When the Eelchees, or embassadors, detailed to their respective masters this just answer of the Nawaub, they on both sides, sanctioned and strengthened the articles of this treaty with the most solemn* oaths; and the future arrangement of the country, and the establishment of their power, such as might be required, being repeat­edly discussed, they opened to each other their ultimate views and determination. It was, there­fore, concluded, that the Mahrattas, with the whole weight of their forces, should put the horse* of attack in motion for the conquest of Bombay; that the chief of Hydurabad, with his army of city soldiers, should march to take possession of Mutchli Puttun, and Raj Bunduri;* and that the Nawaub should direct his conquering ensigns towards Arkat.

In conformity to this plan of operations, both the princes pitched their tents and standards outside the walls of their respective capitals, and ordered a muster of their officers and troops.— The Nawaub Bahadúr, although he was nearly certain that the Moghuls and the Mahrattas were neither true of tongue nor heart, and that they would not continue to the end in the same mind, still, after maturely considering the strong treaties, and conditions of agreement, which they had newly contracted, took upon himself, with a firm confidence, the responsi­bility of the war, and, having despatched gold, jewels, and rich cloths, to the two grasping poten­tates, and thus made them happy, he set free his determination to make the conquest of the Karnatic Payanghaut, and despatched a letter to the address of Muhammad Alí Khan, requiring him to deliver up the fort of Nuthur Nuggur, (Trichinopoly,) in conformity to his treaty or agreement, the account of which was fully given in a former part of this work. As Muhammad did not return a proper answer, the Nawaub, immediately commanded the attendance of his Ameers, Khans, and Foujdárs, and, in a very short time, in obedience to his proclamation, his chief officers, with their troops and military stores, marched to the capital. Accord­ing to his engagements, therefore, the Nawaub with his brave army,— (Verse, “An army that never felt the bitterness of defeat:” “Troops that never tasted the poison of flight, or despair:” “horses under them like raging lions.” “Spears in their hands like the twisted serpent:”)*— directed his standards towards Arkat. But, previous to the commencing of their march, he gave orders to muster his forces, and those to whom the charge was consigned, presented the Nawaub with a return of twelve thousand horse of his own Paigah or guard, ten thousand Kuzzak or predatory horse, fifteen thousand Sillahdár horse,* twenty-four thousand regular infantry, and sixty thousand irregular foot, with seventy guns, exclusive of the Poli­gar chiefs, with their contingents.

About the middle of the month of Rujub, 1194, H., the Nawaub descended by the Ghaut or Pass of Chungum, and pitched his tents, high as the sun and moon, in the environs of Kilpauk,* and, from the same encampment, detached his youngest son, Kureem Sáhib, with the Kuzzak horse, towards Muhmood Bundur, while he himself, with his innu­merable army, marched on and took the small hill fort of Turnamul. He then besieged the fort of Jeet* Peeth, and gave orders to his conquering sol­diers to attack the town. After the commandant, who was a Sikh, named Gooroo Buksh, had held out with great spirit two or three days, he was killed at one of the gates of the fort, and the fort was therefore taken. From hence the Nawaub, after leaving a detachment at the fort of Dhobi Gurh, despatched his son Tippoo, with a strong body of troops, to reduce Arni and Tumri; and then, turning his victorious standards towards the capital of Arkat, encamped near Nimukpeeth and Ghalibpoora, and next invested the fort and town of Alumpunah, against which he ordered batteries to be raised. The chiefs in the fort, namely, Achna Pundit a Brahman, (otherwise called Raijee Náíb, Souba, and who had also the title of Raja Beerbur, Bahadúr, the founder or builder of the Alum Punah), and Nujeeb Khan, Salar Jung, Bahadúr, with five thousand regular infantry, two thousand horse, and four hundred dismounted Ashráf, (that is, men of good families,) held themselves in readiness to repel their enemies, and filled the capital with stores of provisions, arms, ammunitions, and materials for defence, and then arranged themselves for action. Two or three thousand Ashráf inhabitants of the place, of all tribes, who rose in arms merely to defend their families and preserve their honour, were conciliated by a daily allowance, or subsis­tence, in money, and the show of a great deal of deference and respect; and the gates and bastions of Alum Punah also being confided to the inhabi­tants of the Muhlas,* they fought desperately.

Kureem Sáhib, meanwhile, when he moved off to Mahmood Bundur, met with no resistance; and having by night marches arrived at the town, he surrounded, and, at the first assault, bravely took possession of it, and plundered the houses of all the wealthy merchants, bankers, and traders, of bales on bales of merchandise, and bags on bags of gold and jewels. The next day, the whole of the wealth and commodities taken from all the merchants, who had expended millions of rupees in commissioning or procuring them from different parts of the world, for the purpose of barter, were collected in one place. Amongst the rest was the whole of the property of a certain Muhammad Mokrim, a man of the Bohra* tribe, the Chief of all the merchants, and the owner of three or four merchant ships, who about this time had purchased thirty-five Jhawah or young elephants, of eight or nine years old, sixty Tankun, or ponies of Manilla and Pegu, and also cloths of great value, and dresses of honour from the countries of Bengal, Bunaras, China, Kashmeer, Boorhanpoor, Mutchliputtun, &c. All these articles were taken, and laden on elephants, camels, bullocks, and carts; and with the merchant to whom they had belonged, and his dependents, as prisoners, were sent to the Nawaub.

The Prince, (Tippoo), after he had taken leave of his father, proceeded to Arni, and encamped there, and gave orders to attack the fort. Budruz­zumán Khan Bukshi, accordingly raised a strong battery, to the westward of the fort, and in one day fired a number of cannon shot into the place. The Killadár, or commandant, whose name was Hussain Alí Khan, and who, even in his dreams, had never heard of battle or fighting, much less witnessed any thing of the kind, lost all heart, and, ornamenting himself with his unworthy arms, and taking the keys of the fort, he sought the presence of the Khan above mentioned, and, through his mediation, was presented to the Prince, and delivered up the keys as a Paishkush to his servants. He then represented, that in the fort there were many houses inhabited by Syuds, or descendents of the prophet; and being in fear lest the Syudanian, their women, might be insulted or violated, he had given up the fort and its dependencies; but that, otherwise, he would have defended them as long as he had life. The Prince, at hearing this foolish story, laughed outright, and having placed a gar­rison in the fort, Sidi Imám, an experienced officer according to the orders of the Nawaub, was appointed its Commandant. Taking with him the former Killadár, the Prince then marched towards Tumri, the Chief of which also gave up his honour to save his life, and, without a shot from either gun or musket, surrendered the fort. Still advancing, therefore, Tippoo took possession of the small forts of Trivatoor, Gulwa, Kaveripauk, &c., and, placing strong garrisons in each, returned to join his own army.

It is proper to mention here, that, while the lion-hearted Nawaub, thus threw terror and dismay into the country of the Payanghaut, Nizám Alí Khan under pretence of sickness, did not stir from his capital; and the Mahrattas, also after some move­ments, having by treaty obtained possession of the person of Raghoo* from the English of Bombay, remained where they were, and gave no assistance whatever to the Nawaub.