Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c47.5

v4.c47.5

Just at this time, the Maratha siege of Ajmer (a fort in Jodhpur hands) drove Rajah Bijay Singh to enlist the services of Ismail Beg by promising to bear all the expenses of his army. So, Ismail left Jaipur and joined the Marwār army gathering at Nāgor, intending to complete his preparations there, reinforce the main Jodhpur army then guarding Mertā, "the Gateway to Marwār", and advance in full strength to raise the siege of Ajmer. But Gopāl Bhāu and De Boigne anticipated him, and crushed the Rāthor army at Mertā (10th September) without giving the troops at Nāgor time to come to its aid.