1879.] W. Irvine — The Bang ash Nnv&bs of FarruJchdbdd. 105 



week, and no means could be found of crossing the river, and the food 

 which the troops had brought with them was nearly exhausted, the Rohela 

 leaders represented the state of affairs to Nawab Ahmad Khan. He asked 

 what they thought of doing. Hafiz Rahmat Khan then told him that 

 during the night a letter to Sa'dullah Khan had been received from Najib 

 Khan, to the effect that he would arrive shortly with reinforcements. He 

 was advancing down the opposite or right bank of the Ganges. This being 

 the case, they thought it best to march and encamp themselves near Suraj- 

 piir, a ferry in Parganah Kampil, some thirty miles or more above Far- 

 rukhabad, and forty-two miles from Singhirampur. There they could 

 collect boats, and then crossing the river they could join with Najib Khan 

 in making a forced march against Mulhar Rao, who had at the moment 

 only a small force. Time must not, however, be given to repair the broken 

 bridge. Therefore, on marching, they would give out that they were retreat- 

 ing to their own bridge over the Earn Ganga, to replenish their stores of 

 grain ; and that having obtained fresh supplies, they would at once re-occu- 

 py their old position and renew hostilities. Nawab Ahmad Khan consent- 

 ed and they marched. The Mahrattas kept up a distant fire as they march- 

 ed off, but they made no attempt to follow. 



Meanwhile the Wazir, who had heard of the Afghans' attempt, hur- 

 ried back and crossing at Mahndi ghat in parganah Kannauj, forty miles 

 below Farrukhabad, rejoined Mulhar Rao at Singhirampur on the 9th 

 Muharram 11G5 H. (L7th November 1751). On his arrival the whole of 

 the guns were fired off as a salute, and the sound excited great consterna- 

 tion in the Pathan camp. On hearing that the Wazir had arrived, the 

 Pathan leaders assembled, and after a discussion it was finally decided to 

 march straight to Bangarh in parganah Budaon, ten miles north of Budaon., 

 Bazid Khan, commander of the artillery, was sent for and received orders 

 to move off with his guns, first firing a salvo from all his pieces. These 

 orders were executed and the artillery set out. The change of plan had 

 not been communicated to the troops. When they saw the artillery being 

 removed, a panic took possession of all except the commanders and other 

 principal men. Not a single man kept to his proper place. When the 

 leaders saw this, they were much cast down, saying to each other, " With- 

 " out a battle we have been defeated." Nawab Ahmad Khan and his men 

 were half a Tcos distant from Nawab Sa'dullah Khan's troops, and quite 

 ignorant of what had occurred in the Rohela camp.* 



* Here Hisam-ud-dm appears to gloss over a defeat which, as is admitted by the 



Eohela account (Life of H. E. K., p. 42), occurred on the road to Anwalah. The 



Mahrattas, they say, had crossed by Kamrol, which is twenty-eight miles above 



Singhirampur. Hamilton (p. 109) places the scene of the defeat at Islamnagar, thirty- 



o 



