Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c54.s5.10

v4.c54.s5.10

After nightfall Jaswant himself, from his base two miles behind, rode up to his vanguard (under the command of Kushābā Bakhshi) which was facing Hessing's post. During the night Mir Khan's corps and Holkar's two brigades called the Plumet Campoo (commanded by M. Fleury) and the Maharaj Campoo (commanded by Harnāth chelā) were pushed up to the front, and they entrenched themselves, blockading the enemy's position. Jaswant held a council of war with his commanders and matured the plan of attack. Next morning the fighting was renewed. Holkar's infantry was repulsed and had to flee for shelter to Mir Khan. The Pathan horse charged, but were driven back by discharges of grape. Then the rain burst "like Noah's flood". The blinding showers stopped the firing of muskets and cannon; the superiority of fire arms and discipline was wiped out; the ground turned into a quagmire. Seizing this opportunity, Jaswant Rao gave his pre-concerted signal by firing a rocket. The Pathans, the Deccani horse, and the Pindharis swarmed in thousands upon Hessing's corps, whose useless flint-locks were no match for their enemy's long spears. But Hessing's sepoys fought with desperate courage to the end, as Jaswant himself admits in his report. Out of a force of six infantry battalions and 3,000 to 3,500 Maratha horse on Sindhia's side, two thousand men were reported as killed or wounded. The Deccan horse managed to escape, but the battalions were cut up. "Of the twelve European officers, eight were killed and three wounded and taken prisoner, Hessing alone escaping. Chinto Atmārām was reported as killed. Thirty pieces of cannon and all the camp and stores of Hessing fell into the victor's hands. But the strong will of Jaswant Rao kept his soldiery from sacking the rich capital of Sindhia. Sir John Malcolm rightly praised "the order Jaswant Rao had established and the vigour of his character, (as proved by) the fact that Ujjain was not plundered after this success, but he reserved it from his troops to exact a heavy contribution himself from its wealthy inhabitants" (Central India, 2nd ed. i. 215).