Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c25.s2.3

v2.c25.s2.3

While Sakhārām Bapu took post at Patparganj, facing Delhi fort, (middle of July) and thus dominated the eastern bank of the Jamuna, Raghunath at last began his march upon Delhi at the end of July. Shamsher Bahadur with the artillery and the advanced division reached Rewari (*c.* 27 July.) His orders were to hold this city to ransom and occupy the Crownlands in the district around, but he found that the land was not in the possession of the Crown but "everywhere under Jat control, with the exception of a few villages held by Kamgar Khan Baluch and Sitārām of Kaliānā’s widow Satbhāni,—both of whom were already on the side of the Marathas." Prince Ali Jah (the Emperor’s second son), who had come a few days earlier to Rewari for wresting the district from the hands of usurpers, was invited by Shamsher Bahadur to a meeting in a garden outside and treacherously made prisoner with his women, (30 July.) The attempt to levy contribution from the Baluch zamindars of this district was fruitless. Raghunath and Malhar, who had left Jaipur territory at the end of July, moved rapidly to Rewari, absorbed Shamsher’s contingent, crossed the Najafgarh *jhil* to Kharwā (7 August), and arrived at Khizirabad (south of Delhi city) on 11th August, and the investment of the imperial capital immediately began.