Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s3.29

v2.c27.s3.29

Here Sābāji was surprised at his post on 9th January 1760. Najib crossed the river unperceived and arrived at the western side of the island about three hours after daybreak, his own Ruhelas leading the van and the Durrāni supports bringing up the rear. The island was impossible for cavalry action ; the Ruhela chiefs came mounted on elephants, with their light artillery (swivel-guns) tied to the sides of these beasts for convenience of crossing. To the Maratha patrol at the Barāri-ghāt, the sky above the *jhāu* bushes on the western edge of the island suddenly became alive with the fluttering pennons of the Indo-Afghan infantry, every officer of which, however humble, carried a banner of his own. Sābāji immediately engaged the enemy, but was driven back by the pressure of numbers and the dominance of musketry fire over sword and spear, across the *nālā* to the Barāri side, with heavy slaughter. He had waged this losing combat for an hour, when reinforcements came up from the rear, three miles away, under Dattāji himself, to restore the battle. The new-comers charged at the gallop and forced the victorious Ruhelas back over the *nālā*. A small band of Marathas advanced before the rest and pressed the counter-attack to the very edge of the island. At their head rode a very dark short and thickset man, barely forty years of age, who was foremost in darting his spear at the enemy. This seasoned warrior could no more restrain himself amidst the din of battle than an old war-horse that hears the trumpet note to charge. He was too good a target to be missed by the Ruhela sharpshooters lying concealed among the *jhāu* bushes with loaded muskets. As his horse was ploughing its way up the loose sand on the further bank of the *nālā*, the Afghan *jizails* rang out at point-blank range and Dattāji fell down with a bullet through his eye.* With him fell many of his brave companions. At this psychological moment, Najib charged with fresh troops into the mingled mass of Afghan infantry and Maratha horsemen in the bed of the *nala*. Once again the tide of battle turned against the Deccanis ; they fled away giving up their chieftain's body to crows and jackals ; Sābāji's entire contingent was destroyed, though he himself escaped. As Dattaji lay on the ground, Miān Qutb Shah cut his head off and took it to Abdali.