Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s9.1

v2.c27.s9.1

Leaving Sindhkhed about 25th March the Maratha grand army reached Burhānpur on the Tapti on 4th April, crossed the Narmadā at Handiā on the 12th, and by way of Sihor (c. 24 April) and Bersiā (c. 28 April) arrived at Sironj on 6th May. Here he received from the Peshwā bankers' bills for Rs. 1,88,000 payable at Ujjain and Indor, and halted for some days to cash them and also to receive intelligence from the north by which to shape his future movements. He had started on this campaign almost at a day's notice; he had not studied this scene of action before; he had never served in Northern India and had no knowledge of its people and their manners, the climate and face of the country, its leading men and political problems. He was quite in the dark even as to the respective positions and strength of the rival forces north of the Chambal, beyond the bare fact that Abdālī was sitting astride the Jamunā, in possession of the upper Doab and Delhi city, while the remnant of the Maratha army of Hindustan was dispersed somewhere in the Jāt kingdom and the Etāwa district in the middle Doab. He could not even decide for himself what was the best route to take across Mālwa, or where to strike the Chambal, or whether he should first enter the Agra district west of the Jamunā or the Doāb east of that river.