Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c36.s3: § 5. Rainy season; sufferings of the imperial camp
Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c36.s3
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§ 5. Rainy season; sufferings of the imperial camp
v3.c36.s3.1
And now the rains set in with more than usual violence, turning the camping ground on the eastern bank of the Krishni into a vast quagmire and causing indescribable distress to the royal officers bred up in long years of ease and luxury. The enemy took advantage of the internal dissensions among the Mughals and their water-logged position, and one night in the midst of a shower the Sikh horsemen forded the river near Thana Bhawan and broke into the Mughal camp, penetrating close to the Emperor's own tents. It was only the guns of the Red Paltan (imperial guards) that repulsed them.
v3.c36.s3.2
But the locality was untenable. So, Shah Alam moved (4th—13th July) on to the western bank of the Krishni, to the higher ground south-west of Jalalabad, that is, facing the western side of the triangle instead of the southern, with two marshes guarding his rear and right flank. Day after day the exultant Afghans used to make sorties and engage the Mughals without any result except that of harassing the invaders and denying them rest, though with heavy slaughter to their own side whenever they ventured within too close a range of the well-served Mughal artillery.
v3.c36.s3.3
Najaf on his part made one night attack, sacking an Afghan village and returning without loss.
v3.c36.s3.4
The war had now reached the point of stalemate, and peace parleys were opened from the imperial side. But though Zābita himself was ready to make terms, his uncles and their veteran followers, intoxicated by their recent successes, refused to yield an inch and sent the envoys back with defiance to a combat à l'outrance.
v3.c36.s3.5
The invaders were now themselves beleaguered. Their sufferings from the monsoon were so great and their supply of provisions was so reduced by the Afghan roving bands and private highwaymen that many old officials and hereditary servants of State began to sneak away to Delhi. Imperial authority collapsed with the fall of the military prestige of the Government, and public disturbances broke out throughout the country. A large convoy of grain, loaded on pack-oxen, when coming from Delhi was hemmed round by the Sikh allies of Zābita Khan, but on the news reaching the Emperor in good time he detached his Maratha auxiliaries (under Wāgh Rāo) to rescue them, and at the same time sent a strong force under Najaf Quli and Latāfat Ali to raid the Sikh camp below Thana Bhawan which was now defenceless in consequence of the march of the men to intercept the convoy. The perfect timing of these two enterprises led to their complete success; Wāgh Rāo safely escorted the grain porters to camp, while the other detachment looted and burnt the Sikh tents without opposition (circa 3rd August.) The Sikhs, after losing all their camp and property, abandoned the south-western corner and moved further north towards Jalalabad. Then Zābita sued for peace (12th August), but his uncles again overbore him.
v3.c36.s3.6
Meantime Mirzā Najaf had been utilising the monsoon respite to seduce Zābita’s allies and to call up heavy reinforcements to his own side. The Sikhs refused to break their faith to the Ruhela chief for money, but the Orakzai Pathan zamindars of Jalalabad,—Dilāwar Ali and Qalandar Ali,—who feared the annexation of their city by Zābita, yielded to Mughal gold and secretly promised to come over to Mirzā Najaf if he attacked the trenches near Jalalabad (the northern end), of which they were the guardians.