Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c54.s8.6

v4.c54.s8.6

Before this Shahāmat Khan had been plundering and burning the Junnar region for a week, and his roving bands had penetrated as far as Ganesh-Khind, (the present northern suburb of Punā). He now attacked the Sindhian column, between Nārāyangāon and Utur. On the first day (c. 5 Oct.), the Sindhian horsemen, marching several miles ahead of their infantry support, were driven back by the superior Pathān cavalry with the loss of some guns and baggage, and took refuge in the infantry encampment. That evening Jaswant himself arrived in the field. Next day the attack was pressed home, but Sindhia's firepower was incomparably superior, and after a close fight in which Shahāmat received a wound and a horse was shot under Jaswant, the Holkar force was driven back for six miles to Ojhār (5 miles s.e. of Junnar), abandoning three of its guns and one flag. Holkar then decided to break off the engagement and fall back eastwards (6 Oct.)* As a reporter in Sindhia’s camp wrote—"Holkar cannot advance before our guns, but Sindhia’s army, too, cannot pursue him on account of his superiority in cavalry".