126 W. Trvine—The Bangash Nawabs of Furrukhabad. [No. 2,. 
Musharrif Khan, that he would give two rupees for each Mahratta brought: 
in alive. The Duranis then began to bring in their prisoners alive. The 
Nawab paid for each the sum of two rupees, and then at midnight he let 
them go free. On reaching the Bhéo’s camp, they were loud in their praises 
of Nawab Ahmad Khan. Shuja’-ud-daula and Najib Khan reported this 
matter to the Durdni king, and from that day he was displeased with the 
Nawab. 
In order to augment this displeasure those two nobles also remarked that 
Ahmad Khan, although Amir-ul-Umra and Bakhshi of the Empire, had 
brought a very insignificant force. The Shah made noreply. But Shih Wali 
Khan, his Wazir, and himself of the Bangash clan, who happened to be 
present, sent for Ahmad Khan. On his appearing, the Wazir rose to greet 
him and gave him a place by his side. Then turning to him, he said, “O 
“ Ghalib Jang! you are one of the great nobles of Hindustan, yet you have. 
“brought with you a very small force. What is the reason P” Now Ahmad 
Khan had already heard, through Jang Baz Khan Bangash, of the evil 
speeches of his enemies. In reply to Shah Wali Khan, the Wazir, he said 
that he had left his bakhshi at Farrukhabad with a large force to guard 
his house ; for Gobind Pandit had advanced from Bundelkhand with three 
thousand men and, having crossed the Jamna, was encamped on the banks 
of that river. If he had left no troops behind, his capital and his house 
would have been plundered. Further, with this same small army he had 
once defeated Safdar Jang and his immense force, including Suraj Mall, 
Rajah Himmat Singh and other Rajahs. If he had wished, he could have 
then marched on Delhi, but refrained out of respect for the presence 
of the Emperor. Shah Wali Khan said he had already heard in Kabul 
reports of what was referred to. The Nawab ended by saying that the 
quality of his army, though it was small, would be seen in the day of 
battle. 
Opposed to Ahmad Khan’s battery was that of Ibrahim Khan Girdi* 
who commanded twelve thousand regular infantry. One dark night, this: 
Ibrahim Khan gave orders that, as Ahmad Khan’s battery was weaker than 
that of any other noble, he would at that point make anight attack. In the 
last watch of the night Ibrahim Khan’s troops attempted to surprise the bat- 
* Gdrdi was the name given to the regular infantry disciplined after the Huro- 
pean manner. (Grant Duff, p. 315.) The translator of the “ Seir-Mutéqharin” (Cal- 
cutta, 1789, Vol. III, p. 152), says that Ibréhim Khan was a very thin black man, much 
pitted with the small-pox, who had in his early years been Chobdar to a French officer 
at Pondicherry. He rose in the French service to be a Commandant of their disci- 
plined sepoys. He then went over with his men to the Mahrattas and took service with 
Sada Sheo Bhao, 
