140 W. Irvine — The Bangasli Naioabs of Farrukhabdd. [No. 2, 



After this the Nawah wrote a letter {Jcharita) to Ghazi-ud-din Khan 

 'Imad-ul-Mulk, Wazir, who was then in the country of Suraj Mall J at,* 

 asking for his aid and presence. The despatch was made over to Khwaja 

 Khan, the walcil of 'Imad-ul-Mulk, to whom the Nawah said that if, which 

 God forbid, he came across Suraj Mall, and he should ask why he, too, was 

 not invited, the answer should be given, that formerly he had not behaved like 

 a neighbour, else he never would have joined Safdar Jang. He had better 

 march to join Shuja'-ud-daula, Safdar Jang's son, for with God's favour 

 he, Ahmad Khan, did not want his aid ; and, please God, he would serve 

 Shuja'-ud-daula as he had served Safdar Jang. 



When Khwaja Khan reached Dig and delivered his letter, 'Imad-ul- 

 Mulk at once sent for Suraj Mall. 'Imad-ul-Mulk repeated to him how 

 affairs stood and declared it to be his intention to march to the assistance 

 of Ahmad Khan. The Rajah asked why he had not been invited to 

 join. Khwaja Khan then repeated the Nawab's exact words. The Rajah 

 admitted that what the Nawab said was true, still byegones should be bye- 

 gones. Although he had not been asked, he would send off 3000 active 

 horsemen with orders to encamp at Koil. If Shuja'-ud-daula advanced 

 any further than Kanauj, they would advance by forced marches to join 

 Ahmad Khan. Besides this he would send several thousand horse to ac- 

 company the Ex-wazir. They marched, and when 'Imad-ul-Mulk drew 

 near the city, Ahmad Khan came out in person to meet him, and conduct- 

 ed him to his tents in the Haiyat Bagh. 



In answer to the partvdnahs the troops from far and near began to 

 pour into the city. Altogether some thirty or forty thousand men had 

 assembled, including Pathans from Shahjahanpur, Shahabad and other 

 places. When Hafiz Rahmat Khan arrived from Bareli, his tents were 

 pitched in the fort of Fathgarh. Below Zu'lfikargarh, near the city, a bridge 

 of boats was thrown across, and there Mulla Sardar Khan and Donde Khan 

 crossed with their men. The artillery was got out and put in order. 

 It was then sent on to the banks of the Bagar just beyond Yakutganj, 

 where all the tents were set up which had been plundered from Safdar 

 Jang and Naval Rae. The Nawab then marched out at the head of his 

 army, and having stayed one night, he returned to the fort, leaving the 

 Bakhshi in command. Roshan Khan and Umrao Gir, each with about five 

 thousand men, were ordered to proceed and join Shekh Kabir's camp on the 

 Kali below Khudaganj. 



Soon after Shuja'-ud-daula's arrival at Makanpur, an eunuch of his 

 establishment made his appearance at Farrukhabad, and put up at the Lai 



* It was not till 1763-4 that Suraj Mall lost his life during a skirmish with Najib 

 Khan's troops. 



