Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c53.s3.18

v4.c53.s3.18

With his force swollen to about 20,000 men (mostly cavalry), Lakhwā Dādā began the war in the true Marātha style, moving rapidly over the districts of Mālwā and levying contributions from the towns and plundering the villages in Daulat Rao’s dominions. Bālā Rao Inglé was hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched, as he had only two infantry battalions and guns but no cavalry; he could only keep himself on the defensive, and run the risk of being starved. In the Rāghogarh country two detachments sent by Ambāji, one under his brother Bālā Rāo and the other under his son Bhāu, were defeated and scattered by Jagu Bāpu (middle of January.) Ambāji poured more troops into Mālwā to save the situation, but his forces were unprofitably dispersed, and his main army was involved in the siege of Datiā.