74 W. Irvine—The Bangash Nawibs of Farrukhabad. [No. 2, 
sword cuts. In this encounter were slain Mir Ghulam Nabi and Mir ’Azim- 
ud-din, Sayyads of Bilgrém.* 
As soon as Nawib Ahmad Khan reached the field of battle, the Mu- 
ghuls discharged their artillery, great and small, loaded with spikes (gokhri) 
and broken iron instead of balls. From the noise the earth trembled but 
the execution done was small. No one was wounded except Parmil Khan, 
who lost the skin of one finger. From the spreading of the smoke the sky 
was obscured and for a time it was quite dark. 
Nawab Ahmad Khan waited a few moments till the smoke had sub- 
sided, when he made a rapid advance through some dhdék jungle upon the 
Wazir’s entrenchment. The horsemen having dismounted drew their swords 
and preceded the Nawab. By voice and by signs with his bow, he urged on 
the kahars to carry his pé/ki speedily into the midst of the enemy. When 
the Pathans got near the guns, they fired their matchlocks and drove off 
the artillery-men, and the chains protecting the camp they cut with their 
swords or with axes. They now had got near to where the Wazir stood 
with a large force, and the Pathdns began the attack on him with a discharge 
of musketry and arrows. The Nawab at the head of the reserve came up 
and joined them. With his own hand he discharged his arrows, aiming at 
the Wazir, and the Pathans so exerted themselves with their swords that 
there was a general slaughter, and corpse fell upon corpse, At this moment 
a Pathin from Tilharf{ in Rohilkhand came up towards the rear of the 
Wazir’s position, and finding an action going on, sent a camel rider for 
orders. He was told to make his way towards the canopied howdah in 
which sat the Wazir ; and the troops being few in that direction, where no 
attack was expected, the Tilhar Pathan, with his three hundred men, forced 
their way close to the Wazir and discharged their matchlocks, 
The Wazir’s elephant-driver was shot and fell to the ground ; his com- 
panion in the hind seat, Mirz4 ’Ali Naki, tutor of Shuja’-ud-daula, the 
Wazir’s son, was wounded ; and the Wazir himself received a grazing wound 
* The Miftah-ut-tawarikh, pp. 497, 498, gives poetical tarikhs by Mir Ghulam ’Ali 
Azad, who also mentions them in the “ Sarv-i-Azdd.” The father of the author of the 
Siyar-ul-Mutadkharin would seem to have been present in this battle. S-ul-M. p. 877, 
seventh line from bottom. 
+ The Khizdna’ Amira, p. 81, says nearly all the artillery had been sent away 
with the van, but this does not seem quite borne out. At any rate this smoke from the 
artillery seems to be the explanation of the dust storm usually pleaded as a screen for 
the Wazir’s defeat, see Life of Hafiz Rahmat Khan, p. 38, Hamilton’s Rohilla Afghans, 
p. 103. First, a dust storm does not come in September, secondly, it would come from 
the West and would blow into the Pathain’s faces, and so far be favourable to the 
Wazir, who faced to the east not to the west. 
t In the Shihjahdnpdr district. 
