Advancing from Bengal by forced marches with a large army, which numbered more than one lak cavalry and infantry, Alī Vārdi Khān reached Mednīpūr, secured the adhesion of the Zamīndārs of that district by bestowing on them Khila‘ts and gifts, and encamped at Jalisar (Jalasore), which was an Imperial outpost. On the banks of the river Sabaurikha,* at the ferry of Rājghāt, Rājah Jagardhar Bhanj, Zamīndār of Morbhanj,* had established a garrison of his Chawārs and Khandaits, and had erected entrenchments. To cross, therefore, at the ferry of Rājghāt which was protected by dense jungles and thorny trees, was found to be a difficult operation, and therefore, Alī Vardī Khān had to ask for help from the Rājah. The Rājah, however, was haughty owing to his command of a large army, and did not care for Alī Vardī Khān. He refused to side with the latter, or to permit him to cross at the Rājghāt ferry. Alī Vardī Khān placing his artillery-waggons in front of the Rājghāt ferry, commenced bombarding it. The Rājah’s army were unable to hold the ground in their entrenchment, and fled to the jungles. Alī Vardī Khān with troops and artillery crossed over at Rājghāt, and encamped at Rāmchandarpur which was at a distance of one and a half karoh from Murshīd Qulī Khān’s encampment. Emissaries and envoys were busy for some days moving to and fro with messages of peace and war, and this sort of diplomatic parley lasted for one month. All this time Murshīd Qulī Khān* did not advance across the ferry of Phulwār. Having regard to the wasteful expenditure on account of a huge army thus locked up, and viewing the dearth of provisions, and apprehend­ing the approach of the rainy season as well as the raids of Mah­ratta freebooters, Alī Vardī Khān thought it expedient to patch up peace, and return. But Muṣtafā Khān, generalissimo of Alī Vardī’s Afghān contingent, not acquiescing in peace, suggested entrenchments being thrown up during the rains. After a Council of War, it was decided after much deliberation to send a soothing mes­sage to Murshīd Qulī Khān through a trustworthy envoy, who was instructed to get back a reply in the following form:— “I shall not allow you authority or possession over the Ṣūbah of Odīsah,” and then with this document to return to Bengal, and after the rainy season, again mobilising troops, to re-attempt Murshīd Qulī Khān’s subjugation. Although ‘Ābīd Khān and other Afghān Generals, owing to the sedition sown amongst them by Mukhāliṣ Alī Khān, treacherously advised Mīrzā Bāqir Khān, who com­manded the vanguard of Murshīd Qulī Khān’s army, to give battle by advancing out of the entrenchment, Murshīd Qulī Khān remained on the defensive, and dissuaded Mirza Bāqir from attempting a sally. But as the period of stay within entrenchments was tediously protracted, Mīrzā Bāqir, carried by his youthful impulsiveness, sallied out with his contingent composed of Syeds of Barha, and arrayed himself in battle-rank. Murshīd Qulī was, therefore, obliged to array his troops in front of Alī Vardī Khān’s army. On both sides, the battle opened with a cannonade, which was soon abandoned for a sword and spear-charge at close quarters. Murshīd Qulī Khān’s generalissimo, Mir Abdu-l-‘Azīz, who com­manded the van, and his devoted contingent of three hundred knights consisting of Syeds of Barha spurred on their chargers, exhibited feats of heroism and hereditary gallantry, and with the flashing of their lightning swords ignited the life-harvests of all whose moment for death had arrived. Before this gallant charge, Alī Vardī Khān’s soldiers, who had hitherto fancied themselves lions of the forest of bravery, fled like sheep from the battle-field, and met with a crushing defeat. The elephant on which Alī Vardī Khān with his Begam* was mounted, was withdrawn half a farsakh away from the battle-field. At this crisis, Mukhāliṣ Alī Khān and Ābid Khān surnamed Farzand Alī Khān, upon whose loyalty Murshīd Qulī Khān reposed implicit confidence, together with Muqarrab Khān and other Afghan generals, exhibiting treachery which is the characteristic of the Afghan race, effaced from the tablets of their hearts all the alphabets of obligations that had been engraved thereon by many years of shel­ter and salt-eating, deserted the side of Murshīd Qulī Khān, and retired from the battle-field. At this juncture, Mānikchand,* Peshkār of the Rājah of Bardwān, who had arrived with an appropriate auxiliary force to serve under Alī Vardī Khān, reflect­ing that results of war were dubious, and speculating about the future, covertly humoured Murshīd Qulī Khān, and asked for the latter’s flag of truce, in order to join him and exhibit self-sacrifice and loyalty. From a side of the forest, towards the direction whence the force of Mīrzā Bāqir Khān was marching in pursuit of Alī Vardī Khān, Mānikchand shewed himself, and displayed Murshīd Qulī Khān’s flag. Inasmuch as the afore­said Mīrzā was unaware of his aim, he opposed his progress. Mānikchand was obliged to fight. Mīrzā Bāqir’s efficient soldiers were already exhausted by warfare, so they fought in broken lines, and by the viccisitudes of times, the corps of Mīrzā Bāqir was defeated. Alī Vardī Khān, on being apprised of this, hurriedly collected his vanquished troops by use of persuasions, and a second time engaged in fighting. Mīr Abdu-l-‘Azīz and his corps, consisting of three hundred Syed knights, dismount­ing from their horses, and girding up their loins of bravery, marched to the battle-field, and one by one, all of them fell, being shot down by bullets fired by the Bhalīah corps. Murshīd Qulī Khān being thus defeated retired* to the Port of Balisar (Bala­sore), and there embarking on a sloop which had been kept ready from before, he sailed for the Dakhīn, and presented him­self before Nawāb Āṣaf Jāh.* A providential victory thus fell to the good fortune of Alī Vardī Khān Mahābat Jang. The latter pursued the vanquished army up to the Port of Balasore. From there, he detached Mīrzā Khairu-l-lah Beg, Faqīru-l-lah Beg, and Nūru-l-lah Beg to capture Yahyā Khān* and Murshīd Qulī’s Begam, and also to seize his treasures and chattels. Alī Vardī instructed them to proceed by forced marches, whilst he himself followed them on horse-back. When news of this affair and of Murshīd Qulī Khān’s retreat to the Dakhīn reached Katak (Cuttack), Mūrad Khān, the generalissimo of the Rājah* of Parsū­tam (Puri), who had been detailed for guarding Yahyā Khān and the Begam in the Fort of Barahbātī, planned to send instantly the Begam and Yahyā Khān together with all their chattels and treasures to the Dakhīn, by way of Sikākūl.* Baggages and equipages were kept ready, and jewelleries, gold coins, treasures, and other precious things were loaded on elephants, camels, and waggons, when all of a sudden the army of Alī Vardī Khān made its appearance. The elephant and camel-drivers, &c., leaving behind the loaded treasures and chattels with their baggages, fled, and all those treasures fell into the hands of the aforesaid Mīrzās, who divided the precious jewelleries, treasures, and other valuable wares amongst themselves.* Since Alī Vardī Khān also followed up subsequently, he captured the remaining treasures, and also confiscated other treasures of the adherents of Murshīd Qulī Khān. Issuing proclamations of peace and security, and employing reassurances and persuasions, Alī Vardī Khān won over to his side the Collectors, Zamīndārs and Officers of Orissa, and set about making settlement of the revenue, nazar, and tribute, as well as of the Jāgīrs. And in the course of one month, having finished the organisation and settlement of the Sūbah of Orissa, he entrusted the charge of that Province to Saīd Ahmad Khān, his nephew, who had previously served as the Faujdār of Rangpūr, procuring for him from the Emperor the title of Naṣīru-l-Mulk Saīd Ahmad Khān Bahādur Ṣaulat Jang. Alī Vardī Khān also left Gujar Khān, a Rohilla general, together with a contingent of three thousand cavalry and four thousand infantry, to be in attendance on Saīd Ahmad Khān at Katak (Cuttack). Alī Vardī Khān then returned, triumphant and victorious, to Bengal.

Ṣaulat Jang was of a churlish disposition and regulated himself by avarice. For effecting retrenchment in the military expendi­ture, he took into his service Salīm Khān, Darvēsh Khān, Nia‘mat Khān, Mīr A‘zīzu-l-lah and other generals, and sent back Gujar Khān* to Murshidābād, on the plea of smallness of the revenue of Katak. The aforesaid generals who were anxious to avenge the fall of their old master, Murshīd Qulī Khān, finding now an oppor­tunity, broke out into revolt. Ṣaulat Jang sent to them Qāsim Bēg, Superintendent of the Artillery, and Shaikh Hidāitu-l-lah, Faujdār (Magistrate) of Katak, for effecting the basis of a recon­ciliation. The Generals, who were seeking for an opportunity, finding the above two emissaries unescorted, slew Qāsim Bēg, whilst Hidāitu-l-lah, after receiving some wounds, made his escape. The citizens and soldiers en masse broke out into revolt, and under cover of the darkness of night they besieged Ṣaulat Jang, took him prisoner along with his followers and relations, and looted his treasures and effects. Then inviting over Mirza Baqir Khān, son-in-law of Murshīd Qulī Khān, from Sīkakūl across the Chilkah lake, they placed him on the masnad of the Nizāmat of Orissa, and advancing with their forces they conquered Mednīpūr and Hījlī.