96 W. Irvine — The Bangash JSfawdbs of Farruhlidldcl. [No. 2, 



favourable to Nawab Ahmad Khan. They requested that a trusty messen- 

 ger might be sent to the Nawab to lay the matter before him on their part. 

 Nawab Ghairat Khan selected his brother Alaf Khan. Alaf Khan went 

 and represented to Nawab Ahmad Khan, that ten lakhs would be paid, and 

 that Pali and Sandi would be added to his former territory. As soon as he 

 heard the words, Ahmad Khan said that, if the Wazir paid ten Jcrors of 

 rupees as the price of his brother's blood, never would he accept it, nor if 

 twenty sons of the Wazir were slain, would he be satisfied. He declined to 

 treat, and left it to the decision of the sword — 



'' Har kih shamsher zanad sikka ba-nam-ash khwand." 



Nor let them think that he was invested in that fort, for he was ready at 

 any moment to meet them in the open field. His defeat of the Wazir had 

 passed into a proverb ; as for Suraj Mall Jat, he was the same who had been 

 unable to stand up against him before, and in company with the Wazir had 

 taken to flight. By God's favour, after victory they would see him act as an 

 honorable and brave man should act. Till their fate had been tried in battle, 

 what peace could there be. If he gained the day, he would attain his desires, 

 if the fates were against him, he bowed to the will of the Most Higk , but 

 the blood of Ghazanfar Jang's sons should never be sold for gold. He 

 then gave Alaf Khan his dismissal, and presented him with a dress of hon- 

 our, a horse, and a sword. 



Soon after Alaf Khan had departed, messengers brought word that 

 next day Nawab Sa'dullah Khan would march up and encamp on the bank 

 of the Ganges. Orders were accordingly given to Nawab Mahmud Khan 

 and Manavar Khan Sahibzadah to go out to welcome him. At one watch 

 before sunrise those two chiefs started, as directed, to meet and escort 

 Nawab Sa'dullah Khan. 



Next day the army of Sa'dullah Khan, with swords drawn and drums 

 beating, came into sight. It is said they were twelve thousand in number.* 

 All the Pathans and Rohelas, and the soldiers in all directions, out of joy 

 and delight at sight of this reinforcement, began firing off their guns. 

 They were so puffed up with pride and became so haughty that they remem- 

 bered not God. Sayyad Asad 'Ali Shah with several men, among others 

 Hisam-ud-din Gwaliyari, was seated on the river's bank watching the arrival 

 of the army of Nawab Sa'dullah Kban. As the holy man's glance fell 

 upon the troops on the further side of the river, he became suddenly agitat- 

 ed, and falling into a deep reverie, he exclaimed, " Slain and defeated." 

 When he returned to his ordinary state, he said that the joy and rejoicing 

 of these men had not found acceptance, they would see what the morrow 

 should bring forth. 



* Life of Hafiz Eahmat Khan, p. 40. 



