1S79.] W. Irvine — The Bangash Nawab s of FarruMidbdd. 127 



tery. Ahmad Khan's guns were, however, all in order, and many had iron 

 shields ( ? = chadaren). As it was the cold season, there "were watch-fires 

 here and there, at which the camp-followers and labourers were warming 

 themselves. These men, hearing the tramp of horses' hoofs, called out to 

 each other that the Mahrattas were on them. They snatched up some 

 lighted wood from the night fires in pieces of broken pottery and threw 

 them on the port holes of the guns and " cliddar," which all went off toge- 

 ther. A number of the enemy were slain and the rest fled. On Ahmad Khan's 

 side not a soixl was hurt. All this was done without the Nawab being 

 disturbed. At dawn the Durrani king visited the field of battle. Ahmad 

 Khan went out to meet him, when he said that he had now seen, with his 

 own eyes, proof of that bravery of which he had heard. He took off his 

 jigha* and made a present of it to the Nawab. After that his enemies 

 were abashed and silenced. 



On the day of the great battle (7th January, 1761), Ahmad Khan was 

 directed to guard the women, his force being so small. The Nawab refused 

 indignantly, saying, that such work was fit for eunuchs, he would fight in the 

 front. The Abdali king then sent him to the right wing. It was here that 

 the first attack was made, and after a contest in which Ibrahim Khan Gar- 

 di was wounded, the Mahratta gained the advantage. In this emergency 

 Ahmad Khan sent his darogJia, Musharrif Khan, to Ahmad Shah asking for 

 aid. When the messenger reached the king, Shuja'-iid-daula and Najib 

 Khan stated that the enemy was not opposed in great force to Nawab 

 Ahmad Khan, that the need for reinforcement was greater with 'Inayat 

 'Ali Khan, son of Hafiz Rahmat Khan. When Musharrif Khan reported 

 that no reply had been given by the king, he was sent back with a still 

 more pressing message. At length two divisions were ordered out, and 

 these having strengthened the right wing, the Mahrattas were gradually 

 driven back. Biswas Rao having been killed, Sadasheo Bhao fled, all be- 

 came confusion, and by two o'clock in the day the field was won. 



Daim Khan, chela, used to relate that when Ahmad Khan was sent for 

 after the battle to receive a Ichilat, he sat down by the entrance of the tent. 

 Shuja'-ud-daula took up the Nawab's sword and pulled it out of its scabbard. 

 There was no edge on it, the Nawab using it in a particular way. Shuja'- 

 ud-daula in a mocking manner said — " Are you a commander of Fifty-two 

 " thousand and own such a sword as this ?" The Nawab replied, " The 

 "edge of this sword was felt by your father well." He referred to the de- 

 feat and flight of Safdar Jang. Nawab Najib Khan, Bohela, who was a 

 great friend of Shuja'-ud-daula, then asked for the sword and, having look- 

 ed at it, praised it ironically and begged it as a gift. Nawab Ahmad Khan 

 * A gold ornament worn in the turban — " Qanoon-e-Islam," 2nd ed. App. Ill, p. x. 



