Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s12.51

v2.c28.s12.51

In December 1766, Raghunath finally gave up the hopeless Gohad business and approached the Chambal for opposing Jawahir, who began to sue for terms through Ramkrishna Mohant and Umrao-gir Gosain. The parley dragged on and no tribute was paid, though the captive captains of Malhar were set free, as a friendly turn (c. 15 Dec.) A personal interview arranged between Jawahir and Dada fell through, because of Jawahir’s fear of treachery. Suspecting that his Gosain generals had secretly gone over to the Maratha interests,—they had in fact been entreating Dada to take them into his pay,—Jawahir in the night between 23rd and 24th December made a sudden attack upon the Gosain camp; some six hundred of their men were slain, but Umaro-gir, Anup-gir and Mirza-gir the three chiefs managed to escape with only 300 troopers across the Chambal and took refuge in the Maratha camp. Jawahir refused to visit Dada’s camp lest his fugitive Nāgās should attack him by surprise. So, next day, the Jat Rajah turned his face from Dholpur to his own capital, while Dādā marched away towards Kerauli. By escheating the Gosains’ property in Bharatpur Jawahir gained 30 lakhs.*