Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s3.1

v2.c27.s3.1

The war thus dragged on indecisively during the height of the rains, throughout the three months of July, August and September. Then when the river level began to fall and the uppermost course of the Ganges became fordable, Dattāji (about 20 October) detached ten thousand horse under Govind Ballāl to cross the river a little below Hardwār (32 miles north of Shukartal) and make a raid upon Najībābād, where Najib had built a city and fort and lodged his family as well as those of his followers and their property. Its only defender was his son Zābita Khan with a handful of troops, as all the military resources of Najib had been concentrated at Shukartal. The Maratha hordes, descending from the north-west, swept away the feeble defence of Sakalgarh, a half-way fort, and burst into the environs of Najībābād, plundering and burning. There was no field army of the Ruhelas to oppose them. But the Afghan clansmen of Rohilkhand proper, came forward under Sadullah Khan (Ali Muhammad Ruhela’s successor), Dundi and Hāfiz Rahmat, and held Najībābād in full strength. So, the light raiders shrank from approaching the city, turned back from Jalālābād, 8 miles west of Najībābād, and swerved south-westwards to the bridgehead opposite Shukartal, ravaging the defenceless country on the way. They captured about a hundred horses and even destroyed two boats of the bridge,—no very serious damage.