1879.] W. Irvine—The Bangash Nawébs of Farrukhabad. 79 
Rajah Pirthipat, marching from Partabgarh, brought his army to the edge ~ 
of the Ganges, where he encamped. On the Nawab’s arrival he crossed the 
river and paid him a visit, when he was presented with a khila’t and at his 
own request he was posted to the vanguard. 
Reaching Allahabad the Nawab appears to have crossed over to Jhitsi 
on the other or left bank of the Ganges, where he planted his guns on the 
high ground known as the fort of Rajah Harbong.* The whole of Allaha- 
bad from Khuldabad up to the fort was burnt down and plundered, and 
four thousand women and children were made prisoners. Nothing was 
spared but the abode of Shekh Muhammad Afzal Allahdbadi and the quar- 
ter of Darydbad which was entirely occupied by Pathans.+ 
The defence of the fort on the part of the Wazir was conducted by 
Baka-ullah Khan and ’Ali Kili Khan, Zarji. By chance one Indargir 
Sunyasit had come there on a pilgrimage with five thousand naked fight- 
ing fakirs, who lay between the old city and the fort. These took the side 
of the Wazir’s people. Baka-ullah Khan, who was an able man and 
experienced in war, threw a bridge over the river between the Beni (pro- 
perly Tribeni) gate of the fort and the town of Arail, which is on the right 
bank of the Ganges just below its junction with the Jumna. He left his 
camp standing in that town, while morning and evening he marched his 
troops to and from the fort. All day an artillery fire was kept up from the 
walls upon the troops of Nawab Ahmad Khan. On his side the leaders, 
Rajah Pirthipat and others, made every effort to carry the fort but with- 
out success. 
At this time Rajah Balwant Singh, who had been directed to appear 
in person, arrived at Jhusi.§ He was introduced through the Nawab’s son 
* Elliot’s Supplemental Glossary, p. 466, ‘‘Harbong ka raj.” 
+ Khizéna ’ Amira, p. 83, 
{ Rajah Indar Gir was a Suny4si from Jhansi in Bundelkhand. He had seized 
parganah Moth (in the Jhansi district) in 1745, and building a fort there soon acquired 
possession of 114 villages. About 1749-50 he was ejected from Moth by a force under 
Nari Shankar, the Mahratta Swbah, and he then found his way to Allahabad. 
(Jenkinson’s Jhansi Report, pp. 172 and 173). After the raising of this siege, he 
was introduced to the Wazir by Baka-ullah Khan, and accepted service on two 
conditions (1) that he might beat his kettle-drums when inthe Wazir’s retinue, 
(2) that in audience he should not be obliged to put his hand to his head. He took 
part in the Rohilkhand campaign and was killed in Rajab 1165 H. (4th May 1752—2nd 
June 1752), in the fighting between Safdar Jang and ’Amad-ul-Mulk. The “ Life of 
Hafiz Rahmat Khan,” p. 49, says Najib Khan killed him with his own hand. In the 
year 1762 we shall come across his chelas and successors, Anip Gir Himmat Bahadur 
and his brother Umrdo Gir. 
§ At Jhisi is the tomb of Shah Muhammad Taki, adescendant of Hazrat Ghaus- 
ul-islim, Miran Hamid-ud-din, Muhammad Ghaus, Gwiliydri. 
