Later Mughals v2.c14.s37: Sec. 64.—Abhai Singh's Battles with Sarbuland Khan for the Possession of Ahmadabad.
Later Mughals v2.c14.s37
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Sec. 64.—Abhai Singh's Battles with Sarbuland Khan for the Possession of Ahmadabad.
v2.c14.s37.1
Early in Rabi II. 1143, (middle of Oct. 1730) the Maharajah arrived at the village of Mojir on the banks of the Sabarmati within a couple of miles of Sarbuland Khan's camp. There he dug some field works and encamped for the night. Sarbuland moved out his cannon across the river to the grove of Muhammad Amin situated in a line with the Rajah's camp and commanding it. There the gunners commenced a cannonade and several shots fell into the camp. As night came on the two armies sent out their videttes; on both sides, the generals spent the night with their counsellors in preparation for the morrow's battle. At dawn Sarbuland Khan drew out his men and awaited an onset. But the Maharajah declined to fight in that position. On the advice of the Gujaratis he retraced his steps and moved four or five miles up-stream, reaching near nightfall the point west of the city, where first of all Sarbuland Khan had his camp near the great dome. There the Maharajah pitched his camp.
v2.c14.s37.2
The Rathors occupied the houses of the hamlets on the river bank where the land is high. They used the walls as batteries for their guns and blocked up the entrances to the village and the ferry approaches. This position is opposite the citadel of Ahmadabad, and the flowing stream is there about the distance of the flight of a wall-piece bullet from the city bank of the river. The entrenched village was placed in charge of the Marwari foot soldiery together with Jawan-mard Khan and Safdar Khan (Babis). On their taking up this position a few shots were fired at them from the Bhadar fort, but otherwise they were not molested. Another body was sent by the Rajah across the river south of the city near the tomb of Shah Bhikan and the villages of Bahrampur and Bara Nainpur, the latter the residence of a faujdar. The object here was to erect batteries in preparation for an investment of the capital.
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As it was near sunset when Sarbuland Khan first obtained precise information of this disposition of his opponent's forces, he waited where he was for the return of daylight; but as a precautionary measure placed some men with wall-pieces and swivel guns in the fort of Kali near his camp, and others similarly armed upon the roof of Malik Maqsud Gujarati's mosque near the Shahi-Bagh. At dawn he moved up and pitched his tents in the plain opposite the tomb of Dargai Khan Gujarati, which is to the front of the Shahi-Bagh. His excess artillery with some of the balls and powder, some baggage and part of his force, horse and foot, were sent into the city. The day was passed in the position thus occupied; while a cannonade went on all day from the fort and the walls. On the other side the Maharajah's men were busy building up brick walls inside the gates of the hamlets that they held; they dug deep ditches outside; and when all was ready returned the fire from the city. As the ground on their side was a little high some of their balls did good execution in the city, more especially in the fortress; while those fired from the city fell harmless on the earthworks that had been raised.
v2.c14.s37.4
On the 20th October, an hour or two after sunrise Sarbuland Khan mounted for battle and took up his position in the sands of the Sabarmati with his rear to the fortress. His object was to clear out his opponents from their entrenchments. After two or three volleys from his artillery he advanced to the attack and his men pressed across the stream. The ground being impracticable for cavalry the men dismounted and clambered over the earthworks. Displacing the obstructions they reached the top of the village walls and thence directed a matchlock fire on the defenders. In the end after great exertion the gates of Khanpur were broken. The place stood on the edge of the stream, and below it were many hollowed out channels made by the river when in flood, full of ups and downs, where the hard ground, trampled into holes by cattle, was difficult to cross. Sarbuland Khan’s men in spite of every difficulty struggled on, some entered by the gate, others crept in by unnoticed ways. The Gujaratis who had enlisted under the Maharajah held their ground; a hand to hand struggle began, in which both fists and daggers played their part. After many leaders of note had fallen, the survivors retreated and rejoined the Maharajah.
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Sarbuland Khan who had arrived with his reserves now committed the fatal mistake of ordering his artillery back to the fortress. It would have been quite easy to bring it across the river. The ford at Badij was not far distant and had not been occupied by the other side. Thence, leaving the houses of the hamlets on the left hand, they could have debouched into an open plain admirably adapted for a pitched battle. The governor knew of this route himself, and was also reminded of it by his friends. But his only answer was that he feared to draw the enemy’s fire upon the houses in the fort occupied by his women. Furthermore, the troops ought to have passed in a body through the lanes and bazars. Instead of this, the men on foot, the Baksari matchlockmen and the artificers, scattered to plunder the houses,* the inhabitants of which had not fled. Each man laid hold of what he could and made off.
v2.c14.s37.6
Sarbuland Khan, with his rear to the hamlets, moved out into the plain and set his ranks in order. Then the Maharajah with his whole army, mostly cavalry, advanced to give battle. After an opening cannonade the Marwari horsemen rode hotly at their foe, firing as they came on. The greater part of Sarbuland Khan’s matchlockmen and men carrying swivel guns had dispersed after the hamlets had been assaulted and taken. Thus the Muhammadans could only reply with arrows to the balls from the matchlocks and swivel pieces. After many on both sides had been killed and wounded, there was a general charge. Instead of entering into battle, in the Indian fashion, mounted on elephants, the Maharajah and his brother had this day dressed themselves like all the other Rajputs and were riding their horses. Seeing a group of elephants, Sarbuland Khan galloped recklessly towards them, and fell on them like lightning. At the first onset he broke through the ranks of these defenders. There were no riders! Appropriating the two or three bows he found upon them the Nawab let the elephants go again, resumed his sword-play and sought again for his prey.
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∗ Up to this time (1730) the villages on that (the west) side of the river had been very populous. They suffered from the Mahrattas in the days of Hamid Khan (1726); but after this second plundering they were abandoned altogether and in 1174 H. (1760-1), when the Mirat-i-Ahmadi was written, there was not a trace or sign of them to be seen. (Mirat 199a.)