Save and except his Georgian and Abyssinian slaves and a few of his old comrades, not one out of the numerous mock-heroes remained to cover Sarfarāz Khān’s elephant. The elephant-driver perceiving that victory had declared itself for the enemy, said to Sarfarāz Khān:— “If it be your Highness’s pleasure, I shall carry you to Bīrbhūm to the Zamīndār, Badī‘u-z-zamān.” Sarfarāz Khān, striking the elephant-driver a blow on the neck, retorted: “Tie the chain round the feet of the elephant, as I will not retreat before these dogs.”* The elephant-driver was obliged to drive on his elephant. The Barqāndāzes and the Bhalīahs of the enemy’s Army, who had from before ranged themselves like a ring round Sarfarāz Khān’s tent, discharged from all sides cannon-shells on his ele­phant; and over and above, rockets and cannon-balls, arrows and muskets were showered incessantly by the hostile army. Mīr Gadāī, who was a special favourite of Sarfarāz Khān, was shot down by a rocket. MīrKāmil, brother of Mīr Muhammad Bāqir surnamed Bāqir A‘lī Khān (nephew of Shujā‘u-d-daulah), and a young unmarried boy of Mīrzā Muḥammad Irāj Khān Bakhshi, and other personal attendants, including Bahrām, Sa‘īd and other slaves, who had not fled from the battle-field, were hit by rockets, cannon-shells and bullets, and fell right in front of Sarfarāz Khān’s elephant. Mīrzā Irāj Khān was also mortally wounded. Mīr Diler A‘lī gallantly attacked the Afghan column of A‘lī Vardī Khān, exhibited feats of prowess and bravery, but receiving sword-cuts gallantly fell with a number of his comrades.

At this moment, Sarfarāz Khān himself was hit on the forehead by the bullet of a gun shot by a traitor from his own camp, and was felled on his elephant-litter,* and the bird of his soul flew to Heaven. As soon as they saw this mishap, Mīr Habīb, Murshid Qulī Khān, Shamshir Khān Qurāishī (Faujdār of Silhaṭ) and Rājah Ghandrab Sīngh, who with their forces stood aloof at a distance from the battle, and were silent spectators of the scene, took to their heels. Mīr Haidar Shāh and Khwājah Basant who clung to each other, and were hiding themselves in a Rath,* fled without even casting a glance at the corpse of their master.

In the cover of the darkness of the night, and deceived by the ruse of the Royal Standard and the Elephant being displayed by the Division under Nandlāl Jama‘dār, Ghaus Khān and Mīr Sharfuddin mistook the latter for Mahābatjang, and commenced fighting. By means of Rustam-like onslaughts and brave assaults, they killed Nandlāl, and cut him up with their swords. Routing those who escaped the sword, they captured the Standard, kettle-drum, elephants, camels, horses and armaments, and then they marched swiftly to enquire about Sarfarāz Khān. Though Sar­farāz Khān had fallen, on seeing those two brave Generals, Mahā­bat Jang did not stir from the field, but with his force which was more numerous than ants and locusts remained stationary and motionless on the battle-field. Those two Generals had yet received no tidings of the fall of Sarfarāz Khān, and, therefore, with a small force of veteran heroes comprising their sons, brothers, kinsmen and companions, they bravely spurred on their chargers, fiercely assaulted Alī Vardī Khān’s army, broke through its ranks, and heroically dashed up to its centre. The army of Mahābat Jang was about to reel from the blows of those lions of the forest of warfare, when Ghaus Khān received on the breast mortal wounds from the bullets of Chidan Hazārī’s musketeers, and fell. Ghaus Khān’s two sons, Qutb and Babar, who were veritable tigers of the forest of bravery, and who on hunting-grounds were wont to slay lions with swords, unsheathed their swords, and killed a large number of Afghāns and Bhalīahs.*

Chīdan Hazārī also received sword-cuts at their hands. After much slaughter and daring, being hit by the bullets of mus­kets, Qutb and Babar fell like brave martyrs, and joined their gallant father in his journey to Eternity. Mīr Sharfu-d-dīn with seven brave cavaliers galloped right up to Mahābat Jang, and with great agility shot at the latter’s breast a heart-piercing arrow, which, however, grazed against the bow of Mahābat Jang, and piercing through lodged itself in the latter’s side-ribs. Mīr Sharfu-d-dīn had pulled another arrow towards the bow-string, when Shāikh Jahān Yār and Muḥammad Ẕulfuqār, Mahābat Jang’s Generals, who were old friends of the Mīr, came forward and said: “Nawāb Safarāz Khān has fallen, what can you gain now by continuing the contest and sacrificing your life”? The Mīr bravely replied: “Hitherto I fought from a sense of loyalty for the salt* I had eaten, and from a sense of comradeship, but now I fight to maintain my honour.” These two Generals stood sureties for the security of his honour, and pulled him back. Then the Mīr with his followers set out for Bīrbhūm. Notwithstanding that his gunners had run away, Pancho Ferengi,* Superintendent of Sarfarāz Khān’s artillery, served his guns and bravely stuck to them, and kept up an incessant cannonade. After Mīr Sharfu-d-dīn’s withdrawal, the Afghāns in large numbers attacked Pancho, and killed him. Bājī Singh, a Rajput General, who with the rear-guard was at Khamrah, on receiving news of his master’s fall, felt his sense of honour aroused. Alone spurring on his horse and placing his spear on his horse’s right ear, by brave onslaughts, he dashed through the enemy’s force to a point where Mahābat Jang stood. With one stroke of his sharp spear, Bājī Singh attempted to hurl the latter down from his elephant-saddle and to despatch him to the next world, to be a companion there of his fallen master. Mahābat Jang made him out on seeing his heroism and agility, and ordered Daur Qulī Khān, superintendent of the artillery, to quickly oppose him. Daur Qulī Khān encountering him shot a bullet through his breast, and Bājī Singh being mortally wounded fell on the ground.* Zālim Singh, Bājī Singh’s son, aged nine years, with that inherent bravery which is characteris­tic of the Rājpūt race, unsheathed his sword from the scabbard, and stood up to guard his father. People from all sides surrounded him like a ring. Nawāb Mahābat Jang, on seeing the daring of that boy, applauded him, and forbade the people from killing him, and ordered them not to oppose the removal of his father’s corpse. The artillery-men helped in the removal of Bājī Singh’s corpse, and carried along with it Zālim Singh on their shoulders. During the fightings of Ghaus Khān, Mīr Sharfu-d-dīn, Bājī Singh and Pancho Ferengī, both the sons-in-law of Sarfarāz Khān, named Ghazanfar Ḥusain and Ḥasan Muḥammad, together with other Manṣabdārs and vanquished soldiers, had fled from the battle-field, and had in one day marched back to Murshidabād. And the Rāi Rāiān Alam­chand, by way of retribution for his treachery, received an arrow-shot on the hand from a cross-bow, plunged into the river, and half-dead reached his house. Repenting of his disloyal treachery, he committed suicide* by swallowing diamond-filings. In short, when Sarfarāz Khān was felled on his elephant-litter, the ele­phant-driver carried his corpse swiftly to Murshidābād. Yāsīn Khān, Faujdār of Murshidābād, who together with Ḥāfizu-l-lah Khān, son of Sarfarāz Khān, had been left to guard the City, the Citadel and the Nawāb’s family, buried at midnight the corpse of Nawāb Sarfarāz Khān at Naktākhalī. Ḥāfizu-l-lah and Ghazan­far Ḥusain hurriedly threw up entrenchments, and prepared to fight. They, however, received no encouragement from the van­quished troops, and therefore abandoned their plan of fighting, and tendered their submission to Alī Vardī Khān. This Revolution in the Government threw the City, as well as the Army and the people of Bengal, into a general and deep convulsion. Ḥājī Aḥmad first* entering the city of Murshidābād, proclaimed peace and security on behalf of Alī Vardī Khān. Yāsin Khān Faujdār, under the order of the Ḥājī, set guards on Sarfarāz Khān’s trea­sury and family, officers and servants, as well as on his Seraglio, so that none could escape. This battle* of Gheria took place in 1153 A.H.