Later Mughals v2.c15.s8: Sec. 77.—Baji Rao Assists Chhattarsal in Bundelkhand.
Later Mughals v2.c15.s8
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Sec. 77.—Baji Rao Assists Chhattarsal in Bundelkhand.
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The Mahrattas were within two and twenty miles of his camp before Muhammad Khan could be persuaded to believe in their approach. With great difficulty he now made up his army to nine thousand men and entrenched himself. The invaders were under the chief command of Baji Rao, the Peshwa. With him were Pila Jadon, and other celebrated leaders; and as he advanced his force was joined by the turbulent zamindars till it had swollen to seventy thousand men.[*] They first appeared within two miles of the Muhammadan encampment on the 22nd March 1729, but their skirmishers who tried to drive off the grazing cattle were soon dispersed. Next day they advanced by the right and left to the rear of the camp and cut off the camels and ponies as they were being driven out to bring in grass. On the 25th Muhammad Khan made a sortie without permanent benefit. Gradually the Mahrattas closed round the camp, the commonest grain cost twenty Rupees a seer, and other kinds were unprocurable. For two months the Muhammadans subsisted on the flesh of camels, horses and cows.
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In the middle of May, Qaim Khan who had heard at Tarahwan of his father's straits, reached Supa, 12 miles north-east of Jaitpur, bringing supplies and reinforcements. A portion of the Mahratta army moved off to intercept him.[†] Suddenly
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[*] The junction of the Mahrattas with Chhattarsal described in Sardesai ii. 384 et seq. [J. S.] [†] The repulse of Qaim Khan is thus described in a Marathi letter from Pilaji Jadon: "On the 9th Shawwal [7 May 1729] Qaim Khan with seizing the opportunity the beleaguered soldiers poured out of the camp on their way to Jaitpur, Muhammad Khan was left with no more than one thousand men. The Bundelas came down from their hiding places in the hills and Muhammad Khan moved out, leaving not a single soul in camp. For three hours an unequal contest was maintained, and honour being satisfied Muhammad Khan consented to withdraw to Jaitpur.
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On reaching Jaitpur Muhammad Khan put it so far as he was able in a state of defence. But there were no stores of food and no time to procure any. When the Mahrattas returned, having defeated Qaim Khan, they invested the town and fort, into which Muhammad Khan had withdrawn. The besiegers could make no impression on the place and resolved to starve it into surrendering. For close on four months the garrison held out under the most heart-rending conditions. The only food was the flesh of the gun-bullocks and of the troopers' horses ; flour could not be procured at a hundred Rupees the seer. Many men died of starvation ; many deserted ; all who gave up their arms were allowed to pass out. [Warid 11b, Khush-hal 1049-1052.]
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In this time of dire distress Muhammad Khan called upon the Emperor and the great nobles to extricate him. Not a hand was raised to help or encourage him. The Emperor did indeed order the first Bakhshi, Khan Dauran Samsam-ud-daulah, to proceed to Jaitpur. As usual with this noble, there was much promise and little performance. His advance tents were sent outside the walls of Dihli with great pomp and ceremony ; but not one single other step did he take to forward the matter. Full of intrigue, and deceit and excuses, he every evening put off his start to the morning, and every morning put it off until the evening. Then in order to stir up strife he wrote to the Bundelas that the 'thoughtless monarch' was trying to send an army to the aid of Muhammad Khan. He went so far, it is
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30,000 men came against us. We fought him (at Supa). By God's grace he was defeated. We captured 3,000 horses and 13 elephants, two of these elephants have been taken by Antaji Mankeshwar and Dabalji Somvanshi the sar-i-lashkar, the rest are with me." (Rajwade, iii. No. 14.) [J. Sarkar.]
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said, as to suggest to Chhattarsal that his deadly enemy Muhammad Khan being in his power, he would throw away all chance of fortune if he did not slay him. The head of Muhammad Khan would be an acceptable gift to lay at the feet of the Emperor and would secure the sender high dignity and reward. Khan Dauran also tried to persuade the Emperor that there was danger to the throne from a too successful Afghan general. [Warid 11b.]
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After his repulse at Supa, Qaim Khan was obliged to abandon all hope of conveying immediate relief to his father and the besieged garrison. He resolved to obtain, if he could, contingents from some of the other nobles. His first visit was to Burhan-ul-mulk, governor of Oudh, at Faizabad. Instead of affording him help, a plot was made for his seizure. The Afghans in the Oudh service were so angry at this intended trickery that they followed Qaim Khan to the number of twelve hundred in his march to the Pathan colony of Shahjahanpur. Here more men joined him. His next visit was to Ali Muhammad Khan Rohela at Bangarh,* and with this ruler's help more recruits were collected. Reaching his home at Mau Shamsabad [in the n. w. of the Farrukhabad district], he raised money from the money-lenders and pledged all his father's goods. In this way he succeeded in gathering together a force of about thirty thousand men.