174 GANGETICHINDOOSTAN. 



taries, affenibled a valt army, and took the ufual route of in- 

 vaders, and reached thefe famous fields. It feems to have been 

 a confederacy of Hindoos againft the Mahometan powers. The 

 great Abdalla, or Ab'med Sbab, headed the latter. It is faid that 

 the army of the former confifted of two hundred thoufand men^ 

 of the latter a hundred and fifty thoufand. The battle was 

 fought with uncommon obilinacy. Victory declared for the 

 Mahometans*. The Mabrattas loft fifty thoufand men, and 

 were fo weakened by this fatal defeat, as from that time vifibly 

 to decline in their confequence. 

 Cantals of In about the year 1359, that ufeful prince, Fcrofe III, cut a 



canal near the northern hills irom the Jumna to his royal 

 hunting palace of Sufedon, about twenty miles weft by weft of 

 Paniput, to fupply it with water. It was fixty miles in length, 

 and paffed over the plains of Carnawl. Not long after, he 

 founded the city and caftle of Hijfar, about eighty miles diftant, 

 due weft of Faniput. His new city was feated in a fandy de- 

 fert on the way from Perjia to Delhi, fo that the travellers 

 were often greatly diftrefled for water. By the perfuafion of a 

 Dervijhi who had predided his acceflion to the throne, he con- 

 tinued the canal from Sufedon to HiJJar, an extent of a hundred 

 and fourteen miles. He again cut a canal from the river Setlege 

 to Hijjcir Ferofebad, to extend the comforts of the travellers. 

 Its length was a hundred miles : Its mouth was fuppofed to 

 have been at the conflux of the Beyah with the Setlege. Thefe 

 imperial works were taken up again by Shab Jehan, who not 



* See a moft circumftantlal account of this battle in the Afiatic Refearchcs, iii. p. p. 91. 139. 



only 



