As it was the rainy season, Mīr Ḥabīb deputed Mīr Mihdī with a detachment of musketeers on boats for collecting revenue from the mahals across the Ganges. But Mīr Mihdī, from fear of Mahābat Jang, did not land. The agents of the Zamīndārs proceeded to Mīr Ḥabīb, and paying him large sums obtained guards for the immunity of their tracts from the ravages and loot of Mahratta freebooters. The wealthy nobility and gentry, to save their family honour, quitted their homes, and migrated across the Ganges.* The whole tract from Akbarnagar (Rajmahal) to Mednīpūr and Jalisār (Jalasore) came into the possession of the Mahrattas. Those murderous freebooters drowned in the rivers a large number of the people, after cutting off their ears, noses and hands. Tying sacks of dirt to the mouths of others, they mangled and burnt them with indescribable tortures. Thus they desolated and dishonoured the family and children of a whole world. Mahā­bat Jang, making strenuous efforts towards the chastisement and expulsion of the insolent enemy, set about collecting troops and armaments. Requisitioning to Murshidābād a large flotilla of boats from the neighbourhood of Jahāngīrnagar (Dacca), from the Jilengī, from Māldah, and Akbarnagar (Rajmahal), &c., he constructed a road leading to Katwāh. From the eastern bank of the Bhagirati he detached for bridge-making twelve thousand pioneers and sap­pers on boats, and attended to the comforts of the army. Collect­ing paraphernalia, horses, elephants, and swords, and winning the hearts of his soldiery by bestowing on them gifts and increments in pay, he encouraged and incited them to fight. Finding the enemy absorbed in political affairs relating to Zamīndārs, Reve­nue-Collectors and Administrators, Mahābat Jang seized this opportunity, and held a Council of War with his Afghān and Bhalīah Generals in view of delivering a night-attack. In pursuance of this plan, Mahābat Jang marched expeditiously with a large and effi­cient army, and by forced marches, at midnight, reached a place just opposite to Katwāh. In the cover of the night’s darkness, he instantly floated a bridge of boats that had been kept ready from before, and with a large army commenced crossing the river. Whilst he with the officers and some veteran soldiers had crossed the river, the bridge suddenly gave way under the heavy weight of a large army. Some of the boats sank, whilst a large number of Afghāns and Bhalīahs were drowned in the river. Mahābat Jang, on learning about this mishap, was engulphed in a sea of confusion. His mind was racked with anxiety. He realised that the entire army from the eastern bank of the river had been unable to cross over, and that he alone with a handful of troops was on the western bank face to face with the enemy. In consequence, he apprehended that in the event of the enemy getting scent of his movement, he would meet with a terrible disaster. He, therefore, put out the torches, and gave directions for immediately repairing the broken portions of the bridge. After the bridge was repaired, he ordered the whole army to cross over and join him. As the enemy was heedless and negligent, everything ended well. Kishwar Khān, the Deputy Faujdār, and Mānkant, the commandant of the pioneers and sappers, quickly rendered the damaged boats water-tight by plastering their cracks and rends with mud and bits of wood, and thus displayed Luqmān-like skill. An army, waving like the sea, swiftly crossed the bridge, ral­lied round Mahābat Jang and his Generals, and quickly unsheath­ing their swords, in a solid and clamorous phalanx, like some heavenly disaster, swooped down on the enemy. Shouts rose up on every side.

Overwhelmed with disaster, and unable to stand their ground, Mīr Ḥabīb and Bhāskar Paṇḍit with other Mahratta officers fled from the battle-field, leaving their army to their fate, just as a cow is left to the tender mercies of a butcher. A crushing defeat* was inflicted on the Mahratta army, which was triumphantly chased to some distance Bhāskar and other Mahratta Generals fell back to Rāmgadh, from where with common consent they marched with celerity across jungles, to invade and ravage the Ṣūbah of Orissa.

Shaikh Muḥammad Ma‘ṣūm, the Deputy Nazim of Orissa, in order to resist the enemy, advanced from Katak, and opposed the enemy’s march. When the two armies encountered each other, the fire of conflict flared up once again. Although the Zamīndārs had deserted his side, with a small band numbering five thousand cavalry and infantry, Shaikh Muḥammad Ma‘ṣūm stood his ground dauntlessly on the field. The Mahratta army, which was more numerous than ants and locusts, surrounded Shaikh Ma‘ṣūm from all sides like a circle, and slaughtered him together with his comrades. The Ṣubāh of Oḍīsah (Orissa), together with the Fort of Barabātī and the citadel of the City of Katak, fell once again into the hands of the enemy.

Nawāb Mahābat Jang, on hearing of the above disaster, marched swiftly to Bardwān. He paid to each soldier two months’ pay and also other gifts on account of the victory of Katwāh, advanced to Katak, and repeatedly assaulting the Mahratta troops drove them from Katak, and victoriously entered its citadel. Leaving General Abdu-r-Rasūl Khān, who was a second Muṣtafā Khān, and who was also the latter’s nephew, as the Deputy Nazim of Orissa, together with a contingent of six thousand cavalry and infantry, Mahābat Jang returned to the Ṣūbah of Bengal.

On receiving news of the defeat of Bhāskar Pandit, Sis Rāo evacuating the fort of Hugli retreated to Bishanpūr. Other Mah­ratta officers, who were posted at different places for the collection of revenue, also fled. The Collectors and Faujdārs of Mahābat Jang entered the ravaged tracts, and again set about to re-settle them.

But Bhāskar Paṇḍit, after his defeat, sent Bairagi dacoits towards Akbarnagar (Rajmahal), Bhāgalpūr, and Behār. Mahābat Jang, who had not yet breathed freely, again set out from Bengal for those places. He had not yet reached the Ṣūbah of Behār, when the Bairagis retreating from those parts swooped down on Murshidābād. Mahābat Jang fell back from Behar, and pursued them. These Bairagi freebooters were busy with looting Balūchar, when the music of the drum and tambourine of Mahābat Jang’s vanguard rang in the ears of those maniacs. Losing all courage, and leaving behind bags of booty, they fled from Balūchar. Mahābat Jang chased them up to Rāmgadh, from where he returned.