Jahán Khán despatched a warrant to Adína Beg Khán, who at that time had taken up his residence at Lakhí Jangal, in­vesting him with the supreme control of the territory of the Doáb, along with a khil'at of immense value, and adopted the most conciliatory measures towards him, whereupon the latter, esteeming this amicable attention as a mark of good fortune, applied himself zealously to the proper administration of the Doáb. When Jahán Khán, however, summoned him to his pre­sence, he did not consider it to his advantage to wait upon him; so, quitting the territory of the Doáb, he retired into the hill-country. After this occurrence, Jahán Khán appointed a person named Murád Khán to the charge of the Doáb, and sent Sarbu-land Khán and Sarfaráz Khán, of the Abdálí tribe, along with him to assist him. Adína Beg Khán, having united the Sikh nation to his own forces, advanced to give battle to Murád Khán, when Sarbuland Khán quaffed the cup of martyrdom on the field of action, and Murád Khán and Sarfaráz Khán, seeing no resource left them but flight, returned to Jahán Khán, and the Sikhs ravaged all the districts of the Doáb.

As soon as active hostilities were commenced between Najíbu-d daula and 'Imádu-l Mulk, the latter set out from Farrukhábád towards Dehlí, to oppose the former, and forwarded letters to Bálájí Ráo and his cousin Bháo, soliciting aid, and inviting the Mahratta army to espouse his cause. Bháo, who was always cherishing plans in his head for the national aggran­dizement, counselled Bálájí Ráo to despatch an army for the conquest of the territories of Hindústán, which he affirmed to be then, as it were, an assembly unworthy of reverence, and a rose devoid of thorns.

Memoir of Raghunáth Ráo.

In 1171 A.H. (1757-8 A.D.) Raghunáth Ráo, a brother of Bálájí Ráo, accompanied by Malhár Ráo Holkar, Shamsher Bahádur, and Jayají Sindhia, started from the Dakhin towards Dehlí at the head of a gallant and irresistible army, to subdue the dominions of Hindústán. As soon as they reached Ágra, they turned off to Sháh-Jahánábád in company with 'Imádu-l Mulk, the wazír, who was the instigator of the irruption made by this torrent of destruction. After a sanguinary engagement, they ejected Najíbu-d daula from the city of Dehlí, and consigned the management of the affairs of government to the care of 'Imádu-l Mulk, the wazír.

Raghunáth Ráo and the rest of the Mahratta chiefs set out from Dehlí towards Láhore, at the solicitation of Adína Beg Khán, of whom mention has been briefly made above. After leaving the suburbs of Dehlí, they arrived first at Sirhind, where they fought an action with 'Abdu-s Samad Khán, who had been installed in the government of that place by the Abdálí Sháh, and took him prisoner. Turning away from thence, they pushed on to Láhore, and got ready for a conflict with Jahán Khán, who was stationed there. The latter, however, being alarmed at the paucity of his troops in comparison with the multitude of the enemy, resolved at once to seek safety in flight. Accordingly, in the month of Sha'bán, 1171 A.H. (April, 1758 A.D.), he pursued the road to Kábul with the utmost speed, accompanied by Tímúr Sháh, and made a present to the enemy of the heavy baggage and property that he had accumulated during his administration of that region. The Mahratta chieftains followed in pursuit of Tímúr Sháh as far as the river Attock, and then retraced their steps to Láhore. This time the Mahrattas extended their sway up to Multán. As the rainy season had commenced, they de­livered over the province of Láhore to Adína Beg Khán, on his promising to pay a tributary offering of seventy-five lacs of rupees; and made up their minds to return to the Dakhin, being anxious to behold again their beloved families at home.

On reaching Dehlí in the course of their return, they made straight for their destination, after leaving one of their warlike chieftains, named Jankú, at the head of a formidable army in the vicinity of the metropolis. It chanced that in the year 1172 A.H. (1758-9 A.D.) Adína Beg Khán passed away; whereupon Jankújí entrusted the government of the province of Láhore to a Mahratta, called Sámá, whom he de­spatched thither. He also appointed Sádik Beg Khán, one of Adína Beg Khán's followers, to the administration of Sirhind, and gave the management of the Doáb to Adína Beg Khán's widow. Sámá, after reaching Láhore, applied himself to the task of government, and pushed on his troops as far as the river Attock. In the meanwhile, 'Imádu-l Mulk, the wazír, caused Sháh 'Álamgír II. to suffer martyrdom, in retaliation for an ancient grudge, and placed the son of Muhi'u-s Sunnat, son of Kám Bakhsh, son of Aurangzeb 'Álamgír, on the throne of Dehlí.

Dattá Sindhia.

Dattá Sindhia, Jankújí's uncle, about that time formed the design of invading the kingdom of the Rohillas; whereupon Najíbu-d daula and other Rohilla chiefs, becoming cognizant of this fact, and perceiving the image of ultimate misfortune re­flected in the mirror of the very beginning, wrote numerous letters to the Abdálí Sháh, and used every persuasion to induce him to come to Hindústán. The Sháh, who was vexed at heart on account of Tímúr Sháh and Jahán Khán having been com­pelled to take to flight, and was brooding over plans of revenge, accounted this friendly overture a signal advantage, and set him­self at once in motion.

Dattá, in company with his nephew Jankú, after crossing the Jumna, advanced against Najíbu-d daula, and 'Imádu-l Mulk, the wazír, hastened to Dattá's support, agreeably to his request. As the number of the Mahratta troops amounted to nearly 80,000 horse, Najíbu-d daula, finding his strength inadequate to risk an open battle, threw up intrenchments at Sakartál, one of the places belonging to Antarbed (the Doáb), situated on the bank of the river Ganges, and there held himself in readiness to oppose the enemy. As the rainy season presented an in­surmountable obstacle to Dattá's movements, he was forced to suspend military operations, and in the interim Najíbu-d daula despatched several letters to Nawáb Shujá'u-d daula, begging his assistance.

The Nawáb, urged by the promptings of valour and gallantry, started from Lucknow in the height of the rains, which fell with greater violence than in ordinary years, and having with the utmost spirit and resolution traversed the intervening roads, which were all in a wretched muddy condition, made Sháhábád the site of his camp. Till the conclusion of the rainy season, however, he was unable to unite with Najíbu-d daula, owing to the over­flowing of the river Ganges.

No sooner had the rains come to an end, than one of the Mahratta chieftains, who bore the appellation of Gobind Pandit, forded the stream at Dattá's command, with a party of 20,000 cavalry, and allowed no portion of Chándpúr and many other populous places to escape conflagration and plunder. He then betook himself to the spot where Sa'du-llah Khán, Dúndí Khán, and Háfiz Rahmat Khán had assembled, after having risen up in arms and quitted their abodes, to afford succour to Najíbu-d daula. These three, finding themselves unable to cope with him, took refuge in the forests on the Kamáún hills.