Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c15.s12.4

v1.c15.s12.4

At this time the Ruhela Baluch and Gujar auxiliaries who formed the vanguard of the imperial army, starving from arrears of pay, left their posts and withdrew to Barapula (near the southern gate of Delhi) and sat down idly. "At the time of their coming they plundered the travellers on the road and the inhabitants of Barapula"—all loyal to their sovereign! Even the imperial heavy artillery men left their trenches and came back to the city in anger. Seizing this opportunity, Safdar Jang made a bold advance over the abandoned ground. On 6th September he delivered an attack "with a countless force" on the trenches, but was defeated as Imād pushed up fresh troops. His Jat allies plundered all wayfarers and grain merchants passing between the city and the imperial trenches, up to eleven miles of the walls of Delhi. Next day (8th September) the Jat rovers were out again. No grain could reach the royal army and Imād was filled with despair at this turn in the fortunes of his party. On 12th September he went from the trenches to the palace and pleaded with the Emperor and the Queen-mother for the granting of treasure to pay the troops and the sending up of reinforcements; but after three hours of fruitless discussion he returned to his mansion, saying in disgust, "I have done what I could up till now. Let the Emperor henceforth entrust his work to some one else." During his absence, Safdar Jang advanced and surprised and cut off the outposts left by him north of Faridabad, at Sarāi Khwājah Bakhtāwar, Badarpur and other places, and effectually stopped the conveyance of grain and traffic to the royal army on the south side of the city. [TAh. 70b-72b.]