1879.] W.Irvine — The Bangash Nawdbs of FarruMdbdd. 93 



Upon the Wazir's receiving a detailed report of these nocturnal con- 

 tests, he sent for the leaders of the Mughals and Kizilbash, and told them 

 how, although invested, Ahmad Khan's troops each night left their ravines 

 to attack the Mahrattas, and every morning carried back heads upon spears. 

 He wanted to know what they were about not to prevent this, and he told 

 them that he spat upon their beards. That very day they must proceed to 

 the threatened position, and so fight that they should either defeat the 

 enemy and bring their heads to lay at his, the Wazir's feet, or else give up 

 their own lives to the enemy. Those tiger-cubs (sher-bacha) joined the 

 Mahratta army, and after a short rest hastened on to Kasim Bagh, opposite 

 to which was the battery commanded by Mansur 'Ali Khan, the thirteenth 

 son of Nawab Muhammad Khan. Between the bdgh and the battery there 

 was no cover, but the ground was uneven and rugged. The sher-bacha 

 advanced out of the bdgh, and taking shelter in a hollow, began a fire from 

 large muskets. Again advancing in the same manner, they at length came 

 quite close to the battery. When the Kizilbash horsemen saw that the 

 sher-bacha were close to the battery, they dismounted and advanced as a 

 reinforcement. They all then attacked together. The Pathans, who were 

 ready waiting for the enemy, gave them one round from their cannon and 

 let off a number of rockets, then drawing their swords rushed upon them. 

 When they had put many of their assailants to death, the rest giving way 

 took refuge again in the Kasim Bagh. The Pathans followed them up 

 and, forcing them to continue the retreat, themselves occupied the bdgh. 

 To the right of it, on the east side, there is an open space at a much lower 

 level. Here there stood drawn up in ambush a very large force of Mahrat- 

 tas. Seeing that the Wazir's soldiers were retreating, unable to withstand 

 the Afghan attack, and that the Afghans quitting their batteries had come 

 as far as Kasim Bagh, a number of these horsemen dashed into the space 

 between the battery and the bdgh. The regiment was under the command 

 of Tantia. When the valiant Afghans perceived that the Mahrattas had 

 barred their retreat, they said to each other, " O friends, fire your arrows 

 " and aim your swords first at the horses' legs, so that the rider having fallen, 

 " you may slay him." All the Afghans adopted this mode of dealing with 

 the Mahratta horse, and they killed many of them. At length the Mah- 

 rattas dismounted and continued the fight. This engagement was watched 

 by Mansur 'Ali Khan Sahihzadah from the battery. Rising and grasping 

 his sword, he went out on foot towards the enemy. His personal followers 

 with bared swords preceded him, among them was Hisam-ud-din Gwaliyari, 

 from whose book we quote. Counting his followers and others accidental- 

 ly present, he found there were about one thousand men or thereabouts. 

 These came up in the midst of the affray between the Mahrattas and the first 



