Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s22.10

v2.c27.s22.10

But as the blood of the Maratha centre was being more and more drained and a smaller and still smaller wave came up on each successive counter-attack under the Bhāu, the eagle eye of Ahmad Abdali seized the situation at a glance; now was the time to launch his most deadly weapon, so long kept in reserve for such a moment. He sent three squadrons* of his favourite slave corps to fire upon the Bhāu’s division and envelop it from three sides. "One squadron of slaves . . . came up from the right and after firing off their muskets went away to the left. Another squadron which came up from the left, after emptying their fire-arms galloped away to the right. The third squadron, advancing from the front, discharged their pieces at the Bhāu’s vanguard and then wheeled to the rear. Before the enemy could recover from the shock, these men had loaded their muskets again and arrived, the left squadron on the right wing and the right squadron on the left wing, while the squadron that had been originally in front fell on the rear. During this circular manoeuvre, they quickly discharged their muskets from one side and went off to the other. It looked as if on all four sides troops were attacking the Marathas simultaneously..... Their firm stand was swept away..... Their vanguard retreated and mingled with the division under the Bhāu himself, and great confusion arose.... The Maratha soldiers who had been spread over the field now drew together into a knot at their centre." [Nur-ud-din, 48b-49a.] Every Afghan bullet found its billet in that dense enemy mass around which the attacking horsemen revolved in circles.