side. Here Mir Mushrif and Alwi Khan Tarin, of Lakhnau, met and defeated them. But the uproar was so great, that the camp-followers and traders in their fright jumped into the Jamuna and tried to swim across it, many losing their lives in the attempt. By three o'clock the baggage camp was moved to a safer place, and the confusion continuing, it was again moved still farther off. [Shiu 60a.]

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When Najm-ud-din Ali Khan, at the head of the Sayyid vanguard,* appeared in the distance from the direction of the river, Haidar Quli Khan, the imperial Mir Atash, moved out his cannon into the open and encountered the advancing enemy with a storm of balls from his big guns and his field-pieces. The fire was so continuous and heavy that the artillery of the other side was silenced. After every volley Haidar Quli Khan urged on his men by lavish gifts of gold and silver. As the artillery advanced the rest of the army followed and occupied the ground. Stimulated by their commander's liberality the gunners worked zealously, and a second set of guns were loaded by the time the first were discharged. Khan Dauran's troops moved in support of the imperial artillery, Sanjar Khan and Dost Ali Khan, in command of that noble's guns, particularly distinguishing themselves. The latter was wounded in the foot. Sayyid Nusrat Yar Khan and Sabit Khan also took a leading part, while Saadat Khan and Muhammad Khan Bangash created a diversion on the left. During the day a rocket fell on Sayyid Abdullah Khan's powder magazine, exploding it and causing much loss of life. [Khush-hal 1015b, Shiu 59b.]

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Throughout the day of the 13th the battle was chiefly one of artillery. The brunt of the fighting on Abdullah Khan's side was borne by his brother Najm-ud-din Ali Khan, who was commanding his vanguard. Originally the Sayyids had intended to rely on a general onset. But Rajah Muhkam Singh, who had deserted from the imperialists, dissuaded them, pointing out that to charge down on such a powerful artillery as the other side possessed would be to expose themselves to destruction. Their own small supply of guns ought, he said, to be entrenched in a good position on the edge of some ravine, and there they could await the favour of events. Although Muhkam Singh had acquired in the Dakhin the highest reputation as a soldier, his advice was not adopted. The Sayyids' artillery was placed on a high mound under the shelter of some trees near a deserted village, and they tried to subdue the other side's fire to the extent of their ability. One of their shot passed to the left of Muhammad Shah's elephant, at two or three yards' distance and close to Khush-hal Chand, the historian's horse, he being on the right side of Sher Afkan Khan. It struck the ground two arrows' flight off, ricocheted a little, and wounded a horseman. [Qasim 374, Khush-hal 1015.]

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∗ Khush-hal, f. 1014a, b, has a different distribution of commands. Shahamat Khan he puts in the vanguard, and Saif-ud-din Ali Khan at the head of the artillery. Najm-ud-din Khan was, he says, on the right wing, and Ghazi-ud-din Khan Kosa in charge of the left.

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In the field the usual scattered fighting with charges and countercharges went on all day, and at one time it looked as if the imperialists would give way. But Khan Dauran, Sayyid Nusrat Yar Khan, Sabit Khan, Dost Ali Khan, Sayyid Hamid Khan and Asad Ali Khan, by redoubled exertions, prevented a catastrophe. Finding he needed reinforcements, Khan Dauran sent a eunuch to the Emperor, who detached Sher Afkan Khan from the centre to his relief. Some of the Sayyids' field-pieces were taken, and the remainder were forced to move from their sheltered position under the trees. Among those who lost their lives were Shaikh Sibghat-ullah of Lakhnau, three sons, and seventy of his men; Abdul-qadir Khan Tatthawi, nephew of Qazi Mir Bahadur-Shahi, Abdul-ghani Khan (son of Abdur-rahim Khan Alamgiri), Ghulam Muhi-ud-din Khan, and the son of Shuja Khan Palwali. Many soldiers were also slain.*

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Abdullah Khan had decided to single out for attack the force under Sayyid Nusrat Yar Khan, who had command of the advanced guard near the Emperor. Against this man the Sayyids had a special grudge, because he, one of their own clan and a relation, had sided against them. Having swept him on one side, Abdullah Khan hoped to be able to push on to Muhammad Shah’s centre. First of all, he tried to make his way to his objective from his own left, but found the river such an obstacle that he changed his direction and moved across his front to the right of his own army. As soon as the movement was detected reinforcements were sent for, the Emperor’s centre having been left very weak. The generals who were summoned objected to quit their posts. The artillery present with the Emperor’s division was then despatched towards the river to bar the way, and part of the vanguard was also transferred to the same point. [Bayan, 435-441.]

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∗ Bayan-i-waqi, 437; K. K. 925, 930; Khush-hal 1017a; Shiu Das, f. 61a.

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Unfortunately the change in Abdullah Khan’s line of advance resulted in his being drawn away from the river bank, and thus his main position was now some miles from the water side. The battle had continued till the afternoon, and so far Abdullah Khan showed no signs of discouragement; but his men, more especially the new levies, became uneasy and soon lost their heads completely. On pretence of watering their horses and camels they rode off towards the river, or as one writer puts it, “flew away like so many sparrows.” At the river they found the banks in the possession of their opponents. Group after group, on the pretext of getting water, left the standard; these desertions continued until sunset, and all night long from the camp to Barahpula just outside Dihli, the road was encumbered with fugitives. At nightfall there were not more than a few thousands left of the huge host which had set out from Dihli a few days before.*

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At first Abdullah Khan had ordered a small tent to be put up for the night where he stood, but countermanded it when he reflected that it would be a target for the enemy’s fire. The night was a moonlight one, and the imperial artillery never ceased its fire. If any man stirred in the Sayyid position or showed himself, a gun was at once pointed in that direction and discharged. From time to time the guns were dragged forward, the oxen being harnessed to the muzzle, instead of as usual to the breach end of the gun. Among the guns were those named Ghazi Khan and Shah Pasand. These heavy guns were fired oftener than had ever been done before in the recollection of the oldest man. Haidar Quli Khan kept up the energy of his men by continual largesse. Abdullah Khan's troops continued to abscond in small parties. On the other side, Muhammad Shah passed the night seated on his elephant so near the vanguard as to be under fire.

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∗ Qasim, 376; Shiu Das, 60b; Khush-hal 1016a; Ahwal 177b.

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When day dawned on the 14th Muharram (November 14th, 1720) Abdullah Khan found his army reduced to a few of his relations and his veteran troops. They were altogether not more than one thousand horsemen. These resumed the fight to the best of their power. Najm-ud-din Ali Khan and Saif-ud-din Ali Khan, the ex-Wazir's younger brothers, Sayyid Afzal Khan Sadar-us-sadur, and Rai Tek Chand, Bali Khatri, his chief officer, Ghazi-ud-din Khan (Ahmad Beg), Nawab Allahyar Khan Shahjahani, Sayyid Salabat Khan and Ruhullah Khan were found among those faithful few who had passed a sleepless night upon their elephants, having had neither food nor water for many hours. Access to the riverside was blocked by the Jats, who plundered impartially friend and foe. As dawn was drawing near a ball struck the seat upon Muhkam Singh's elephant. The Rajah descended, mounted his horse and galloped off, and for many a day it was not known whether he was alive or dead.*

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Early in the morning, returning to his place of the previous day, Abdullah Khan, joined by Najm-ud-din Ali Khan and many Barha chiefs, again delivered an attack in the hope of reaching the Emperor's centre. The imperial left opposed a stout resistance to this onset, and at length dismounted to continue the fight on foot at close quarters. Shahamat Khan and his son Pirzada, Fath Muhammad Khan, Tahavvar Ali Khan (better known as Bahadur Ali Khan), and many others on the Sayyids' side, were slain. Darvesh Ali Khan, head of Khan Dawran's artillery, was killed; Dost Ali Khan* and Nusrat Yar Khan were severely wounded. Saadat Khan and Sher Afkan Khan were also prominent in this encounter. Abdun-nabi Khan and Maya Ram, two of Haidar Quli Khan's officers, and Muhammad Jafar (grandson of Husain Khan) were the only other men of name who lost their lives on the imperial side. Najm-ud-din Ali Khan was wounded by an arrow near the eye,† and a ball from a swivel gun struck him on the knee.

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∗ Qasim, 378; Bayan-i-waqi, 438, 441, 443; K. K. 925, 928; Shiu Das, 61a; Khafi Khan, 328, says the Sayyids had 17,000 to 18,000 men left.

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† He lost his eye from this wound, and the glass ball by which he replaced it was a subject of wonder to the common people for the rest of his life, M. U. ii. 508, K. K. 930.

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After a time the men of Khan Dauran, Haidar Quli Khan, Saadat Khan, and Muhammad Khan Bangash, surrounded the ex-Wazir, and an arrow struck him on the forehead, inflicting a skin wound. The soldiers then tried to make him a prisoner; but, clad in chain-mail though he was, he leapt to the ground sword in hand, intent on fighting to the death. In spite of their knowing his practice of fighting on foot at the crisis of a battle, the Wazir's troops, when they saw his elephant without a rider, imagined that their leader must have fled, and each man began to think only of his own safety. Sayyid Ali Khan (brother of Abul Muhsin Khan, the Bakhshi) was wounded and taken. Then Tali Yar Khan charged at the head of his men and cut down Shaikh Nathu, commanding Abdullah Khan's artillery, and the Rajputs came up, took possession of the Shaikh's body and carried it to the imperial camp. Najm-ud-din Ali Khan and Gazi-ud-din Khan did their utmost to rally the men, but no one paid them any heed. Shujaat-ullah Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Khan and Abdullah Khan Tarin fled. Even Saif-ud-din Ali Khan thought the day was lost and left the field along with two or three hundred men, taking with him Prince Ibrahim, who quitted his elephant and mounted a horse. Ibrahim's elephant and imperial umbrella were afterwards found and taken to Muhammad Shah. The feebleness of the defence on the Sayyids' part would be fully proved if we believe, as Warid tells us, that after two days' fighting only forty men were left dead on the field.*

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∗ Dost Ali Khan died of his wounds on the 9th Ramzan, 1134 H. (June 23, 1722).

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Najm-ud-din Ali Khan, a drawn sword in his hand, rode on to enquire for and search out his brother. He found Abdullah Khan standing on the ground quite alone, and although wounded in the hand still fighting like a lion, while on every side the crowd of his assailants grew greater every minute. So far not one of them had had the courage to lay hands upon him; although one of Khan Dauran's men had wounded him on a finger of the right hand. Najm-ud-din Ali Khan dismounted from his elephant and took his position at his brother's side. Abdullah Khan called out to him: "Behold the inconstancy of Fortune, and the end of all earthly greatness," adding a verse of Sadi Shirazi, fitting to the occasion.† Haidar Quli Khan, who had noticed that the howda of Abdullah Khan's elephant was empty, made enquiries and was informed by one of his soldiers that the Nawab was on foot, bare-headed, and wounded in the arm. Coming up at once with a led elephant, Haidar Quli Khan addressed the Sayyid, in the humblest manner, with words of praise and flattery: "Was he not a well-wisher, and was not his life one with his? Except to set forth for the presence of the Emperor what course was there left?" Najm-ud-din Ali Khan made a movement to cut down the speaker, but Abdullah Khan held his brother back. Then with a haughty and dignified air he took Najm-ud-din Ali Khan's hand and mounted the led elephant. Throwing the Sayyid a shawl to wind round his head, Haidar Quli Khan followed on his own elephant, and conducted his prisoner to the Emperor Muhammad Shah.‡

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∗ Qasim, 378; Warid, 164b; Bayan-i-waqi, 447; K. K. 931.

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† Khizr Khan, who took part in the battle as one of the Sayyid's army, was near enough to know that Abdullah Khan called out, but from the uproar could not hear his words. Some years afterwards, in 1138 H. (1725-6), he met at Mathura Najm-ud-din Ali Khan, then on his way to Ahmadabad, and obtained from him the details in the text. Khafi Khan makes out that Abdullah Khan claimed aman (safety for life) by announcing himself as a Sayyid.

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‡ Siwanih-i-Khizri, 92, 93; Shiu Das, 61a; Khush-hal 1018b; Khafi Khan, 933; Bayan-i-waqi, 446. Khush-hal attributes the capture of Najm-

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His hands bound together with Haidar Quli Khan's shawl, Abdullah Khan was ushered into the presence of Muhammad Shah. Saluting him with a "Peace be upon you," the Emperor said: "Sayyid, you have yourself brought your affairs to this extremity." Overcome with shame, Abdullah Khan answered only: "It is God's will." Muhammad Amin Khan, unable to contain himself, leapt from the ground with joy and exclaimed: "Let this traitor to his salt be confided to this ancient servitor." But Khan Dauran in respectful terms intervened: "Never! Never! Make not the Sayyid over to Muhammad Amin Khan, for he will at once slay him in an ignominious manner; such a deed is inadvisable; what did Farrukh-siyar gain by the murder of Zulfiqar Khan? Let him remain with Haidar Quli Khan or be made over to the Emperor's own servants." The prisoner was accordingly made over to Haidar Quli Khan, along with Najm-ud-din Ali Khan, his brother, whose wounds were so severe that he was not expected to recover. Hamid Khan was also taken a prisoner and brought, bare-headed and bare-footed, before his cousin, Muhammad Amin Khan, and Khan Dauran. The new Wazir calmed his fears and assured him of being tenderly dealt with. There were many other prisoners, the chief among them being Sayyid Ali Khan, brother of Abul Muhsin Khan, and Abdun-nabi Khan. [Qasim 379, K. K. 933, Bayan 448.]

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On the Sayyids' side the entrenchments were held and the fight maintained by Ghazi-ud-din Khan and others for nearly an hour after the capture of Abdullah Khan. When at length they were satisfied that the day was lost, they desisted. Ghazi-ud-din Khan moved off the field with such baggage as had been saved, and, with Allahyar Khan and many others, made straight for Dihli; while the Barha Sayyids endeavoured to cross the Jamuna in order to make their way to their homes. Saif-ud-din Ali Khan had brought Prince Ibrahim off the field of battle, but owing to the entire absence of carriage was obliged to leave him in the orchard of Qutb-ud-din Khan, close to the village of

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ud-din Ali Khan to his patron, Sher Afkan Khan, giving details and asserting that the writer's uncle, Khem Karan, was close by.

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Nekpur. Saif-ud-din Ali Khan went home to Jansath, sending Baqir Ali Khan and Khizr Khan to Dihli to bring away the Sayyid women and dependants. These messengers reached the capital before the Emperor, and carried off the ladies and children to the Sayyids' country.

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Late in the evening of the 14th Muharram, 1133 H. (November 14, 1720), news reached Dihli of the defeat and capture of Abdullah Khan. His wives and women, a numerous body, nearly took leave of their senses. Many of the concubines, seizing their chance, threw old veils and sheets over their rich clothes and made off with whatever they could lay their hands upon. The man in charge, one Abdullah Khan Kashi, made no attempt to do his duty, and in the confusion a ten-year old daughter of Najm-ud-din Ali Khan took refuge in the house of a *Mirasin* or singer, attached to the Sayyids, where she was discovered and seized by the Emperor's adherents. The girl was placed in charge of the Emperor's mother, Nawab Qudsiya, who proposed to marry her to Muhammad Shah. Abdullah Khan complained to Haidar Quli Khan that such a thing had never been done before to a Barha Sayyid. That noble, by much persuasion, obtained possession of the child and sent her to Najm-ud-din Ali Khan's house.

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To return to the field of battle. The Mughal soldiery, as their custom was, took to plundering, and appropriated to themselves whatever horses, camels, mules and cattle fell into their hands. Churaman Jat followed suit, and plundering both sides with strict impartiality, made off with his booty to his own country. Among his spoils were one thousand baggage oxen and camels, which had been left negligently on a high sandy mound close to the river, several camel-loads of goods intended for charitable distribution, and the records of the Grand Almoner's Department. [Qasim 381, Shiu 61a, K. K. 930.]

Linked texts (1)

Bayān-i wāqiʿ — Khwāja ʿAbd al-Karīm Kashmīrī 1780, Persian