The whole Marhatta army having disappeared from the field of battle together with Data-sindiah, its General, the Duranni-king sent people after Djingo, but the latter had, the very day of the battle, marched fifteen cosses*, and was arrived at Allah-verdy’s Sera, quite spent; from whence he, the next day, continued his route to Narnol. Meanwhile intelligence came to the Abdali camp that the Marhatta, Holcar-malhar, was at Sekenderah with an army. This General hearing of the destruction of their grand army, marched with the utmost expedition into the strong country of S8r8dj-mull, the Djatt, to whom he proposed to join him, and to fight together the Durrani-king. The Gentoo Prince answered that he would not undertake to oppose such troops as the Abdalies, in the field; but that if he was attacked, he would retire to a fortress, and there defend himself in the best manner he could. It happened that the Afghan Princes who had come to the Durrani camp, were then busy in carrying a convoy of treasure and grain to that army; but hearing of the Marhattas being so near, they had the prudence to send back, and beyond the Ganga, as much of their con­voy as they could with propriety. But the rest was overtaken by Holcar’s troops, who soon took possession of it and plundered it thoroughly. The King surprised to hear of this boldness of the Marhattas, sent Shah Pesend-qhan and Shah Calende-qhan, two of his Generals, with a body of fifteen thousand horse to chastise Holcar-malhar. These two Abdalies marched with so much expedition, that in one day and night they measured seventy cosses (one hundred and sixty miles), and arrived in the evening at Delhi; where having refreshed themselves the whole next day, they crossed the Djumnah at the beginning of the night, and having marched twenty cosses more that night, they at day-break arrived at Sekenderah, where they fell at once upon Holkar-malhar. The latter had just time to throw himself, naked as he Another bloody action, in which the Marhattas are destroyed. was, upon a mare, and to get away with about five hundred more in the same condition as himself. The rest, officers and soldiers, without excepting a man, were put to the sword, and intirely exterminated, a few prisoners only excepted. Their whole camp, together with their late booty, fell into the hands of the victors.

Meanwhile the King, who had moved from his camp the very day he had detached his two Generals after the Marhattas, arrived at Shah-djehan-abad; and as the rainy season was at hand, and the territory of that Capital had been eaten up by the eternal inroads of those freebooters, he thought proper to cross the Djumnah, and to take up his winter quarters at Seken­derah, twenty cosses from Delhi, a position the more eligible, as Sekenderah is in the country of Anterbid, where most of the Afghan Princes had their dominions. From thence he detached Nedjib-ed-döwlah to Lucknow, with orders to persuade Shudjah-ed-döwlah to join the victorious army, and to pay him a visit, as he wished to see him. Shudjah-ed-döwlah, who had already that intention, advanced to meet him as far as Mehdyp8r, whilst Nedjib-ed-döwlah on his side marched from Atava to Cannodj. A treaty was concluded, proper assurances given, and Shudjah-ed-döwlah, having appointed his son, Mirza-amani, (now Assef-ed-döwlah) to act as his Deputy in his absence, put himself at the head of ten thousand horse, and marched to the Abdalie’s camp, in company with Nedjib-ed-döwlah. It was at the end of Zilcaadah, of the year 1173. As soon as he was near, Eshref-el-anvar, surnamed Shah-c8ly-qhan*, Vezir to the Abdaly-king, came out to meet him, and after a small pause, he carried him to visit the tent of audience. The King having commanded his son, Tim8r-shah, to embrace the Indian Prince, received him with Shudjah waits on the Abdali Monarch—his bold answer to that Prince. the utmost favour and distinction*. At the end of the visit Shudjah-ed-döwlah requested leave for his music and kettle-drums to play in the Abdalie’s camp. The King answered mildly that it was unprecedented and contrary to rules. “It may be so for other music, replied Shudjah-ed-döwlah, but mine is the gift of the Emperor of Hindostan, and not of your Majesty’s; nor am I your subject, but only your hearty well-wisher.” This bold answer had its effect. The King consented, and it became a custom for Shudjah-ed-döwlah’s music to strike up as soon as that of the King’s had done playing.

Whilst all this was happening in the Anterbid, the Court of Satara had received intelligence of Data-sindiah’s death, and of the destruction of his whole army, as well as of that of Holcar. Never did a Ministry shew more firmness. Without betraying the least dismay, it was resolved to send another army, commanded by Seda-sy8, alias Bahä8, nephew to Baladji-räo, and by Djing8 himself. This army was to be composed of picked men, as was the former, and proved still more numerous; and it was likewise to be supported by a numerous artillery, mounted and served in the European manner, under the command of Hibra­him-qhan-gardi. The whole was to be under the orders of Vas­vass-räo, Commander-in-Chief; the intention being to revenge their former bloody defeat, to recover the honour of the national character in the world, and to put an end to the Empire of the family of Babr, by raising to the throne of Hindostan Vasvass-räo himself, a Royal Prince, of the Marhatta blood. Seda-sy8 having put himself at the head of that mighty host, arrived, after long marches and much vaunting, in the province of Acbar-abad, where S8r8dj-mull thought proper to pay him a visit by Holcar-malhar’s mediation. The Marhatta General, to do him more honour, marched out of his camp, and met him at one cosse dis­tance; and the next day Umad-el-mulk himself joined him at Mahtra. In a consultation held at that spot, it was resolved to The Marhat­tas undismayed, send another mighty army into Hindostan, commanded by a young Prince of the blood. render themselves masters of the Djumnah, by bringing Shah-djehan-abad in their power. This article being settled, the Mar­hatta General marched immediately, and entered Shah-djehan-abad, at the end of the year 1173. Yac8b-aaly-qhan-behmenzi, a brother of Shah Veli-qhan, commanded in the citadel with a small garrison of Abdalies. The Marhattas informed of the smallness of that force, gave an escalade at the Assed Tower and the Qhyzri Gate, whilst they made a false attack on the opposite side at the Delhi Gate. At both places a few Abdalies and Moghuls made their appearance, and killed many people with their large muskets. The Marhatta General, who had taken his quarters in Saad-ollah qhan’s Palace, commenced another attack from thence, under cover of the hall of audience, encouraged thereto by the scanty defence he could perceive at the wall, and the little artillery he observed at Selimgur Castle, from whence they now and then fired a large cannon in the air. Ani­mated by these appearances, the Marhattas advanced to the Qhyzri Gate, and were endeavouring to break it open, but in vain. The gate was covered with sheets of brass, and set thick with iron nails that jutted out to the length of more than a foot*; nor could they make any impression there in four hours time. Mean­while about five hundred men, finding not one man upon the Assed Tower, got upon the top of it, and being in this manner within the citadel, they advanced to the Imperial Hall of Audience, from whence they carried whole bundles of booty which they threw down the wall to their friends below, without having once thought of setting the gate open from within; nor did the troops with­out mind anything of the matter, being intent only on receiving and securing the plunder. Whilst these people were occupied in this manner, a dozen of Abdalies and Moghuls, coming out of Selimghur, fired upon those men that were plundering the Hall of Audience, many of whom they killed; and falling upon the rest, sword in hand, they drove them out of the palace. The Marhattas having taken fright, got upon the top of the tower again, and jumping down had a great number of men maimed and wounded; but meanwhile they gave up a fortress in which they had fairly found entrance. The Marhatta Generals informed of this whole affair, surrounded the citadel by an intrenchment, from whence they commenced firing on all that appeared upon the wall. As to Umad-el-mulk and S8r8dj-mull, who both had only conformed to the times in coming so far with the Marhattas, they thought proper to remain inactive specta­tors of this siege. In this state of things Seda-sy8 applied to Hibrahim-qhan-gardi, who had a European artillery, mounted and served in the European manner, and whom he had brought from Decan for such sorts of services. Hibrahim-qhan placed The Marhat­tas take Delhi. three pieces of cannon on the bank of the Djumnah, and made such a brisk fire upon the buildings within the citadel, that in a little time he was found to have done much havoc in the pavilions on the Assed Tower, and the Octagon Tower, as well as on those parts of the Imperial Palace called Divan-qhass, Reng-mahal, Moti-mahal*, and Royal Tower. But the wall itself suffered no impression; and the musket-firing business went on as usual on both sides. The Governor finding that his ammunition was running short, proposed to surrender the citadel, on condition of his having leave to march out with safety of life, honour, and baggage; and this being accepted by the Mar­hatta Generals who wished no better, the Governor came out with his little garrison, and took up his quarters in Aaly-merdan-qhan’s Palace, where having rested awhile, he crosséd the Djumnah in boats, and went to join his master. And thus the Imperial Citadel the residence of the Hindostanee Emperors, with the Imperial apartments and the whole of the Imperial Seraglio, fell into the hands of the Marhatta Seda-sy8. Such was the fate allotted to it by the All-knowing Disposer of events! The General appointed Tar8-shungur, a Brahman, to command in that fortress, and he gave him a sufficient garrison. This Brahman had been sent several times to Shudjah-ed-döwlah, on the part of the Marhattas, with proposals of peace, and as often had Proposes an accommoda­tion, which is refused in a very taunt­ing answer. been refused. This particular I was told of by the Poet Mir-gh8lam-aaly, the Belgramite, who assured me that Shudjah-ed-döwlah at last answered the envoy in these terms: “That the Marhattas, and especially their Brahmans*, having acquired so much power in Decan, had become overbearing, and withal so covetous, that they could not bear that any one but themselves should enjoy any character in the world, or a corner of land that might afford him a subsistence; that their faithlessness and eternal disregard to treaties, had tired the patience of mankind; and that the time was now coming to punish them for their eternal injustices, and their daily violations of the most sacred ties amongst mankind. That it was to save their honour, their families, and their subsistences, that the people of Hindostan had applied to the Abdaly-king for protection and assistance; and that the latter had come for that sole purpose, and in the full hope that to inflict a condign chastisement upon the Marhattas would prove but a small affair; to talk, therefore, of peace now to him looked quite preposterous.” The Marhattas, receiving no better answer, prepared for battle. They were at this time abandoned by their ally, S8r8dj-mull, the Djatt, who was shocked to see their shameless capacity, and remorseless impudence. He quitted their camp without leave and retired to his fortress of Belem-gur. What had so much shocked the Djatt Prince was this.—They had stripped the Imperial Hall of Audience of its wainscoting, which was of silver, elegantly enam­elled, and had sent it to the Mint; and without any respect for things, held sacred by all mankind, they had laid their sacri­legious hands upon the gold and silver vessels consecrated to the use of the monument of the sacred foot, and of the mauso­leum of Saint Nizam-eddin; nor did they spare Mahmed-shah’s mausoleum, which they stripped of its incensory*, candelabres, lamps, and other utensils, all of solid gold, and of exquisite workmanship; all of which were torn away and sent to the Mint.