126 W.Irvine — The Bangash Naw&ls of FarrulcMMd. [No. 2, 



Musharrif Khan, that he would give two rupees for each Mahratta brought 

 in alive. The Duranis then began to bring in their prisoners alive. The 

 Nawab paid for each the sum of two rupees, and then at midnight he let 

 them go free. On reaching the Bhao's camp, they were loud in their praises 

 of Nawab Ahmad Khan. Shuja'-ud-daula and Najib Khan reported this 

 matter to the Durani king, and from that day he was displeased with the- 

 Nawab. 



In order to augment this displeasure those two nobles also remarked that 

 Ahmad Khan, although Amir-ul-Umra and Bakhshi of the Empire, had 

 brought a very insignificant force. The Shah made no reply. But Shah Wall 

 Khan, his Wazir, and himself of the Bangash clan, who happened to be 

 present, sent for Ahmad Khan. On his appearing, the Wazir rose to greet 

 him and gave him a place by his side. Then turning to him, he said, " O 

 " Grhalib Jang ! you are one of the great nobles of Hindustan, yet you have 

 " brought with you a very small force. What is the reason ?" Now Ahmad 

 Khan had already heard, through Jang Baz Khan Bangash, of the evil 

 speeches of his enemies. In reply to Shah Wali Khan, the Wazir, he said 

 that he had left his baJchshi at Farrukkabad with a large force to guard 

 his house ; for Grobind Pandit had advanced from Bundelkhand with three 

 thousand men and, having crossed the Jamna, was encamped on the banks 

 of that river. If he had left no troops behind, his capital and his house 

 would have been plundered. Further, with this same small army he had 

 once defeated Safdar Jang and his immense force, including Suraj Mall, 

 Kajak Himmat Singh and other Rajahs. If he had wished, he could have 

 then marched on Delhi, but refrained out of respect for the presence 

 of the Emperor. Shah Wali Khan said he had already heard in Kabul 

 reports of what was referred to. The Nawab ended by saying that the 

 quality of his army, though it was small, would be seen in the day of 

 battle. 



Opposed to Ahmad Khan's battery was that of Ibrahim Khan Gardi* 

 who commanded twelve thousand regular infantry. One dark night, this 

 Ibrahim Khan gave orders that, as Ahmad Khan's battery was weaker than 

 that of any other noble, he would at that point make anight attack. In the 

 last watch of the night Ibrahim Khan's troops attempted to surprise the bat- 



* Gdrdi was the name given to the regular infantry disciplined after the Euro- 

 pean manner. (Grant Duff, p. 315.) The translator of the " Seir-Mutaqharin" (Cal- 

 cutta, 1789, Vol. Ill, p. 152), says that Ibrahim Khan was a very thin black man, much 

 pitted with the small-pox, who had in his early years been Chobdar to a French officer 

 at Pondicherry. He rose in the French servics to be a Commandant of their disci- 

 plined sepoys. He then went over with his men to the Mahrattas and took service with 

 Sada Sheo Bhao. 



