History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s3.21

v3.c33.s3.21

As stated above, Firishta places this battle near Peshawar and some native writers even state that it was fought between Peshawar and Jamrud where is a plain extensive enough for a fight between armies numbering at least a lakh on either side. The Attock and Rawalpindi Gazetteers, however, place it in the plain of Chhachh on the east side of the Indus near Hazro. Indeed the geography primer for Attok District now taught in Vernacular schools therein states distinctly that the battle was fought near Hazro. We personally saw this plain and the town of Hazro and we think that this surmise of the Gazetteers may be accepted. On what authority this statement is based cannot be ascertained. Utbi mentions a river Wamand at which the Sultan arrived. As there is no river of this name in Peshawar district, we may read here river (Indus) near Wahind. The similarity between this battle and the battle of Panipat in 1761 A. D. which has been already noticed suggests that Mahmud crossed the river Indus himself as Abdali did the Jumna lower down while Bhausaheb was thinking of crossing the Jumna higher up and meeting Abdali in Antarbed. Probably Anandpala advanced from the south as far as Hazro and wished to cross the Indus himself at Wahind. The sketch map, given here, of the