OF NADIR SHAH, &C. 541 



Of our success in reducing the provinces of 

 Peshavir and taking possession of Lahore^ the former 

 seat of empire, our beloved son has already been in- 

 formed. We marched from that city the last day of 

 Shaval, and on Friday the 10th of Zelkdd reached 

 Amhala^ forty farfakhs from Shahjehdndhdd. We here 

 learnt, that Muh^ammed Shah had collected from 

 Hindustan and the Dech'm a numerous force, and ac- 

 companied by all his nobles, l;y an army of three 

 hundred thousand men, three hundred pieces of can- 

 non, three or four hundred elephants, and other equip- 

 ments in proportion, had marched from Delhi and ar- 

 rived at Pdnipei^ a village twenty farsakhs from 

 Amhala. We immediately directed the superfluous 

 and heavy baggage of our conquering army to be left 

 at Amhala, and advanced to meet the enemy. Mu- 

 h'ammed Shah also left Punipet and marched to 

 Carnal), which is twenty-five farsakhs from Delhi, 



In the course of our march we detached a force of 

 five or six thousand men in advance, who had orders 

 to observe the appearance, numbers and order of 

 MuHAMMED Shah's army. This body, when about 

 two farsakhs from Carnal, fell in with the advance 

 of the Hindus idni army, which amounted to twelve 

 thousand men : these they attacked and totally 

 routed ; presenting us with their general and many 

 others, whom they made prisoners. 



This" signal defeat put a stop to Muhammed 

 Shah's fuichcr advance. He halted at Carnal and 

 surrounded his army with a trench : he also con- 

 structed ramparts and batteries on which he placed 

 his cannon. 



We had sent a detachment to march to the east 



