Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c25.s3: § 4. Najib's measures for defending Delhi
Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c25.s3
- Language
- English
§ 4. Najib's measures for defending Delhi
v2.c25.s3.1
On 16th July from the walls of Delhi fort a Maratha force was sighted on the opposite bank, plundering the grain dealers engaged in bringing supplies from Shāhdara to the capital. The Maratha headquarters under Sakhārām Bāpu (Raghunāth's dīwān) and Tātyā Gangādhar (Holkar's dīwān) were established at Patparganj. Then the ferries over the Jamuna from Wazirabad in the north of the capital to Khizirabad in its southern suburbs, were closed, "none could come from either bank, and grain in Delhi became very dear," (2 Aug.) Najib Khan had at first sent a part of his own troops (under his brother Afzal Khan and captain Mullā Āmān Khan) with some artillery across the Jamunā to defend the Doab, but recalled them after four or five days on seeing the Maratha occupation of that tract complete, and even wrote to his collectors there to retire peacefully before the Maratha advance. Thus, the Doab was surrendered, and Najib concentrated his forces on the defence of the capital. *
v2.c25.s3.2
Najib had also run a line of trenches at Khizirabad outside the city, to bar the line of invasion from the south, but he had not enough troops to hold these in force and therefore wisely withdrew most of his men from the Old City to the New. A garrison of 2,500 of his own Ruhelas under Mullā Āmān and Qutb Shāh was put in Delhi fort (21 July) and the artillery was planted below the fort, under the walls of Kalāni Bāgh, to oppose the Maratha advance by that open side.
v2.c25.s3.3
∗ TALS. 125b, 128a-130a. DC. SPD. xxvii. 198.
v2.c25.s3.4
The rest of the month of July and the first week of August passed in this state of watching for developments. Then, at the report of Raghunāth’s near approach to the capital, the Marathas on the east bank of the Jamunā began to cross over to the Delhi side by boat near Okhlā in small parties and formed another post some 20 miles south of the city. Patrols sent out by Najib had a brush with their most advanced foragers and drove them back with loss (6th August.) But the invaders returned in greater strength and plundered the neighbourhood of Safdar Jang’s tomb and the Mānkhān quarter of the Old City, and advancing still further looted the houses of Jaisinghpurā and even the horses of Bāpu Hingané. Najib, at the same time, sent his wakil Meghrāj (4th August) to Imād and the Maratha generals at Patparganj, proposing terms, but the latter obstinately demanded the removal of Najib’s troups from the fort and his own evacuation of the city, saying that they had no quarrel with the Emperor himself. So, there was nothing left for it but to fight it out.
v2.c25.s3.5
§ 5. *Raghunath attacks Delhi, 11 August 1757.*
v2.c25.s3.6
It broke out on 11th August, when Raghunath with his lieutenants reached Khizirabad. Sakhārām crossed over from the Doab and joined him. They sent their troops towards the city.* One division, marching towards the Lāl Darwāza, entered the Old Fort and slew Najib’s qiladar of the place, a Pathan named Bakhtāwar Khan, who was a disciple of Qutb Shāh, the popular spiritual guide and fighting ally of the Ruhela clan. Advancing further, they penetrated into Old Delhi and engaged in plunder. Narsinghdās Kāyath’s son bravely withstood them, and with the help of 200 Ruhelas sent out by Najib under Karam Khan, fought for some time, till overcome by sheer weight of numbers and driven in flight up to the Delhi Gate of the New City. Thus Old Delhi was plundered and all its inhabitants scared away.
v2.c25.s3.7
A second Maratha division attacked the river bank south-east of the city, near the garden of Jāvid Khan. Najib sent Qutb Shāh with 2,500 men to oppose it. But Qutb merely fired at the invaders from the Blue Bastion of the city wall, instead of venturing into the open. Najib himself watched the action from the roof of the Delhi Gate. About 3 P.M. the firing ceased, Qutb retired, and went away with Najib’s permission to sack the wazir’s Delhi mansion, in order to avenge the
v2.c25.s3.8
[^ *]: Raghunath’s attack on Najib in Delhi :—*TALS.* 130a-135b. *SPD.* xxi. 136, xxvii. 199, 194. *DC.* (very useful.) Nur-ud-din.
v2.c25.s3.9
slaughter of so many of his disciples and troops in the Old City. The infuriated Ruhelas found the wazir's gates closed from within and guarded by 600 men. They entered by way of the thatched sheds projecting from the walls, slew the defenders, and plundered everything in the house, stripping and dishonouring Imād's women and servants. At last Saif-ud-din Muhammad Khan (the brother of Aqibat Mahmud Khan Kashmiri) pacified Najib, and going to Imād's house removed the miserable ladies to the shelter of Rajah Nāgar Mal's vacant house. Some of these grand dames were placed in the few covered waggons and litters (dolis) that could be secured; all the rest had to walk on foot through the public streets and bazars, with burqas thrown over their persons. This was the greatest outrage that could be done to any Indian householder, not to speak of the hereditary grand wazir of the realm, and it made a reconciliation between Imād and Najib for ever impossible.
v2.c25.s3.10
Imād from the eastern bank crossed over to the Maratha camp in the evening and visited Raghunāth and Malhar for cementing his alliance with the invaders. Next day, a Maratha force again approached the river bank below the fort and retired about 3 P.M., after being fired at from the city walls by Najib's men in the Blue Bastion. Then active operations ceased for a few days.
v2.c25.s3.11
After these futile cavalry attacks on the impregnable stone walls of the capital from the south, bands of Maratha light horse (under Malhar) were sent round the city, towards Nāraina and Sarāi Khwājah Basant (in the west) and other suburbs. Najib closed all the city gates and posted artillery and troops at each of them. The Triple Archway in front of the Lahor and Kashmir Gates was built up with stones and earth, leaving only a narrow passage for traffic. "The grain supply of the city was entirely stopped, and there was a great scarcity of food and consequent suffering. Wheat sold at six seers to a Rupee."
v2.c25.s3.12
§ 6. Malhar assaults Delhi from the north.
v2.c25.s3.13
Malhar Holkar, with Vital Shivdev and other lieutenants and the wazir's troops under Bahādur Khan Baluch and Jamil-ud-din Khan, described a semi-circle round the western side of Delhi and entrenched opposite the Kashmir Gate in the north-east. "A vast force was assembled in this quarter. They took possession of the country up to Sabzi Mandi, the Horse Market, and Wazirabad. Many places in this region were plundered." Mānāji Pāygudé was ordered to entrench opposite the Kābul (or north-western) Gate; he negotiated for hiring the Turki troops of the Sindāgh (4,000 musketeers), who were living in unemployment in the Mughalpura suburb.* The main Maratha camp was now removed to the imperial Artillery Arsenal (Jinsi Topkhānah) near the Idgāh.
v2.c25.s3.14
∗ They asked for an advance of money and some guns and artillerymen. The negotiations did not mature. (SPD. xxi. 136.)
v2.c25.s3.15
On 25th August the fighting was renewed. Two hours before dawn, a Maratha force, accompanied by Bahādur Khān and Nāgar Mal, entered the Qudsia Garden, planted their guns, and attacked the Ruhelas posted in the mansions of Jafar Khan and Ali Mardān Khan. The exchange of fire continued all day, the defenders losing many men.* In the end the Ruhela trenches outside were carried, and they fell back inside the walls. The Qudsia Garden and the Begam Bāgh were captured. The victors occupied the ground won; Bahādur Khan entrenched himself in the garden of Jafar Khan, and Malhar sat down close to the Kashmir Gate. These advanced positions were well within the range of the big guns which Najib dragged to the northern ramparts during the night, and next day, 26th August, seven hundred of Bahādur Khan’s contingent were killed by this fire.
v2.c25.s3.16
There was again a suspension of fighting. Najib’s force had now been reduced to less than 2,000 men; he had not a single friend in the city, and the Emperor was secretly intriguing against him. He sought to make terms by sending his wakil Meghrāj day after day to Malhar, whose agent was Mujirām (a bania.) The Marathas demanded that Najib should resign the post of Paymaster-General, which had been promised to Ahmad Khan Bangash, vacate the fort, go to his own jagirs, and pay an indemnity of 50 or 60 lakhs. Najib declined to resign his post or leave the capital unless Imād did the same on his part, and he offered only five lakhs. He preferred death in fight to the dishonour of accepting his enemies' exorbitant demands; he abused the Emperor for his cowardice and treachery and intercepted his letters to Imād. The Emperor was helpless, "neither side would listen to him." Imād continued to fume over the Ruhela outrage on his harem, and Raghunāth grumbled at his august personality being ignored and Najib negotiating with Malhar, whom Raghunāth hated.
v2.c25.s3.17
∗ From Salimgarh two large guns were fired on the assailants, but their shots fell short.
Linked texts (1)
- Selections from the Peshwa Daftar — Marathi