Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c11.s3.2

v1.c11.s3.2

In the meantime, Muhammad Khān Bangsh had reached Dholpur on 14th January 1736 and taken post in the ravines of the Chambal, guarding every ford against the invaders. The Marātha leaders halted at Syliā for about ten days, daily sending out cavalry patrols to the river to watch for Muhammad Khān. But in fear of the Marāthas, "he would not once come out of his hole in the sands of the river," and there could be no fight with him. Bāji Bhimrāo then surprised and sacked the village of Bāgohini (11 miles w. of Syliā), the stronghold of a robber chieftain (clan Sikarbār.) When this division fell back towards Gwālior, Muhammad Khān ventured out of the bed of the Chambal and entrenched in the ravines that intersect the narrow fork between that river and the Koāri (immediately south of the Chambal), throwing up mud walls and mounting guns. Behind these he sheltered himself, refusing to accept the challenge to sally forth and fight the Marāthas when they reappeared before him. Thus the whole month of January and the earlier part of February were passed in inaction on the Mughal side, after which envoys came from the Bangash for terms and finally hostilities were suspended by order of the Peshwā (received by Bhimrāo on 1st March) as the Delhi Court had inclined towards peace. Then the invaders withdrew from Mālwa (March 1736.) Before this a small Marātha force had crossed the Jamunā and made a dash into the Gangetic doāb, raiding some places in the Etāwa and Cawnpur districts, but it retired shortly afterwards; Bāji Rāo also wrote (end of February) forbidding these provocations. (S. P. D., xiv. 55, 56; xiii. 48; Later Mughals, ii. 281-282.)