New History of the Marathas v2.c29.36

v2.c29.36

Govindpant in the lower Doab was, however, fully apprized of the state of things prevailing at Panipat and strove hard to collect supplies and cash from the region east of Delhi, and tried to forward them to the beleaguered camp. He made a large stock of things gathered from Sikandarabad and other places, and his parties were moving within ten to twenty miles of Shahdara (opposite Delhi), Ghaziabad and Jalalabad. The agents employed by Najib Khan watched these operations of the Pant and communicated the news of their activities to the Rohilla chief. He at once despatched Atai Khan and Karimdad Khan with a party of some five thousand fresh troops that had just arrived from Afghanistan. These troops crossed the Jamuna and moved rapidly in search of the Maratha foraging parties. On the evening of 16th December they came upon a small party of Naro Shankar’s men, and cut them all down. The country around was all hostile to the Marathas and burning for revenge against their fearful depredations in the past. The next morning, 17th December, the Afghans started again and came across a Maratha party at Ghaziabad, who were all similarly cut down. Thence they rode about ten miles north-east to Jalalabad where they found Govindpant himself, who not suspecting any sudden attack by the enemy, was engaged in saying his prayers and preparing his meal, with only a small party of personal servants. As soon as they were attacked, they mounted their ponies and ran to save their lives in different directions. They were hotly pursued and a bullet shot brought the Pant down from his horse. The Muslims closed upon him, cut off his head and carried it to the Shah in triumph. Abdali paraded the head in his camp and sent it as a present to Bhau Saheb. Govindpant’s son Balaji was with his father, but was saved by his servants. Thus perished an old and faithful servant of the Peshwas who had for thirty years laboured hard to keep the Maratha flag aloft in Bundelkhand and the Doab. Essentially a non-military man, proficient in accounts and revenue matters, he happened to be the only prominent Maratha in the north at the time of Bhau Saheb’s expedition. Naturally, therefore, Bhau Saheb called upon him to execute many responsible functions and duties, which he was unable to perform owing to the disturbed condition of the regions in which he worked. His descendants still live at Saugor.