Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c10.s5.13

v1.c10.s5.13

As against such incredible infatuation and military incompetence, the enemy displayed unusual alertness and activity. Abdālī’s force consisted of about twelve thousand* mounted men, without heavy artillery, but extremely mobile and armed with nearly a thousand light pieces (swivels, jizail) placed on camels which could move as fast as the cavalry. In addition, the ruthless vigour of this veteran lieutenant of the Persian Napoleon maintained strict secrecy about his movements. "Abdālī had ordered his troops to slay every Indian whom they might find in their camp or in the plains, so that not a single spy of the wazir or of any other noble who went out to scout returned alive". (Mujmil, 101.) Thus, quite in the dark about the enemy’s position and intentions, the doomed Indian army marched out of Sarhind on 27th February and reached Bharaoli (14 miles north of that town and eleven miles short of Māchhiwārā.) While halting here, the imperialists were astonished to learn that Abdālī had cut into their rear, seized Sarhind, annihilated its garrison, and got possession of all their treasure artillery and women left there. We shall now see how this happened. [Anand., 313-15, 322-324, 333-337 ; Bayān, 228,232 ; TAh. 4b.-5a.]