Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c48.s6: § 8. Topography of the Theatre of War at Lākheri
Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c48.s6
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§ 8. Topography of the Theatre of War at Lākheri
v4.c48.s6.1
This village of Balwān lies three miles south-east of the Indargarh Railway Station; Lākheri is situated six miles south-west of Balwān, under shelter of the long range of hills running north-eastwards from Kotā to Indargarh. As the modern traveller hurries by the Nāgdā-Muttrā Railway line from Sawāi Mādhopur towards Kotā, a gap in the line of hills on his right four miles south of the Indargarh station gives him a glimpse of the new city of Lākheri lying under a dark cloud of smoke from the many chimneys of its modern cement factory. A mile west of the factory area the old city of Lākheri nestles under the western hill range. In between the two cities, old and new, but a little to the north of them lies the lake of Lākheri, in a fork of the hills whose lower end has been dammed up with a wall. South of these towns, the country is level down to the Chambal and this side has been utilised by the branch railway line running to the cement factory. Through the gap east of Lākheri runs the modern road from that city to Indargarh in the north.
v4.c48.s6.2
This gap, about three furlongs in width is surrounded by a jungle tract, which begins some three miles from Balwān on the east and stretches up to the outskirts of Lākheri on the west. It is a broken ravine-scored area, covered with scrub jungle and thickets, composed mostly of *babul*, *nim*, dwarf tamarind and *ber*. The hill on the north or right hand of the pass was densely wooded up to its top.
v4.c48.s6.3
On the 1st of June, De Boigne started from the halting place of Balwān, after sending a message to his chief Gopāl Bhāu, saying, “The path leading to the pass of Lākheri is just wide enough for one cart, and the thick forest is unfavourable to cavalry movements. I am going alone with five battalions to cut down the jungle.” They agreed to the plan of clearing a path through the forest that day, and advancing with the full force to fight a pitched battle the next day. Therefore, after detaching De Boigne with his pioneers, the Maratha army rested in its camping ground at Balwān.
v4.c48.s6.4
After easily passing over three miles of open ground from Balwān, De Boigne placed his five battalions on guard and set the pioneers to work. As they advanced making a road and arrived near the mouth of the pass, they were suddenly assailed by a heavy fire of rockets and guns. The General climbed a tree to reconnoitre. There lay before him the entire army of Holkar spread out on the plain behind a marsh. The mouth of the pass was entrenched and held by a crowd of irregular infantry consisting of wild Gosāins and Bairāgis, or married monks fighting for hire; on their left stood Chevalier Dudrenec’s line of the four battalions of trained infantry he had raised for Tukoji Holkar. The second line of the enemy was formed by the Deccani horse, in three large divisions (5,000 to 7,000 each) which were led by Bāpu Holkar (right, with Kāshi Rao’s contingent), Parāshar Dādāji (centre, with Tukoji’s own contingent), and Malhar Holkar (left). These were formed in the open ground some distance behind the pass. The rear was made up of Holkar’s Pindhari horde (about eight to ten thousand strong) who were mere looters mounted on small ponies. Still further in the rear, close to the city lay the tents and baggage of this army.
v4.c48.s6.5
Dudrenec is said to have had only five guns of his own, against 80 under De Boigne, and the disparity in trained infantry was nearly fourfold, 1,600 men against 6,000. There were some old and very ineffective cannon with Holkar’s troops. The Gosāins and Bairāgis had some antiquated matchlocks, besides swords and spears. But their favourite weapon of offence was rockets, of which they had an ample supply carried in carts to the firing line; these could do no harm at all comparable to artillery fire, but they were chiefly useful in making unbroken horses stampede, and also in causing fires in the enemy’s munitions by a rare lucky hit.
v4.c48.s6.6
Gopāl Bhāu’s command included 20,000 cavalry of his own and De Boigne’s First Brigade, consisting of ten battalions (544 bayonets each), with 500 Ruhela infantry and a regiment of select cavalry (300 sabres) attached to it. He had 80 excellent light guns of improved French design, which fired smaller balls, but with the same range as his enemy’s heavier pieces. But his transport and supply system was a wonder for that age. Each light gun was drawn by 8 oxen and its separate munition-waggon by 12 oxen. Each battalion had attached to it five guns,—two of them three-pounders, two six-pounders, and one a caronade (8-pounder or larger). For each three-pounder gun 400 rounds, for each six-pounder 300 rounds, and for the caronade 45 rounds of grape and 12 shells, were carried into the field. To a regiment of cavalry were attached four three-pounder galloper guns, each drawn by two horses, with four camels each carrying 60 rounds for each galloper. Camels also transported water to the troops.