Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c30.s3.14

v2.c30.s3.14

On 21st March the prince removed his camp to Jafar Khan's garden, east of Patna city. Ram Narayan, being now informed of the English army's approach under Clive himself, turned out the prince's tribute-collectors and shut the city gates in defiance. Immediately Md. Quli Khan marched out to assault the city (23rd March), but returned at the end of the day after doing nothing. The shots from the fort-walls, also, passed over the heads of his crowded ranks hitting none! This siege of Patna ended in total failure. On 3rd April M. Jean Law, invited from Chhatrapur, reached Shah Alam’s camp. Next day, the prince made a desperate assault on Patna, but it was repulsed with a loss of 200 slain, though one old bastion of the city wall (near Mahdiganj) collapsed. Next morning during a council of war, Md. Quli Khan became highly angry with the prince, who was secretly trying through Yahiya Khan (son of Zakariya Khan of Lahor) to make terms with Ram Narayan. The prince personally went to his general’s tent and pacified him. But next day news arrived that an English army was on the way, and had already crossed the frontier post of Bihar (Sakrigali.) An advanced detachment from it by rapid marching entered Patna on the 5th. So, the prince decamped towards the south. On the 20th he learnt that Shujā had seized Allahabad fort by treachery four days earlier. Md. Quli immediately (23rd) set out for his province, leaving the prince, who sought the help of Pahlwān Singh, zamindar of Bhojpur (27 April.) But Ram Narayan with the Bengal army under Miran raided Pahlwān Singh’s country (10 May) and after a long fight defeated him and his patron, putting both to flight.