1879.] W. Irvine—The Bangash Nawdbs of Farrukhabdd. 125 
marched for Delhi, joined by some of Ahmad Khan’s troops, and by the aid of 
the Mahrattas he speedily expelled Najib Khan. 
This visit must have laid the foundation for the friendship between 
Ghazi-ud-din Kh4n and Ahmad Khan, a friendship so strong that after his 
public life was over, the fallen Wazir found an asylum for atleast nine years 
in Ahmad Khan’s capital. We shall come to the details of his second visit 
further on. 
Ahmad Khan at the battle of Panipat. 
When Ahmad Shah Durdni entered India forthe sixth time, in the 
year 1173 H. (25th Augt. 1759—13th Augt. 1760), Ahmad Khan went 
with the Rohela leaders to pay his respects to the invader. They were intro- 
duced to him at Koil on the 4th Zi’l Haj 1173, (18th July, 1760).* The 
defeat of Dataji Sendhia took place shortly afterwards. 
Ahmad Khan must have made more than a nominal submission to 
Ahmad Shah, for we find him forwarding supplies to the eamp under a 
large convoy. Holkar, who had escaped from the defeat, was near Agra 
and, hearing of this convoy, crossed the Jamna. He took or destroyed a 
great part of the supplies and then retired againacrossthe Jamna. A body 
of Afghans were, however, detached from their main army and, overtaking 
him by a prodigious march, routed his troops with great slaughter. 
Ahmad Shah, after moving across the Jamna,took up his quarters at 
Antpshahr. After some time Shuja’-ud-daula was induced to give in his 
adherence. The local chroniclers assert that this was effected through Hafiz 
Rahmat Khan and Ahmad Khan. Soon Sadasheo Bhao arrived from the 
Dakhin with animmense army, under Jankoji, son of Apa Ji Sendhia, 
Ibrahim Khan Gardi, Mulhar Rao and others, in order to avenge the defeat 
of Dataji. On the 25th October, 1760, Ahmad Shah marched from Antp- 
shahr and crossed the Jamna about twenty miles above Delhi. Ahmad Khan 
Ghalib Jang was present with a contingent of five thousand men. The 
Mahrattas proceeded to entrench themselves at Panipat, and Ahmad Shah 
encamped opposite them. Daily skirmishing, varied by one or two partial 
engagements, went on for more than two months, till the Mahratta supplies 
failing entirely, they were forced to risk a general action. 
The story goes that Ahmad Shah Durani offered a reward of one rupee 
for every Mahratta head. Ten thousand horsemen were sent out daily to 
plunder villages and cut off supplies. These men used to capture any lag- 
ging groom, grass-cutter or petty dealer they came across and, producing 
the captive’s head before the king, they received a rupee for each head, 
Hearing of this, Nawab Ahmad Khan said to his arz-begi (chamberlain), 
* Life of Hafiz Rahmat Khan, p. 59, 
