Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c24.s1.2

v2.c24.s1.2

A little later, Abdāli wrote to Suraj Mal calling upon him to (a) surrender his recently usurped territories, (b) pay a tribute, (c) present himself at the Abdāli Court, and (d) serve under his banner. It was impossible for Suraj Mal to fight against such overwhelming odds, and yet he durst not place himself within Ahmad Shah’s reach lest he should share the fate of Imād. So, he pursued the policy of gaining time by sending an envoy to the invader’s camp to discuss terms and bribe the Afghan minister with two lakhs. If a Maratha army arrived for the defence of the north in a few weeks, he would (as he told Antāji) join it with his men and money and fight Abdāli; otherwise he would make his submission. From Mathurā, he went for refuge to his strong fort of Kumbher, while his gallant son Jawāhir Singh stayed behind for the defence of that holy city.