1879.] W. Irvine—The Bangash Nawibs of Farrukhabdd. 93 
Upon the Wazir’s receiving a detailed report of these nocturnal con- 
tests, he sent for the leaders of the Mughals and Kizilbdsh, and told them 
how, although invested, Ahmad Khan’s troops each night left their ravines 
to attack the Mahrattas, and every morning carried back heads upon spears. 
He wanted to know what they were about not to prevent this, and he told 
them that he spat upon their beards. That very day they must proceed to 
the threatened position, and so fight that they should either defeat the 
enemy and bring their heads to lay at his, the Wazir’s feet, or else give up 
their own lives to the enemy. Those tiger-cubs (sher-bacha) joined the 
Mabratta army, and after a short rest hastened on to Kasim Bagh, opposite 
to which was the battery commanded by Manstr ’Ali Khan, the thirteenth 
son of Nawa4b Muhammad Khan. Between the dagh and the battery there 
was no cover, but the ground was uneven and rugged. The sher-bacha 
advanced out of the bagh, and taking shelter in a hollow, began a fire from 
large muskets. Again advancing in the same manner, they at length came 
quite close to the battery. When the Kizilb’sh horsemen saw that the 
sher-bacha were close to the battery, they dismounted and advanced as a 
reinforcement. They all then attacked together. The Pathdns, who were 
ready waiting for the enemy, gave them one round from their cannon and 
let off a number of rockets, then drawing their swords rushed upon them. 
When they had put many of their assailants to death, the rest giving way 
took refuge again in the Kasim Bagh. The Pathans followed them up 
and, forcing them to continue the retreat, themselves occupied the bdgh. 
To the right of it, on the east side, there is an open space at a much lower 
level. Here there stood drawn up in ambush a very large force of Mahrat- 
tas. Seeing that the Wazir’s soldiers were retreating, unable to withstand 
the Afghan attack, and that the Afghans quitting their batteries had come 
as far as K4sim Bagh, a number of these horsemen dashed into the space 
between the battery and the ddgh. The regiment was under the command 
of Tantia. When the valiant Afghans perceived that the Mahrattas had 
barred their retreat, they said to each other, “O friends, fire your arrows 
“and aim your swords first at the horses’ legs, so that the rider having fallen, 
“you may slay him.” All the Afghans adopted this mode of dealing with 
the Mahratta horse, and they killed many of them. At length the Mah- 
rattas dismounted and continued the fight. This engagement was watched 
by Mansér ’Ali Khén Sdhihz4dah from the battery. Rising and grasping 
his sword, he went out on foot towards the enemy. His personal followers 
with bared swords preceded him, among them was Hisdm-ud-din Gwaliyari, 
from whose book we quote. Counting his followers and others accidental- 
ly present, he found there were about one thousand men or thereabouts. 
These came up in the midst of the affray between the Mahrattas and the first 
