Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c54.s5.2

v4.c54.s5.2

Jaswant Rao Holkar was too good a general to miss the opportunity presented by Daulat Rao’s imbecile strategy. He at once prepared to attack his enemy’s scattered detachments in detail. By-passing Ujjain at the furthest end of the Sindhian line as too isolated a post to cut his rear or to defend itself unless strongly reinforced in the meantime, Jaswant Rao swooped down upon MacIntyre at Newri on 25th June 1801. This detachment, only two battalions of infantry and five hundred horse, was hopelessly outnumbered by Holkar’s vast hordes, but it fought desperately, inflicting severe loss (magnified to over one thousand by the Sindhian news-writers) in Holkar’s ranks. When their ammunition was exhausted the sepoys laid down their arms. MacIntyre and his other two European officers were taken prisoners, and so also were Dāji Bābu Rām, Mulchand and Rāz Muhammad’s son. Holkar’s spoils amounted to 200 horses, 400 firelocks, and seven small guns.