Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c40.s6: § 2. Third stage of campaign: Muhammad Beg Hamadani's desertion; Sindhia retreats eastwards
Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c40.s6
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§ 2. Third stage of campaign: Muhammad Beg Hamadani's desertion; Sindhia retreats eastwards
v3.c40.s6.1
Muhammad Beg's defection enforced a total change of plan on Mahadji. He could not trust a single Hindustani soldier after this. It now became a question with him how to save his life and the honour of his women who had come with him. Even more painful was the blow to his prestige; a retreat into safety was still possible, but such a confession of failure would make him the laughing stock of Hindustan and of the Puna Court alike and dissolve his newly created power over the imperial Government. He therefore sent off urgent orders to Khande Rao Hari and Ambaji Ingle to hasten to his aid with their divisions and appealed to the Emperor to issue from Delhi and join his camp in order to lend the prestige of his name to his Regent's acts. He fell back from the neighbourhood of Sārsop to Piplāi, 15 miles south-east of Lalsot, arriving there on the 4th of June.
v3.c40.s6.2
As soon as the invading army began its retreat, the Rajputs advanced from Sanganer and and on the 10th of that month their Rajah occupied Madhogarh, 17 miles north-west of Lalsot. Two days later they pushed a strong detachment on to Daosa, thus blocking Sindhia's northern path of retreat, viâ Balahari and Dig, to Agra and Delhi, and menacing the kingdom of his ally the Rao Rajah of Macheri, which was thus laid utterly bare of defence.
v3.c40.s6.3
The Jaipur Rajah having come out of his capital gave Sindhia the opportunity of a fight in the open for which he had been longing. The Rao Rajah gave assurances that by a bold dash on the now poorly guarded Kachhwa capital the Marathas could seize it or secure its evacuation by corrupting its garrison. For a fortnight after Muhammad Beg's defection the enemy took no vigorous offensive, but wasted their opportunity in idle talk while their slender money resources were quickly drained and a quarrel broke out with their Rathor allies about the promised war expenses. [PRC. i. 115, 118, 119.]