634 History of the Gurha Mundala Rajas. [Aug. 



Puhar Singh was a brave and enterprising man ; and finding no 

 prospect of making head against the young prince for the present, he 

 led off his followers, and joined the army of the emperor Aurungzebe 

 then employed in the siege of Beejapore* and served under the com- 

 mand of Dilere Khan, where he had frequent opportunities of dis- 

 tinguishing himself; and the general was so much pleased with 

 his services that after the fall of Beejapore he sent with him a 

 body of troops under the command of Meer Jfna and Meer Man- 

 oollah, to assist in his attempts upon Mundala. He was met by the 

 young prince, his cousin, near the banks of the Doodhee river at Fut- 

 tehpore, where an action took place, in which Nerind Sa' was defeat- 

 ed, and his general killed. 



He retired upon Mundala accompanied by Ramkishun, the faithful 

 minister who had secured him from the father of Puhar Singh. Not 

 feeling himself secure at Mundala he proceeded to Sohagpore, where he 

 collected around him his scattered forces, and became again able to 

 face his cousin in the field, as the troops which the Moghul general 

 had sent to assist him, were returned to the Dukhun. They came to an 

 action near the village of Ketoogow, where Puhar Singh was defeated 

 and killed. On the death of their leader all his troops dispersed, or 

 entered into the service of the victor ; who returned to Mundala, and 

 thenceforward made that place the seat of his government. 



Puhar Singh had two sons in the action who fled from the field as 

 soon as they saw the troops give way after their father's death ; and 

 returned to the imperial camp, in the hope of obtaining further assis- 

 tance. Every other endeavour to interest the emperor in their 

 fortunes proving fruitless, they at last, stimulated by the desire to 

 revenge their father's death, and to acquire the sovereignty of the 

 Gurha dominions, renounced their religion for that of Islam, and 

 obtained the support of a small body of troops with which they 

 returned to the valley of the Nerbudda, under the acquired names of 

 Abdor Ruhman, and Abdol Hajee. They were to have been joined 

 by a Murhutta force under Gunga Jee Pundit; and Nerind Singh, 

 distrustful of his strength, sent an agent to endeavour to bring his two 

 cousins to terms before this force should join. 



This agent they put into confinement, under the pretence that he 

 was serving a rebel against their legitimate authority, but he soon 

 effected his escape ; and, being well acquainted with the character of 

 the Murhutta partisans, proceeded immediately to their camp, and by 



* Beejapore surrendered to the emperor Aurungzebe, 15th October, 1686. 



