Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c16.s2.4

v1.c16.s2.4

Khandoji encamped at Hodal (17m. s. of Palwal) and sent detachments which plundered the Jāt villages all around, even as far as Barsāna and Nandgāon (12 and 17 miles south), ousting Suraj Mal’s son from them and establishing Marātha posts there (end of December 1753.) This strengthened Aqibat’s position and he sacked the Jāt village of Ghangaula (9m. s.w. of Ballamgarh) belonging to a brother of Balu and planted his own thānah there (5 Jan. 1754.) On 8th January, Imad advanced from Ballamgarh to Palwal and got into touch with Khandoji at Hodal. The fort of Ghāsera (15 miles due west of Palwal) had been wrested by Suraj Mal from Bahādur Singh Bargujar on 23 April 1753, after that chieftain had slain his women and rushed to death in battle at the head of 25 desperate followers. Imād appointed Bahādur’s son Fath Singh master of his father’s fort, which the Jāt garrison had now evacuated in terror. Thus a mortal enemy of the Jāts was planted there with orders to attack their hamlets around. In short, most of the Jāt homes on both banks of the Jamunā now fell into Imād’s hands and his rule was established even as far south as Mathurā and Agra, from which the Jāt usurpers fled away. Another officer expelled the Jāt force that had seized Koil (Aligarh) and Jalesar. Imad sent his men to restore the civil administration in all these long-disturbed places and to induce the peasants to return to cultivation (middle of January.) Soon afterwards the Marāthas laid siege to Kumbher and Khandoji was called there. [TAh. 93b, 94b, 102a, 104b-107a.]