The news of the approach of the Katak army threw Bengal into commotion. Alī Vardī Khān, on the occurrence of this disaster, mobilised an immense army equipped with a battering artillery, and then set out for Katak, in order to relieve Ṣaulat Jang and re-conquer Orissa. By forced marches, scouring through Bardwān, he encamped on the outskirts of Mednīpūr. On receiving news of the approach of Mahābat Jang, the Katak army,* which was spread at Hijli and Mednīpūr, concentrated at Mednīpūr and Jalisar, next crossed over at the ferries of Rājghāt and Phulwar, and then encamped* at the Port of Balasore. The soldiers of Mirza Baqir, who had previously received arrow-shots at the hands of the Bhalīahs, suddenly lost heart, and sending all their baggages to Sikākul remained unencumbered. When Mirza Baqir came to know of the disloyalty and cowardice of his soldiers, ostensibly he gave out that he contemplated advancing against the enemy, but in reality he planned to withdraw to the Dakhin. Whilst completing his arrangements for withdrawal to the Dakhin, he detached a force to Chaprah* ghat, which is the ferry of the river Mahāndi and is situate midway the town of Katak. And he himself with Ṣaulat Jang, &c., and a number of other captives together with tents, &c., crossed the river Katjurī. Mahābat Jang was encamped on the banks of the river Kamharīah,* at a distance of forty Karoh from Katak, and there at midnight messengers bought him news of Mirza Baqir’s flight. Immediately summoning Mīr Muḥam­mad Ja‘far the generalissimo, Muṣtafā Khān, Shamshir Khān, Sardār Khān, ‘Umar Khān, Buland Khān, Sirāndāz Khān, Balisar Khān and other Afghān generals, and holding a Council of War, Alī Vardī that very night with their concurrence despatched them expeditiously under the command of Mīr Ja‘far Khān to pursue Mirza Baqir Khān. Soon after, Alī Vardī Khān himself with the remainder of his army set out. When the aforesaid generals with their army arrived five karoh from Katak, Mīrza Baqir Khān being apprised placed Ṣaulat Jang in a fringed Rath, placed in it Ḥājī Muḥammad Amīn, brother of Murshid Qulī Khān, with a drawn dagger, to be his companion and attendant, and also set two armed horsemen on two sides of the Rath, with instructions that should the army of Mahābat Jang overtake them, they should instantly hack up Ṣaulat Jang with daggers and spears and on no account should let the latter escape. And Mirza Baqir himself mounted a horse, and along with the Rath contain­ing Ṣaulat Jang he left the La‘l Bāgh* Palace situate in the city of Katak, and arrived at Malīsār.* At this time, Balisar Khān with fifteen horsemen, who were his comrades, came up. The flags carried by the cavalry were visible in the forest. By chance, at that time, from the excessive heat of summer, Ṣaulat Jang changing his seat inside the Rath sat in the place where Ḥājī Muḥammad Amīn had hitherto sat, and gave his own seat to the Ḥājī. At the very sight of the flags of Balisar Khān’s cavalry, the two armed horsemen who rode alongside the Rath tḥrust their spears through the Rath— screen, wounded Hājī Muḥammad Amin whom they mistook for Ṣaulat Jang, and fled. As fate would have it, as soon as the spear-thrust pierced the Hājī’s hand and shoulder, the Hajī’s dagger fell from his hand, and shouting out, “you have killed me; you have killed me,” the Hājī* tumbled down inside the Rath. Ṣaulat Jang, the cup of whose life was not yet full to the brim, remained unscathed. When the Afghān troops were busy looting the vanquished, Mīr Muḥammad Ja‘far Khān Bahādur and Muḥammad Amīn* Khān Bahādur, with a few men fell in with the runaways, and moved in every direction in quest of Sa‘īd Aḥmad Khān Bahādur Ṣaulat Jang; but Ṣaulat Jang fearing lest some enemy might be searching for him, held his breath quietly. When Muḥammad Amīn Khān came up quite close, Ṣaulat Jang, recognising his voice, answered him. The aforesaid Khān, on hearing the response, immediately tearing the screen of the Rath, and cutting up the tent-ropes brought out Ṣaulat Jang, and dismounting from his horse embraced him. And Mīr Muḥammad Ja‘far Khān also coming up, they embraced each other, and after offering thanks to Providence for the safety of Ṣaulat Jang’s life, they indulged in jubila­tions. At the time when they were busy with embracings and hand-shakings, Ḥājī Muḥammad Āmīn, finding an opportunity, nimbly got out of the Rath, and mounting the horse of Muḥam­mad Amīn Khān fled to the jungle, and vanished. When after enquiries into the condition of Ṣaulat Jang they mounted their own horses, Muḥammad Amīn Khān was confounded at the disappearance of his own horse. On subsequently ascertain­ing the secret, they were all sorry.* When the Afghān soldiery, after finishing their work of plunder and sack, rallied round Mīr Muḥammad Ja‘far Khān, they sent Ṣaulat Jang to Mahābat Jang, whilst they themselves set out in pursuit of Mīrzā Muḥam­mad Bāqir. Finding the chance of his escape to be slender, the Mīrzā bcame desperate, and opened the battle by shooting rockets and arrows and firing muskets. When the fighting was about to turn to a charge with spears and swords, Murād Khān, the generalissimo of the Rajah of Puri,* who with a large contingent of troops supported Mīrzā Bāqir, seizing the rein of the Mīrzā’s horse, and by use of great persuasion, pulled him back from the battle-field. Becoming his guide, Murād Khān led the Mīrzā by a route across the forest towards the Dakhin. Alī Vardī Khān, after holding a thanksgiving service for meeting Ṣaulat Jang and obtaining victory, allowed Ṣaulat Jang to retire to the city of Katak for rest, whilst he himself, after resting some time and being freed from all anxiety on account of the enemy, entered Katak triumphantly. And after chastising fully the adherents and friends of Mīrzā Bāqir, Alī Vardī confiscated all the branded* horses of Mīrzā Bāqir, appointed Shaikh Ma‘ṣum,* who was an able General, to the office of Deputy Nāzim of the Ṣūbah of Oḍīsah (Orissa), and after finishing the administrative arrangements of that Province returned to Bengal.

Inasmuch as Jagat Isar, Rājah of Morbhanj, had taken sides with Mirzā Bāqir, and had not submitted to the authority of Mahābat Jang, the latter was in anxiety owing to his insolence. Therefore, on arrival at the port of Balasore, he girded up his loins in order to chastise the Rājah. The latter was at Harīhar­pūr which contained his mansion, and was at the time plunged in pleasures and amusements. His knowledge of the denseness of the forests that surrounded him, coupled with his command of numerous hordes of Chawars* and Khandaits, made him feel inso­lent, and so he did not pull out the cotton of heedlessness from the ear of sense, nor cared for the army of Alī Vardī Khān. Alī Vardī Khān’s army stretching the hand of slaughter and rapine, set about looting and sacking the populations, swept the Rājah’s dominion with the broom of spoliation, captured the women and children of the Khandatīs and Chawars, and sowed dis­sensions amongst them. The Rājah, seeing the superiority of Alī Vardī Khān’s army, with his effects, followers and dependants, fled to the top of a hill, and hid himself in a secret fastness, beyond the ken of discovery. Alī Vardī Khān then subjugated the tract of Morbhanj, shewed no quarter, and mercilessly carried fire and sword through its limits.

Mīr Ḥabīb,* the Generalissimo of Murshīd Qulī Khān, after the latter’s defeat, had gone to Raghojī Bhoslah, and persuaded the latter to undertake the conquest of Bengal. At this time, Raghojī Bhoslah, nephew of the Rājah of the Dakhin, was Governor of the Ṣūbah of Berar. Taking advantage of the circumstance that Mahābat Jang was occupied with the affairs of Orissa, and find­ing that the whole extent of Bengal was denuded of troops, Raghojī Bhoslah detached his generalissimo, Diwan Bhāskar Paṇḍit, and Alī Qarawāl, who was an able general, with a contingent of sixty thousand Mahratta cavalry from Nāgpūr, in the company of Mīr Ḥabīb, by the route across the forest, in order to invade and pil­lage Bengal. On receiving news of the approach of Mahratta freebooters, Mahābat Jang abandoned the pursuit of the Mor­bhanj Rājah, and withdrew towards Bengal.