Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c55.s12: § 14. George Thomas attacked by Perron, his defeat and death
Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c55.s12
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§ 14. George Thomas attacked by Perron, his defeat and death
v4.c55.s12.1
Next month he was out again, levying contribution on Jind, and in early June made his way to the Ghaghar in order to raid Patiālā territory beyond that river. But now a mightier opponent appeared on the scene. General Perron, whom Daulat Rao Sindhiā had made his supreme commander in North India, was now eager to consolidate his power by crushing out all his rivals, of whom Thomas was the last. Bhāg Singh of Jind bought the support of Perron (June) and that French General promised subsidies to other Sikh sardars for a coalition against their common enemy George Thomas. Thus the Irish adventurer had to abandon his vaunted plan for annexing the Panjab, leave Kāithal, and return to Hānsi (early in July 1801.) A compromise between Perron and Thomas was attempted by mutual friends, and the two met together at Bahādurgarh on 19th August; but the attempt failed, as Perron was obdurate in his Anglo-phobia and the Irish adventurer was equally bitter towards all Frenchmen.
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Perron was now concentrating overwhelming force for crushing George Thomas and also succeeded in seducing most of his unpaid troops. Thomas was hopelessly outmatched and his fall was as meteoric as his rise. Early in September 1801, Perron sent Major Louis Bourquien, with ten battalions of sepoys, 3,000 cavalry, and 500 Ruhelā Ali Ghol to attack Thomas, who was then out plundering Jind. The Irishman retreated, avoiding an engagement. A detachment of Perron’s army under L. F. Smith and E. Felix Smith, laid siege to Georgegarh, a fort built by G. Thomas eight miles west of Jhajhar and named after himself. Thomas advanced from Hānsi to the relief of the fort, and after a forced march surprised, defeated and dispersed the weaker force of the besiegers (on 29th Sept.). The two Smiths escaped and joined Bourquien who was coming up to their support. Thomas started for return to Hānsi, but was interrupted by Major Bourquien, on the 1st of October, when a severe but indecisive action was fought with about 600 casualties on each side.
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There are great discrepancies in the details and dates of this campaign between the statements of Resident Collins's news-agents in Delhi which he reported *immediately* to the Governor-General and the story told by Thomas himself (or written down by his Persian clerks) for Francklin in Benares about July 1802. George Thomas was illiterate, he kept no diary or other *contemporary* record of his campaigns, and his Persian *munshis* might be set against the same class of reporters in the service of Collins. But about the dates I have followed Thomas, (*e.g.*, Collins puts the second battle in the *afternoon of the same day*, *viz.*, 29th September, and Francklin in the afternoon of 1st October). The details of movements and casualties also differ widely, but in the case of the last I believe in Collins.
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But the swarms of Sikh horsemen who flocked to Bourquien's side, surrounded the camp of Thomas, two miles south of Jhajhar, so that his provisions ran short and "flour began to sell at eight seers for a rupee." George held out manfully against growing difficulties and desertions, but at last finding his post untenable he fled away from the camp in the night of 10th November with his cavalry only. But the whole of his artillery and baggage was captured and his abandoned sepoy battalions were stripped of their arms and property by the victor, who secured Georgegarh.
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Bourquien pursued Thomas to Hānsi and invested the place. The Irish chief was now without money, men, or faithful followers (except a handful of Rajputs), with daily mutiny among his famished troops; at last he surrendered himself to Bourquien on 23rd December 1801, and his capital opened its gates* to Perron's men. He was allowed to depart for British India, and reached Anupshahar early in January 1802. Setting out on return home in the next rainy season, he had reached Berhampur in Bengal, when death put an end to his ambitions and sorrows on 22nd August, 1802.
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∗ Bourquien secured the persons of Thomas and his European officers on 23rd Dec. and the city of Hānsi at the same time. The fort of Hānsi held out till the 29th of that month. Collins to Governor General, 28 Dec. 1801 and 8 Jan 1802. Francklin, Chap. XIV.