Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c42.21

v3.c42.21

On 14th July the Ruhelas crossed the river at Barāri Ghāt, in the north of Delhi fort, at three quarters of the day. The imperial army was sent forth to oppose them. But treason had done its work; Badal Beg and his Mughalias went over to the enemy; and then the loyal Hindu generals, Himmat Bahadur and Ravloji Sindhia, also withdrew from their positions to avoid being caught in a trap. That very night these two retreated to Faridabad, 17 miles south of Delhi, and the capital lay defenceless. On the 18th the Afghan-Hamadāni army took full possession of the city. But the palace-fort could still have held out, as it was garrisoned by the loyal Red Battalion (Lāl Paltan.) Resistance within its impregnable walls could have allowed time for an adequately strong army to come up from Mahadji’s camp to its relief. But the imperial cause was ruined by the treachery of the nāzir.*