Qi "VV. Irvine — The Bangasli JSfawdls of TarruJcMMd. [No. 2, 



Pathan of Naval Rae's escort threw a " hashpelai"* calling out in Pushtu, 

 " infidels ! where are you going, are you blind, let no one approach, for 

 " these are chiefs and leaders." They heard the " liashpelai" but did not 

 understand the words. ' Muhammad Khan's brother, who had lately come 

 from Afghanistan, translated them. Muhammad Khan ordered his men to 

 ride at the group, while the footmen discharged their firelocks. Many of 

 the enemy were disabled but the rest advanced. Then Naval Rae made use 

 of abusive language, and said, " you vegetable sellers ! I will thrash you, 

 " you scamps, step by step out of this country." As he spoke he let fly an 

 arrow which grazed Muhammad Khan's chest. Taking the arrow in his 

 hand, Muhammad Khan said, " O arrow of an impotent man ! is this all 

 " you can do ?" When the other heard this, he fired a second arrow whicli_ 

 would have been fatal to Muhammad Khan, had it not struck a youth near 

 him in the neck, so that he fell off his horse. Then a Sayyad of Barha, 

 Muhammad Salah, advanced and said, " Maharaj ! I do not say the Pathans 

 " will deceive, it is not necessary to show mercy, let us do all we can against 

 " them." He had spoken thus far, when a slave of Muhammad Khan's 

 father fired off his piece, and hit the Sayyad on the forehead so that he 

 expired in his liowdah. Then one of the Afridis killed Naval Rae with a 

 musket shot. After this the Pathans advanced and put many to the sword. 

 The elephant driver, on seeing that Naval Rae was dead, drove the elephant 

 into the Kali ; it swam across and bolted with its driver to Kannauj. When 

 the Rajah's army saw that their leader was killed or wounded and had re- 

 treated, they too began to give way. Thousands of horsemen and foot 

 soldiers fled. Those who could swim or were well mounted escaped across 

 the Kali ; those who were poorly mounted were drowned. The victory was 

 most unexpected both by the Pathans and on Naval Rae's side. 



After the fight but before the kettle-drums had beaten the triumphal 

 march, Muhammad Khan went to the quarters of the money dealers. 

 In a small tent he found several fat bunyas playing at " cliaiipar." On 

 seeing him, they said, " Come in, tell us, are the Pathans yet retreating, 

 " or are they still where they were ?" The poor wretches thought he was 

 one of their side, for they never dreamt of Ahmad Khan having concpiered. 

 Muhammad Khan told them that Naval Rae was dead, far and near Ahmad 

 Khan now ruled, and they had apparently been dreaming to remain in such 

 ignorance. They turned pale when they heard the news. Soon after forty 

 or fifty Pathans coming up wished to slay the owners of the tent. The 

 bunyas in their fright said they had boxes of gold coins and rupees, which they 

 would give up to be let go, they had been subjects of Safdar Jang and would 



* Called in Hindi " alghoza ;" two races use them, Mewatis and Afghans ; they 

 are made out of a piece of cane or bamboo. — ' Amdd-iLs-ScC dat. 



