Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c9.s4.1

v1.c9.s4.1

About the middle of March, 1749, Alivardi went to Katwā and there began to assemble an army for the recovery of Orissā. Some months before this he had detached a column, eight thousand strong, to Bardwān to block the usual road of the Marāthas from the south. When the Nawāb himself reached Bardwān, the men of his portable artillery (*topkhānah-i-dasti*) mutinied for their arrears of pay and created a tumult. The Nawāb in anger dismissed them all and set out against the enemy without any artillery whatever. A few of his officers also ran away at this time, to avoid the hardship and dangers of campaigning in that barren country in the hot weather. But nothing daunted, Alivardi, now 73 years old, advanced towards the enemy in Medinipur. At the news of his approach, Mir Habib set fire to his encampment and fled southwards. The Nawāb, without entering the town of Medinipur, skirted it, crossed the Kānsāi river, and halted on the further side. Then getting intelligence of the enemy being present in the jungles of Medinipur, he sent a detachment which made a night attack and routed them.