Later Mughals v2.c14.s25.27

v2.c14.s25.27

The sun rose on Thursday the 21st February and found Rustam Ali Khan still undaunted. He said his morning prayer composedly and called for his coffee. Sardar Muhammad Khan Ghorni rode up and called to him: "It is time to mount and begin the fight." Reaching a cup of coffee to him, Rustam Ali Khan said, "Let us spread our rug here, and await our fate." His officer still urged him to mount, and an elephant was brought. But Rustam Ali Khan said "Now is the time for horseback and a mêlée." Shouting "Allah! Allah!" he turned his steed towards the foe. Under the pressure of the Mahratta numbers his men dispersed, many were killed, many were wounded, a few were made prisoner, a few escaped unscathed. Sardar Muhammad Khan was left on the field severely wounded. At first the Mahrattas got out of Rustam Ali Khan's way, but in the end gathered round him and inflicted on him many a wound by arrow and spear. At length in a hand-to-hand fight he was cut down and killed. Husain Quli Khan and Ahmad Quli Khan, the sons of Shujaat Khan, were a second time made captive. The Dakhinis severed Rustam Ali Khan's head from the body and sent it to Hamid Khan. Pilaji removed one of the hands and sent it as a memorial of his valour to his abode at Songarh.* The head was sent in to Ahmadabad; the body was buried at Basu village. News of Rustam Ali Khan's defeat and death reached the city on the Friday, and his head lay before the Police office for one day and night. It was then buried beside the body of his brother Ibrahim Quli Khan.