Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c44.s3.20

v4.c44.s3.20

thousand. But mere numbers cannot truly indicate their loss. Not a house of note among the Rathor clan or their feudal retainers, but mourned the death of its head, and sometimes of the sons and nephews along with the head. Loyal retainers of lower rank lay clustering thick round the bodies of their chieftains or their chieftains' heirs, the foremost in the charge and the first to fall. The noblest among the noble slain were Mahesh-dās *Kumpū-ot* the chief of Āsop, and Shiv Singh *Chāmpā-ot* the chief of Auwā,—the latter being wounded all over his body and dying after a period of treatment. These had rallied the clansmen and led them on to a sure death after all had been lost save honour, and their official General Bhimrāj Singhavi had faltered.* The band of monks who bore the first brunt of De Boigne's attack, sacrificed 40 Rāmānandi *bhagats* and 50 Vishnuswāmi *bairāgis*. Muslim mercenaries (retainers of Ala Yār Beg and Shaikh Imām Ali) though in small numbers, also paid the price of their loyalty to their salt.