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Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c14.s6: § 11. Safdar Jang makes peace with the Ruhelas and Bangashes

Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c14.s6

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§ 11. Safdar Jang makes peace with the Ruhelas and Bangashes

v1.c14.s6.1

At the news of Abdāli's invasion of the Panjāb (early in 1752), the Emperor pressed his wazir to make peace with the Afghāns of Rohilkhand and hasten back to the capital. So a peace was concluded at the beginning of April 1752, on the following terms:

v1.c14.s6.2

∗ Malhar Rao Holkar himself was deeply grateful to Ahmad Khan for his kind treatment and release of his beloved son Khande Rao, who had been captured in the jungle fighting one day. He plainly told the wazir that he would not fight Ahmad Khan to the bitter end. (Bayān, 265.)

v1.c14.s6.3

"The debt due by Safdar Jang to the Marāthas for the expenses of the campaign was transferred to Ahmad Khan Bangash, who alienated to them half of his territory till the debt should be extinguished . . . The management of the Marātha parganas seems, however, to have been left in the hands of Ahmad, who, after paying the expenses of their administration, handed over the balance to two Deccani bankers stationed at Qanauj and Aliganj." (Far. Gazetteer, 167.) The author of Siyar-ul-mutakhkharin (iii. 37) gives further details, which are supported by Bayān-i-waqāi (266) :—Farrukhabad and some other mahals worth 16 lakhs (or 22 lakhs, according to Bayan) of Rupees a year were left to Ahmad and other sons of Muhammad Khan Bangash, while the sons of Ali Muhammad Ruhela were confirmed in the possession of Mirābād and some other mahals which they had seized after the death of Qāim Khan, but they were subjected to the payment of revenue for these. Qanauj, Akbarpur Shāh and other possessions of the Bangash family were put in the possession of Govind Pant Bundelé the Marātha agent. Safdar Jang kept a few of the places for himself. The Bangashes and Ruhelas thus emerged from this overwhelming invasion with surprisingly little permanent loss.

v1.c14.s6.4

"Matters remained in this position till after the battle of Pānipat in January 1761." In that battle the Ruhelas and Bangashes rendered good service to the victor and rose to prominence in the Delhi Government in the chain of the new arrangements made by the Afghan king. "After their defeat at Pānipat the Marāthas withdrew from Northern India for some years. Ahmad Khan Bangash seized the opportunity to recover nearly all the territory of which he had been deprived" by the treaty of 1752. [Far. Gaz. 168, Siyar. iii. 37, Bayān. 265-266, Imād. 59, Chahār Gul. 407, G-i-R. 44-43 (terms not given.)]

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