1 



Yol, III, No. 6.] The Gonqriest of Ghatqaon. 411 



were issued directing that every kind of provision that tliey could 

 secure should be despatched to the expeditionary force. Yasawals 

 were appointed by the Nawwab to see to it. [160, 6.] So excellent 

 were the Nawwab's arrangements that from the beginning till 

 now the price of grain in the army has been to the price in Dacca 

 as ten to nine. 



Mughal Advance by Land and Sea. 



Buzurg Ummed Khan moved quickly on, carried his entire 

 army over the deep river in a few days, crossed the river of 

 Feni, ^ entered the Magh territory, and advanced cutting the 

 jungle and making a road. According to the J^awwab's command 

 a thanah was established on the river of Feni, under Sultan Beg, 

 mansahdar, with a contingent of horse and foot. [161, a.] As the 

 river of Feni joins the sea, it was feared that the enemy's ships 

 would pass up the river and harass the Imperial army's passage. 

 It was, therefore, decided that out of the commanders at Noakhali, 

 Ibn Husain should advance with the nawwcLra by the sea and 

 Farhad Khan, MirMurtaza, and Haiat Khan by land, In aid 

 of the natcivara. If they could, they should enter the Karnfuli 

 river and occupy its mouth, and also attack Chatgaon. Other- 

 wise they should stay in the neighbourhood and wait for 

 Buzurg Ummed Khan's arrival. The jungle was thereafter to 

 be cut along the sea stage by stage, the flotilla to advance by sea 

 and the Khan by its coast ; in march and halt the land and 

 sea forces were never to be separated. 



These officers started from Noakhali. Ibn Husain with the 

 flotilla soon arrived at the creek of Khamaria, two stages fi^om 

 Chatgaon, and began to cut the jungle 6e/ore towards Chatgaon 

 and hehind towards the advancing army. Farhad Khan, Mir 

 Murtaza and other commanders [161, 6] of the land force too 

 advanced cutting the jungle, and joined hands with Ibn Husain 

 on the 21st January, 1666, Buzurg Ummed Khan who was 

 hastening clearing the jungle arrived with the [main] army with- 

 in three kos of Khamaria. 



A The 'AlamgJrndmah, p. 949, describes the movements of the expedition 

 thus : " Farhad Khan, appointed a force of pioneers, wood-cntters, and some 

 infantry armed with bows and muskets for inaklng a road and clearing the 

 jungle. On the 12th .Tannarj, 1666, marching from Noakhali with Mir 

 Murtaza and other comrades, he reached the ontpoat of Jagdia. Ibn Husain 

 and his comrades on board weighed anchor. On the 14th, Farhad Khan and 

 his party crossed the Feni nver and advanced cautiously. On the 20th- he 

 reached a tank, from which Chatgaon was one day's journey, and waited for 

 Buzurg Ummed Khan's arrival. That general, after crossing the Feni on 



the 17th , arrived on the 21st at a place 8 tos behind the position of 



Farhad Khan and Mir Murtaza^ which [latter] was 10 Icon from Chatgaon 

 fort, and where the jungle was very thick and the road very bad, — and 

 halted there. Farhad Khan daily advanced a little, cutting the jungle and 

 levelling the road. The flotilla waited for the army at Dararia, a depen- 

 dency of Chatgaon, which was about 20 Tcos from the halting-place of 

 Buzurg Ummed Khan, 



