Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c47.s2.21

v4.c47.s2.21

When Mahādji reached Sambhar (c. 20 December 1790), a Jodhpur envoy waited on him, offering to pay 50 lakhs (minus the value of the crops damaged in the war, the spoils taken from Mertā town, and the plunder made by Sindhia’s troops on the way), and to restore Ajmer fort. When this envoy came back to Jodhpur with permission for clearing certain points, the Rajah called up Ismail Beg from Nāgor to his side and got ready for fighting. But the Rathors were very much afraid of artillery fire,—as the Maratha envoy reported,—this lesson having been burnt into their memory by the slaughter at Mertā. At the same time a long continued drought and severe famine was desolating Marwar and the people were migrating elsewhere to escape starvation. It became impossible to provision Mahādji’s armies in Rajputana (*DY*. S.I.)