CHAPTER X.

An account of another night attack, the last battle and the defeat of the Mahrattas by the victorious army, and the establish­ment of Peace between the Lion conquering the world, the Sultán and his weak incompetent enemies the Mahrattas; also the regu­lation of the districts of the Poligars, with other events which occurred in the year 1200, Hijri.— A. D. 1785-6.

THE Sultán after the capture and regulation of Sanore, leaving a garrison in that city, marched to the northward, and encamped near Jobun Gurh, and halted there for thirteen days of the month Mohurrum il Huram. He now also distributed his army into four divisions; each consisting of four Kushoons, five thousand irregular foot, five thousand Silladár horse,* and fifteen guns. The first division was placed under the command of Mír Moinuddín, otherwise called Syud Sáhib;— the second division was placed under Boorhan­uddín;— the third was committed to the charge of Maha Mirza Khán; and the fourth to Hussein Alí Khán, the Mír Bukhshi.

Having done this, the Sultán ordered them to march on, and directed that the aforesaid divisions should encamp at the distance of three miles from the remainder of his army. The Sipahsalars, there­fore, in obedience to these orders, took up their ground, and employed themselves in preparing their troops and arms for immediate action,— while the Sultán himself with two Kushoons, the Assud Ilahi and Ahmudi; three Mokubs or regi­ments of horse, eight Dustas* of the Paigah, or household horse, four thousand Kuzzaks and ten thousand Ahshám infantry, remained encamped where he was. On these arrangements, it was cur­rently reported by him, that of the Sipahsalars, (the officers commanding these divisions,) the first was commissioned to the conquests of the dependencies of Hydurabad; the second to the conquest of those of Poona; the third to the maintenance of order at Raichore, Kottoor, &c.; and the fourth to the capital, Puttun, to subject and controul the different forts and districts of the Poligars,— while the Sultán himself was to attack the Mahrattas. The commander of the Mahratta army at hearing this news, became like quicksilver, restless and uneasy, when of a sudden, Mír Moinuddín, with his force, at the instance of Syud Humíd, and Syud Ghuffar, marched at night and attacked the hill fort of Mondergi Droog, which was garrisoned by the Mahrattas,— and at one assault took the fort and passed the garrison under the edge of the sword. The town was also pillaged, and he returned with stores of provisions and much gold and jewels. In the same way Boorhanuddín marched towards Binkapoor and Misri Kote, which were in the occupation of the Mahrattas, in a way that no one could be aware of his arrival, and unfurling the standard of enterprize, carried exceeding ter­ror and dismay among them, and lighted up the fire of plunder and slaughter in all that quarter. The Sultán also now advanced straight towards the enemy, the sign or symbol of defeat.* In that march, however, the Mahrattas attacked the rear-guard of the victorious army, and brought a storm of evil on its followers, and plundered the Banjaras of ten thousand bags of grain, which they carried off. The Sultán now, therefore, despatched a message to the Commander of the Mahratta forces to this effect, that it was unworthy of noble generous minds to injure or dis­tress God’s people without cause, and, that if he (the Mahratta) had the breath of manhood still remaining in him, their dispute might be settled in an hour, that his wish was, that in a well fought battle of one day, they should finish the book of strife and contention. As the chief of the Mah­rattas well knew the valour, (meaning the reverse) of his own troops, and that without peace, he could not expect to save himself from destruction, he declined to agree to the Sultán’s proposition. How­ever, by the advice of certain of his servants, who recommended war, he agreed to an action to be decided with the sword alone. The Sultán, therefore, one day assembled his four divisions on the river Guduk, and arranged them in order of battle, and, having appointed his Kushoons to the right and left wings, he himself mounted on an elephant with his guard, took his station on the field, and first ordered the brave men of his Paigah, or house­hold cavalry, to commence the action, and accord­ingly each Dusta galloped forward, and having formed in close order took possession of the field.* The Mahrattas also armed cap-a-piè, now charged the Sultán’s troops, and between them a very severe action ensued. It was, however, deter­mined, that each Dusta should fight only half an hour, that the devotion and bravery of the whole army, officers, and men, might be fairly tested. Every brave man, therefore, made the utmost display of his courage, and many by their prowess effaced the renown of the great actions of Roostum and Isfendiar, and until mid-day, the clashing of swords, the whistling of arrows, and the rustling of the spears* continued so great and so constant, that the gallant troopers at length quitted their swords and spears, and laying hands on each other had recourse to their poignards and daggers, and on every side lay heaps of slain. After the brave men of the Paigah, the Silladárs, next stretching forth the arms of manhood, made the face of the plain as red as the rosy morn, with the blood of their enemies. The chiefs of the Mahrattas, however, aware they were not able to resist the swords of the worshippers of fame, in the pride of superior numbers determined to charge with their whole force, and thus ride over the Sultán’s army, and accordingly with this intention, they with all their troops, amounting to seventy or eighty thousand men, moved forward. The Sultán, now seeing that the Mahrattas had violated their agreement, immediately gave orders to his artillery, and they moving forward quickly from the flanks with the Sipahdárs (and their Kushoons) by their heavy fire of musketry and artillery, soon compelled the unfor­tunate Mahrattas to taste the sherbet of flight. As soon, therefore, as they were scattered and dis­persed, the regiments of horse, and the Kuzzaks, of the victorious army followed them for two fur­sungs, and took from them to the amount of two or three thousand horses, a quantity of baggage, stores and arms; as arrows, swords, and two pieces of cannon, and then returned. The Mahrattas on the contrary, for three stages never looked behind them and fled without halting even for the night. Hurri Náík the Poligar of Kunuk Giri, who at first had attached himself to the Mahrattas, seeing at this time the irregularity of their measures and movements, now finding an opportunity, left them with his troops and offered his services to the Sul­tán, who received him with great favour.