Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c36.s3.6

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.