Later Mughals v2.c15.s5: Sec. 74.—Muhammad Khan Bangash's Campaigns in Bundelkhand.
Later Mughals v2.c15.s5
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Sec. 74.—Muhammad Khan Bangash's Campaigns in Bundelkhand.
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Soon after the downfall of the Sayyid brothers Muhammad Khan Bangash, as his reward for deserting from Sayyid Abdullah Khan, obtained the Government of Allahabad (25th Dec. 1720). Within the limits of this province lay the greater part of Bundelkhand* including the whole of the territory over which Chhattarsal had usurped authority. Thus Muhammad Khan, pursuant to the Mughal claim to sovereignty over the whole of India, had a direct official connection with Bundelkhand. Not only so. The parganas of which the land revenue was assigned to him in 1713, in the first year of Farrukh-siyar, were all in Bundelkhand. To this troublesome charge (the Mughals having little or no hold on the country thus granted), Diler Khan, the grantee's favourite chela, was appointed. In 1720 the Bundelas rose, sacked Kalpi, and killed the local officer (amil). Diler Khan at the head of some troops was sent against them and quickly ejected them from Kalpi and Jalalpur.† The Bundelas, however, soon recovered themselves and advanced to the number of thirty thousand men with Chhattarsal at their head. After a fierce battle fought on the 25th May 1721, Diler Khan and five hundred of his men were slain. He was buried at Mauda. [20 m.n.w. of Banda]. Chhattarsal had already made himself obnoxious to the imperialists by sending aid to Girdhar Bahadur at Allahabad and to the rebel Kichar zamindar of Asothar in the Duaba. This crowning act of open hostility resulting in the defeat and death of Diler Khan, made Chhattarsal's suppression imperative. [Shiu Das 67a, Ghulam Ali 41b.]
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∗ From this point onwards to the final retirement of Md. Khan the history of Bundelkhand is based upon Irvine's chapters on the Bangash Nawabs of Farrukhabad in J. A. S. B. 1878, with some additional details from Shiu Das and other writers, who will be cited at the proper places. [J. Sarkar.]
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† Jalalpur, 18 m. s. of Kalpi, but south of the Betwa. [J. S.]
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No immediate vengeance for this disastrous defeat could however be inflicted upon the Bundelas. The whole strength of the Mughals was at the time absorbed in the attempt to repel the aggressions of Rajah Ajit Singh of Jodhpur and the rescue of Ajmer from his clutches. At length, towards the end of 1723, Ajit Singh sued for peace and sent his eldest son Abhai Singh to Court. Muhammad Khan who had taken a part in the campaign returned to Dihli with this Prince. Chhattarsal having in the interval continued his aggressions upon imperial territory, Muhammad Khan was now ordered to proceed in person to Allahabad the head-quarters of his province, and there prepare an expedition to be led by him into Bundelkhand.
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This first campaign was quite inconclusive. After a two months' stay in Allahabad, Muhammad Khan collected a force of fifteen thousand horsemen and formed a camp at Bhognipur in the Duaba. In the end he crossed the Jamuna into Bundelkhand, and by dint of six months of fighting he penetrated as far as Sahenda, 12 miles south of Banda. Nizam-ul-mulk's defeat of Mubariz Khan (11th Oct. 1724) alarmed the Court and decided it upon concentrating its forces. Muhammad Khan was recalled. He made the best terms he could and returned to Dihli. Then he was ordered to Gwaliyar to repel an anticipated advance of the Mahrattas. In his absence the Bundelas renewed their inroads, and soon the little impression that had been made was entirely obliterated; Baghelkhand was over-run by them, even to the borders of the subah of Patna.
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About the end of 1726 Muhammad Khan was directed to restore order in the Bundelkhand portion of his province. A money allowance of 2 lakhs of Rupees a month was granted to him; this was afterwards commuted into a grant of chakla Kora. On the 3rd Feb. 1727 his vanguard crossed the Jamuna somewhere not far from Allahabad. By the first operations the eastern part of Bundelkhand was cleared, with the exception of Tarahwan. Leaving his eldest son, Qaim Khan, to prosecute the siege of that place, Muhammad Khan moved on to within four kos of Sahenda. Parganas Bhend, Mauda, Pailani, Agwasi and Simanni* came into his possession: and on the 22nd Dec. 1727 Tarahwan fell to an assault delivered by Qaim Khan.
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Pushing his way westwards Muhammad Khan at last encountered the enemy at Ijoli in pargana Mahoba. Here on the 22nd May 1727 he stormed their entrenched position at a heavy loss on both sides in killed and wounded. Chhattarsal, his sons and grandsons took flight and sought a refuge in the forest of Salhat† to the south of Jaitpur, a country full of natural obstacles in which pursuit was difficult. On the 18th June 1727, twenty-seven days after the first battle, the imperial army marched towards the enemy's new position. The attack was delivered a little before dawn on the next day (19th June, 1727) but before the Muhammadans could come to close quarters the Bundelas broke and fled to Mahoba. The forts of Barigarh, ten miles, and Lauri-Jhumar, sixteen miles south-east of Mahoba, were occupied. The Muhammadan camp was pitched two miles beyond Mahoba, and here they passed the five months of the rainy season during which in that soil it is impossible to place one foot before another. [Shakir's Gulshan-i-Sadiq.]
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† The Salat hill is 9 m. due east (and not south) of Jaitpur, and midway between the latter and Mahoba. [J. S.]
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In Nov. 1727 the advance was resumed. The enemy's entrenchments in the hills were attacked for a whole day with little effect, but at sunset the Bundelas gave way. At this point a delay of four months seems to have occurred during which Muhammad Khan wrote repeatedly to Court for more money and more men. Active hostilities were resumed in April 1728, and on the 29th April 1728 a fresh entrenchment between the hills at Kulpahar [14 m.w. of Mahoba] was stormed by the Muhammadans, seven lines of defence being carried one after the other. Next day the general started for Mundhari four miles east of Jaitpur, and its fort was seized. The Muhammadans now took up their position in front of Kulpahar with Jaitpur on their right, Mundhari a little on one side in the same direction, and the hills of Salhat on their left, the latter occupied by the enemy. Finally the Bundelas resorted to the hills of Ajhnar, six miles south of Jaitpur. The siege of Jaitpur itself then commenced. The rainy season came on and progress was slow, for owing to the excessive moisture the mines fell in as soon as dug. At length about the month of December 1728 the fortress fell into the besiegers' hands. By this time the campaign had lasted fully twenty-four months (January 1727 to December 1728).
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∗ Tarahwan, 42 m. e. of Banda and one-fourth of a mile from Karwi. Bhend, probably Benda, a village 22 m. from Banda and 14 m. from Pailani. (N. W. P. Gaz. i. 390). Or, Bhenr (Bheyr)? Mauda, 20 m. n. w. of Banda. Pailani, 20 m. of Banda. Agwasi=Augasi, 28 m. n. e. Banda, and on the s. bank of the Jamuna. Simanni, 18 m. n. e. of Banda. Ijoli=Ichauli, 11 m. n. w. of Banda. Jaitpur, 20 m. w. of Mahoba. [J. S.]