78 W. Irvine — The BangasTi Nawdbs of FarrukMbdd. [No. 2, 



service, who at the head of nine hundred or a thousand men had arrived as 

 far as Kannauj on their way to join their master, retreated by way of Lakh- 

 nau to Jhiisi. Then 'Ali Kuli Khan Karkhi, the deputy in the Allahabad 

 Subah, came out to meet them.* There they heard that Shadi Khan was 

 marching down country at the head of twenty thousand men. 'Ali Kuli 

 Khan with his own troops and part of those of Rae Partap Narayan advan- 

 ced to oppose Shadi Khan. The two armies met each other at Kora- Jaha- 

 nabadf where a battle ensued, and Shadi Khan having been defeated began 

 to retreat. 



When this news was brought to Nawab Ahmad Khan, he proposed to 

 send large reinforcements, but his chief counsellors overruled him, and 

 advised his proceeding in person, hoping that the fort of Allahabad would 

 be evacuated at his approach. Nawab Baka-ullah Khan and 'Ali Kuli 

 Khan, hearing of Ahmad Khan's advance, beat a rapid retreat, and took 

 refuge in the fort of Allahabad. Ahmad Khan when he had reached Kora 

 halted several days, and intended to return home himself, leaving the fight- 

 ing to Mansur 'Ali Khan, J Eustam Khan Bangash, and Sa'dat Khan 

 Afridi, brother of Mahmud Khan, Bakhshi to Nawab Kaim Khan, these 

 three leaders having a large force in their pay. But he was persuaded to 

 go on by the arrival of wakils from the eastern Rajahs, Pirthipat, son of 

 Chattardhari, son of Ji Sukh, Sombansi, ruler of Partabgarh,§ and Rajah 

 Balwant Singh of Banaras. The agents were introduced through Mustajab 

 Khan Warakzai and Haji Safaraz Khan, who were then in attendance. 

 The letters were to the effect that if the Nawab would continue his advance 

 to Allahabad, they undertook to obtain the fort for him in a very short 

 time, after that the whole of the eastern country would fall into his power. 

 After receiving these letters the Nawab went on towards Allahabad, and 



* The Khizana Amira, p. 83, distinguishes this 'Ali Kuli Khan from 'Ali Kuli 

 Khan Daghistani, poetically "Walih, hut the local historians, Wali-ullah and the " Lauh" 

 make them one and the same. Mir Ghulam 'Ali is the most likely to be right, as he 

 was acquainted personally with the poet Walih, Hisam-ud-din calls this man simply the 

 " Allahabadi," and the " Siyar-ul-Mutakharin," p. 879, says he had been in the service 

 of Sayyad Muhammad Khan, naib of the Allahabad Subah on the part of ' Umdat-ul-Mulk 

 Amir Khan. Kali Rae in the Fatehgarh-ndma (p. 54,) refers to the author of a book 

 called the Soft AMim, who states that he was present in this retreat from Lakhnau. 

 The reference is, I now find, to the Hadikat-ul-Akdlim. 



t On the Grand Trunk Road, some thirty-four miles north-west of the town of 

 Fathpur. 



% Thirteenth son of N. Muhammad Khan. 



§ Or as Hisam-ud-din says, Azimgarh. Partabgarh lies thirty -two miles north 

 of Allahabad. There is a capital account of the family in the Hadikat-ul-Akdlim un- 

 der the head, Partabgarh in the Second Clime. 



