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SEPTEMBER, 1887.)
THE REIGN OF AHMAD SHAH DURRANI.
271
Marathas, which was on the banks of the river wealth it contained. At the request of ImâdJamna, and began a fierce attack. In this u'l-mulk and of Suraj Mall, Afy Rahmat Khan they were, however, worsted, because being on thereon waited upon the Shah and craved pardon foot they were unable to resist the onslaught for their transgressions. Nawab Shuja'au'dof the Maratha and Jaţ cavalry, although they daula BabAdur and Nawab Ahmad Khan were too proud to confess it. On being in- Bangash likewise arrived from Farrukhabad to formed of what had happened to the Rohdlas, pay homage to Ahmad Shah, and by the abunAhmad Shah made haste to send numer- dance of his favonr he bestowed upon Shuji'an' ous cavalry reinforcements, and also arrived ddaula, for the bravery he had displayed with quickly himself. After taking cognizance of Nawab Najibu'ddaula in repelling the army of the position he ordered Shuhang Khan to Adina Beg Khân, the title of Farzand Khan. make an attack, which his men accordingly! The rainy season being imminent, Ahmad began by alighting from their camels and Shah marched to Anúpshahr, and encamped making a fence of them. By his orders also a there to spend it. When the Dakhanis heard detachment of the Ghulam Corps fired from of the death of Tatpål and of the defeat of another fording place of the river Jamnå at the Bâji RÂo, the smoke of astonishment rose in rear of the sangar, so that after a hot contest their brains, and most of their officers marched Tatpal was slain, Janka wounded, and the rest to annihilate Almad Shah, and to recover who had escaped the sword fled. On the other India, under the command of the Maratha hand, Imadu'l-Mulk Ghastu'ddin Khan Generalissimo Bhao (otherwise called Sadebecame so frightened that he evacuated Dehli | shiv], the cousin of Balaji Péshwa, and other and went the way of [sic] Suraj Mall Jat. chiefs, such as Wiswas Rao, son of Båji Râo, Ahmad Shâh, having thanked God, entered the and Janka Rao, Şubahdør of the province of city with flying colours ; but on account of the Bihår, and Shamsher Rao, a son of Baji Rao, want of discipline in the Afghan army, most of who was a Muslim, his mother having been of the bdzárs in Dehli were plandered, and dur- that religion,-and according to the law of the ing three days it seemed that the time of the Hindus, the offspring follow the faith of the last judgment had arrived. On the fourth, how-mother. With them were ten thousand cavalry ever, quarter was accorded to the surviving and ten Hazari paltans, nine of them consisting population,
of Englishmen who had come to India (!), also After the murder of Atxu'ddin Muham- Ibrahim Gardt with his brave soldiers and one mad [Alamgir II.) the khutba was read and thousand cannon and shahangs, most of the money coined in the name of his son, Gauhar artillerists being Faringis; also twelve thouShAh, whom Ahmad Shah Durrant sent for sand carts, patóbds, and others, infantry and and received with great kindness. Most of cavalry. The total number amounted to three the great Rajas of Hindustan, such as those of láchs, that is it say, three hundred thousand Jaipor, Marwar, and other provinces, when they men." When Ahmad Shâh heard of the arri. heard of the arrival of Ahmad Shah, sent val of the Marathas he was greatly perplexed, presents and paid allegiance. When he had but knowing that Qandahår was distant and arranged the affairs of those regions, he marched trusting in the all-forgiving mercy of Allah, with the army of Islam to annihilate Suraj he made his preparations for the war at the Mall Jat; and when he reached the fort of end of the rainy season and marched with Thabatgarh, which contained the treasury of the the Subahdars of Hindustán, in company with latter, and was surnamed by him Aramgarh, he Najibu'ddaula, and Afişu'l-Mulk, and Faistook it after a siege of sixteen days with all the u'llah Khan, the son of All Muhammad
* The account of W. Francklin differs considerably by Comger Cawn, the Zemindar of Moy, who had lately from the above, and is on p. 16-17 of his work given as Roaded from 1mprisonment and other malcontents, adfollows: "From Annoopshehr the Abdallee sent Nussuck. Venoed as far as Sasseram when he heard of his father's chees with letters to Alee Powher and Shuja Dowla offer. tragio end. He immediately on used a throne to be made, ing the throne to the former, and the vizarat to the lat- And assumed the imperial dignity, taking upon him the ter. They arrived first with [sic] Shuja Dowla, who name of Shah-Aulum." dismissed them with letters of his own to the prince, 10 "SAdipheo R&o, the cousin of the Peshw, called pressing him to seize the pocasion, and return to Hin- the Bhao, who had succeeded Raghunath Rao in the dostan. This prince had, notwithstanding his defeat command of the, Marktha armies, & command which last year, thought himself in a capacity thus to renew his Raghunath Rdo had thrown up in disgaat on being tated attempts upon the province of Behar, and being invited with having expended 80 lakhs in the conquest of the
