Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c8.s6.11

v1.c8.s6.11

In the meantime, Alivardi had set out from his capital immediately after hearing of Raghuji’s move towards Bihār. With 12,000 picked troops he hastened to Patna; but finding that city no longer in danger and the enemy gone away to the south, he halted for a few days at Bānkipur, to refresh his troops and replenish his material. Then he resumed his march in regular order with a fully appointed army and powerful artillery, via Naubatpur, to overtake the Marāthas. But the enemy kept moving in front of him, always out of gunshot, and plundering the villages along their route, till the Rāni’s Tank near Muhib-Ali-pur was reached, where Raghuji had his camp. Here the Nawāb’s vanguard under Mir Jafar surprised the Marātha Rājah, who was soon surrounded by the rest of the Nawāb’s forces. The other divisions of the Marātha army fought hard to rescue their master, who ultimately escaped through the sector of Shamshir Khān in consequence of that Afghān general’s slackness or, more probably, his acceptance of a bribe. Meantime, Alivardi had come up by forced marches and now joined in the chase of the Marāthas. It was during this week’s fighting that a spent bullet knocked out a tooth of Raghuji and two of his officers, Mahimāji Bābā and Shankarāji Bābā, were killed by cannon balls.