1879.1 W.Irvine — The Bangash Nawabs of FarruMdMd. 125 



marched for Delhi, joined by some of Ahmad Khan's troops, and by the aid of 

 the Mahrattas he speedily expelled Najib Khan. 



This visit must have laid the foundation for the friendship between 

 Ghazi-ud-din Khan and Ahmad Khan, a friendship so strong that after his 

 public life was over, the fallen Wazir found an asylum for at least nine years 

 in Ahmad Khan's capital. We shall come to the details of his second visit 

 further on. 



Ahmad Khan at the tattle of Pd?iipat. 



When Ahmad Shah Durani entered India for the sixth time, in the 

 year 1173 H. (25th Augt. 1759— 13th Augt. 1760), Ahmad Khan went 

 with the Rohela leaders to pay his respects to the invader. They were intro- 

 duced to him at Koil on the 4th Zi'l Haj 1173, (18th July, 1760).* The 

 defeat of Dataji Sendhia took place shortly afterwards. 



Ahmad Khan must have made more than a nominal submission to 

 Ahmad Shah, for we find him forwarding supplies to the camp under a 

 large convoy. Holkar, who had escaped from the defeat, was near Agra 

 and, hearing of this convoy, crossed the Jamna. He took or destroyed a 

 great part of the supplies and then retired again across the Jamna. A body 

 of Afghans were, however, detached from their main army and, overtaking 

 him by a prodigious march, routed his troops with great slaughter. 



Ahmad Shah, after moving across the Jamna, took up his quarters at 

 Anupshahr. After some time Shuja'-ud-daula was induced to give in his 

 adherence. The local chroniclers assert that this was effected through Hafiz 

 Eahmat Khan and Ahmad Khan. Soon Sadasheo Bhao arrived from the 

 Dakhin with an immense army, under Jankoji, son of Apa Ji Sendhia, 

 Ibrahim Khan Gardi, Mulhar Kao and others, in order to avenge the defeat 

 of Dataji. On the 25th October, 1760, Ahmad Shah marched from Anup- 

 shahr and crossed the Jamna about twenty miles above Delhi. Ahmad Khan 

 Ghalib Jang was present with a contingent of five thousand men. The 

 Mahrattas proceeded to entrench themselves at Panipat, and Ahmad Shah 

 encamped opposite them. Daily skirmishing, varied by one or two partial 

 engagements, went on for more than two months, till the Mahratta supplies 

 failing entirely, they were forced to risk a general action. 



The story goes that Ahmad Shah Durani offered a reward of one rupee 

 for every Mahratta head. Ten thousand horsemen were sent out daily to 

 plunder villages and cut off supplies. These men used to capture any lag- 

 ging groom, grass-cutter or petty dealer they came across and, producing 

 the captive's head before the king, they received a rupee for each head. 

 Hearing of this ; Nawab Ahmad Khan said to his arz-oegi (chamberlain), 



* Life of Hafiz Rahmat Khan, p. 59. 



