Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c10.s8.8

v1.c10.s8.8

Very early in the fight, the Afghāns had found an easier prey in the Rājputs (the Left wing). A body of 3,000 of Abdāli’s horsemen with 200 swivels carried on camels, had formed itself in two divisions. Each half galloped up to within easy range of the Rājputs, delivered their fire, and galloped back like the wind. Immediately afterwards the second group attacked in the same way. Thus, while the Rājputs were waiting for the enemy and twirling their moustaches in full confidence of victory by their clever swordsmanship and reckless courage when the contest would come to the decision of cold steel, they found hundreds of their saddles being emptied at each volley without their being able to touch an enemy. This strange method of warfare shook the nerves of the Rājputs, trained in the obsolete tactics of two centuries ago. The Afghans seized the moment and drove into the confused and wavering crowd, cutting it up "like the sections of a cucumber." The Rājput leader, Ishwari Singh, had early heard of the wazir's death, and received despairing counsel from his chief adviser, a barber (!), who had told him, "When the wazir is dead, what can *you* do against the Abdāli?" Seeing the havoc among his followers and no chance of restoring the fight under the circumstances, the Rajah at once fled away from the field, abandoning his section of the trenches also. So hurried was his flight that he threw his kettledrums and light artillery (*rahkala*) into wells, and abandoned his baggage to be looted by the rascals of the army. His leaderless followers scattered right and left and crowded into the trenches of the prince and Muin for shelter.