An account of the defeat of the Mahrattas under Gopal Rao, in the vicinity of Bangalore, by the bravery of Hydur Alí Khan, and the recapture of the Talookas, and Forts, taken by the Mahrattas; with other occurrences of the year 1168, Hijri— A. D. 1754.

WHEN the heads of the government heard these dastardly words from all the officers command­ing their troops, they became hopeless, and, send­ing for Hydur Alí, they made him acquainted with what had occurred, and besought his aid in the recovery and preservation of the country. The Khan immediately without the least hesitation, made himself responsible for the accomplishment of this arduous undertaking; and the Raja, after complimenting him highly on his courage, embraced him, gave him the title of Khan Bahadúr, and repeated his request for the settlement of the country, and the discomfiture of his enemies; he likewise sent out of the fort his own standard, his own tents and equipage, his musnud ornamented with gold, his treasury, wardrobe, and elephants; and appointed the Khan, Sipahsalar (Commander-in-Chief) and gave him discretional authority to act as he thought best, and then, giving him the leaf of dismissal,* he, to do him honor, accompanied him attended by his chiefs on foot to the Gate of the Palace.

Persian verse. “He who can wield the sword shall have money struck in his name”*— or the Sikka shall be read in his name.*

As the Khan, and his brother Shahbaz, with their own troops only, now left the city and encamped at the Kurri Kote, the Raja and Dulwai, sum­moned all the Jamadárs, and gave them strict orders to obey the Sipahsalar, and signified to them that they were dismissed for the purpose of joining him. At first only Khoob Sáhib Dukkani, and Syud Buduni, Jamadárs, (officers who had been lately released from the prisons of Muhammad Alí Khan,) with their troops, amounting to about three thou­sand horse, arrived; but afterwards, Ruhím Sáhib, Yakoob Sáhib, Meer Bijli, Amr Singh, with their companies and military stores, some officers of foot, and Manuel, the European, with his Risala, made themselves ready to attend the Sipahsalar. The rest of the officers and troops raised a dispute regarding the arrears of pay which were due to them, and remained at the capital. Hydur Alí was, therefore, at length obliged to march with the scanty force which he had under his orders, amount­ing only to four or five thousand horse, twelve thou­sand regular infantry, and six or seven guns; and, having given the curl of enterprise to the moustache of his manhood, he proceeded towards Bangalore, and in two or three days, with the greatest regularity and order, arrived and encamped in the vicinity of Chinaputtun.

Being aware of his approach, the Mahrattas dispatched fifteen thousand horse to attack him; but, hearing of their advance the Sipahsalar also marched, and took up a position in the jungul or forest of Burdi, or Baroli, where he and his men lay in wait, like tigers waiting for their prey.

Having sent, the next morning, to ascertain the place where the Mahrattas were encamped, he, at night, marched against them with one thousand regular Infantry, and Chittikars, and two hundred Europeans, and attacked them in the rear so suc­cessfully, that, abandoning all their baggage, the Mahrattas fled hastily and lost but few in killed and prisoners. After this night attack, which was admirably concerted, and gave them an example of what they (the Mahrattas) had to expect in future, Hydur marched to Bangalore, and encamped near Basoon Gori, and immediately wrote and forwarded a letter of encouragement to the besieged Killadár, Sri Nowas, informing him of his arrival, to his (the Killadár’s) aid, and the defeat of the enemy. Sri Nowas was now nearly reduced to surrender, by the fire of the Mahrattas, and the want of ammunition, and provisions, but immedi­ately on receiving the letter, and recognizing the signature of Hydur, he recovered his confidence, and for joy fired off his guns, as a salute, at the Mahratta camp.

The Mahrattas, also, seeing that the garrison were roused by the prospect of relief, determined to relinquish the siege of the fort, and attack the troops arrived to its assistance. They, therefore, changed their ground the distance of two fursungs, (about six or seven miles,) to Soondi Gopeh, and encamped there in the best order. On the follow­ing morning, Hydur, the Sipahsalar, drew out his forces, and having given charge of his right and left wings to experienced officers, he, with his artillery in readiness, marched straight towards the Mahrattas, who, aware of his purpose, marshalled their troops, and prepared to receive him warmly. The fire soon commenced, and the balls fell like pattering rain from the guns and muskets of Hydur’s men, and unable to stand the fire of Hydur’s infantry and artillery, the Mahrattas, lost all power of opposition and resistance, and fled, leaving part of their baggage behind them. Being master of the field of battle, Hydur Alí now taking pos­session of the deserted baggage, returned to his former ground of encampment, and then, with great art, sending for Sri Nowas the Killadár, under pretence of a visit, he detained him with his own troops, and appointed to the charge of the fort a certain Kubeer Beg, one of his own friends.

The body of Mahrattas, which had been defeated and fled, again collected their scattered numbers, and made ready for action, in the neighbourhood of Nulloonga. In consequence of this, Hydur Alí marched from Bangalore, and encamped two or threee fursungs from Balapoor the greater, and halted there for two days. On the night of the third, however, having obtained a favourable oppor­tunity, he again marched, and attacked the Mah­rattas, throwing, such a powerful fire of musketry, guns, and rockets like a tempest of lightning upon them, that he dispersed them and losing their man­hood and senses, they fled, leaving their arms, am munition, tents and standards, on the ground.

Hydur thus gained the victory, and the leader of the Mahrattas, having escaped with much difficulty, continued his flight to Nijigul.— After the lapse of about ten or fifteen days, he, however, commenced again to collect his horse and foot, and was making ready to attack Hydur, when at this period, news arrived from Poona, that Sudusheo Pundit Bhow, and Wiswas Rao, the eldest son of Balajee Rao Nana, who had displayed the standard of conceit and arrogance, and had raised the neck of pride in the empire of Hind, and with three hundred thousand horse, two hundred thousand foot, and three hun­dred guns, had marched towards Dehli, and had taken and plundered the Dárul Khiláfat of the King of Kings; had, at length, in the plain of Gunjawur, depending on Paniput Karnal, received from the powerful hand of Ahmud Shah Doorani, (the grandfather of Zemán Shah the King of Kabul, who with four Dustas of Sir Abdalli, each Dustu consisting of twelve thousand horse, had arrived in Hindustan) such a total defeat, and had been so effectually destroyed, that their name and the token of their existence had departed from the world.* (He learned also,) that Balajee Pundit, at hearing of this shameful defeat, the utter ruin of his power, and the destruction of hundreds of thousands of his troops, was so struck with grief, that, from the dis­tress and disorder of his mind, he at length lost his senses, and died, lamenting his misfortunes and loss. Gopal Rao, on receiving this dreadful news, finding he could not hope to oppose Hydur successfully, lost his way in the wilderness of despair; that is, with his troops and his baggage that remained, he retired to Sura, and withdrew all his people from the country of Mysore. Hydur Alí followed his steps, and, having expelled the Mahratta gar­risons from the forts depending on Mysore, some by fair means and some by foul, and replaced them by men and officers of his own, he then, with the plunder he had taken from the fugitive Mah­rattas, returned, with joy in his heart, and pleasure in his countenance, to Seringaputtun; the depart­ments of which he found in the following unsettled state when he arrived.

The whole of the Jamadárs of horse, with their men armed and ready, amounting to three or four thousand men had secured the gates and posterns of the fort, and stopped all communication with any one, friend or stranger, under pretence of demand­ing their arrears of pay. The chief officers had made up their beds at the doors of the Raja and Dulwai’s habitations, and remained there, demand­ing their money; and suffered no one in the fort to go out, nor would they allow any one to enter the fort.