But meanwhile the report spreading on the other side of the water, that the Marhattas had crossed over and slain three Rohillah Generals, a panic seized the troops of Zabeta-qhan and as they had already been severely handled by the Marhattas in their unfortunate stand against Ab8l-mans8r-qhan, they took fright and dispersed. Without seeing an enemy or even a couched spear, or a drawn sabre, they all fled from their camp, but retained still so much of the Rohillah in their very flight, as to fall The Rohil­las plunder each other and disperse. mercilessly upon each other, and to make booty of whatsoever they could lay their hands upon. This intelligence being carried to the garrison placed by Zabeta-qhan within Sukur-tal, the con­tagion seized them also, and they fell a plundering and killing each other; nor would they have forborne plundering Zabeta-qhan’s palace likewise, had they not been overawed by his presence as well as by a small number of his relations and kinsmen who put themselves upon their defence. After this fine performance, Strong intrenchments
of Sukur-tal abandoned by them. they set open the gates, and dispersed, every one intent solely on securing what booty he had made. Zebeta-qhan, confounded at such a reverse of fortune, sent word to Fateh-qhan to come over, as he wanted to speak to him immediately. This Fateh-qhan was a Rohillah Chieftain, who had come to his assistance of his own accord, and had encamped over against Sukur-tal. Fateh-qhan was thunderstruck with the general panic and deser­tion. He proposed to Zabeta-qhan to remain in the Fort as late as the dusk of the evening, and then to cross over to his camp, with what troops he could collect; after which they had no other party left than that of engaging for once the Marhattas in the field, and trying what fortune might produce in their behalf. Fateh-qhan being returned to his own camp, assembled his officers and relations, and imparted his resolution to them. But the effect made by his harangue is hardly credible. No sooner did these men hear of what had happened on both sides of the water, than they were seized themselves with a panic resembling a contagion, and quitting the assembly, they went home, collected their baggage, and dispersed every one his own way; and within an hour’s time no trace of that body of troops could be discovered all over the plain. Fateh-qhan without being dismayed, turned to his son, and bid him go over with some of the few troopers that remained, to bring away his brother who had been to see Zabeta-qhan. The young man mounted, with some horsemen, but was hardly arrived at the bridge, when the contagion seized his followers also, who fell upon their Lord and commenced stripping him. The young man returned without a turbant, and with his clothes torn upon his back. Fateh-qhan, finding that his case was desperate and past remedy, assembled a few troopers and servants, and putting himself at their head, he fled, resolved to retire to some place of safety. By the way, he alighted in a populous town; but here one of his men chancing to have a dispute with a grain merchant, the Rohillahs, always true to their national genius, went behind his shop, and set it on fire; and the fire communicating from near to near, consumed not only all the cahuts, but even the brick-houses and other soild buildings in the neighbourhood so effectually, that there did not remain so much as a trace of the town. A person of character, who was then with Fateh-qhan, used to recount that the multitude of those that fled, did not fall short of ten thousand horse and foot. And as they were passing by a field of Bid-andjir trees* that were now and then waving with the wind, that whole multitude stopped short, remained silent, and trembled in all its limbs, having taken the above field for a body of Marhatta spear men; nor did they recover their senses, but after some light horse had gone near and made their report; then only did those ten thousand armed men find courage enough to go on with their flight. Meanwhile Nedjef-qhan and the Marhattas finding no enemy in the field, marched into the country of Zabeta-qhan, and drew Zabeta-qhan undone. smoke from the breasts of his relations, family, and consorts, as well as from all the inhabitants. The Rohillah Prince, unable to make the least resistance, fled and took shelter in Shudjah-ed-dowlah’s country. The latter consented to become a mediator between the children of Hafyz-rahmet and the other Afghans on one hand, and Nedjef-qhan and the Marhattas, on the other. Luckily for the Afghans that great dissensions having at this very time arisen amongst the Marhattas themselves, those that were now at war with the Rohillahs received orders from P8nah to repair in all speed to Decan. Proposals of a pacification coming at such a conjuncture from. Shudjah-ed-dowlah, became A peace. The Marhat­tas retire. highly acceptable. A treaty was concluded, and they turned towards Shah-djehan-abad in their way to Decan. Mirza-nedjef-qhan returned with them; but the Marhatta Commanders had during this campaign conceived such a high opinion of his character, that in taking leave of the Emperor, they earnestly recommended him to his attention, and moreover appointed him their own Agent at his Imperial Court.

Nedjef-qhan, now raised very high both in consequence of the opinion the world had conceived of his character, and by the additional weight he derived from the Marhattas’ recommenda­tion, turned his thoughts towards the means of rising to the Projects and conquests of Nedjef-qhan. highest honors, and to the summit of power; and as he con­ceived that it would be good policy to keep fair with the Emperor and his Ministers, he resolved to make conquests in the neighbourhood of the Capital, in countries which seemed to acknowledge the Imperial authority, but where in fact it had not the shadow of power. He therefore asked and obtained the government of several Districts close to the Capital, possessed long ago by the Djatts, and where no officer and no collector from the Emperor had ever dared to shew his face. He after­wards called about his person a number of soldiers of fortune and other resolute men, to whom for the present he could afford but a small pay, but whom he rendered hearty and zealous, by promising them a share in the benefits of his future conquests, and the company of his person in every future danger. Having by these means assembled a good body of forces, he advanced at their head to the frontiers of Djatt country. But the son of S8r8dj-mull, who after having subdued all his brothers, was fully established in his paternal dominions, had been informed of Nedjef-qhan’s designs, and was prepared to encounter him in the field. He had a numerous army of Djatts, and was of late reinforced by the whole of Somro’s force, which amounted to fifteen or sixteen field-pieces, and six or seven thousand of those foot soldiers called Talinghas*, and which are armed with flint muskets, and accoutred as well as disciplined in the Fren­ghi or European manner. The two armies met in the territory of Kevol and Djalisser, close to the highroad that leads from Acber-abad to the Capital. As Nedjef-qhan’s troops were mostly raw soldiers, and this was the first action in which they had been engaged, some of them misbehaved and lagged behind, whilst those that attacked courageously were either slain or wounded. On the other hand, the Djatt cavalry lost some ground, and matters wore a bad aspect even in the Radja’s army, when Somro with his field-pieces and his musketry, making his appearance, sent amongst the enemy’s ranks such a shower of balls of all sorts, as gave them no time to recover their spirits, and to rally. All Nedjef-qhan’s efforts to bring his dismayed troops to the charge proved ineffectual. He was himself wounded in the arm by a musket-ball, which made him lose much blood. But there happening to be at hand a large well*, surrounded by a lofty rim of bricks, he retired behind it, staunched his blood, wrapped his arm with some linen, and then assembling some cavalry and some men of note that flocked round the well, he put himself at their head and returned to the charge, resolved not to survive a defeat. Those brave men having invoked together the name of God spurred their horses and rushed on a full gallop upon Somro’s dressed ranks. It happened by a particular interposition of the Divine assistance that these soldiers, that had hitherto cut so formidable a figure in Hindostan, were broke in an instant, and losing their wonted steadiness, they fled on all sides, with Somro at their head, leaving a full victory to Nedjef-qhan’s people. As soon as the Talinghas were perceived flying, whole squadrons of Nedej-qhan’s troops, that had heretofore fled from the field of battle, and had hitherto been mere spectators of the last charge, wheeling at once about, crowded round their General, and having now plucked fresh courage, they fell with fury upon both the runaways and upon that part of the Djatt cavalry that stood still to their ground; they mixed pell-mell with them, and gave the greatest part of the Djatt army for food to their famished sabres. A body of these, however, having got clear of the runaways, marched out of the field, with steady pace and a firm countenance, and returned to their homes with safety and honour.