138 W. Irvine—The Bangash Nawdbs of Farrukhabdad. [No. 2, 
income was not sufficient to provide for the pay of his foree. Umrao Gir 
replied that, to vex Shuja’-ud-daula, he intended to stay a few months, and 
if by his aid the Naw4b obtained nothing, he should not ask for pay. Him- 
mat Bahddur showed the letter to Shuja’t ’Ali Khan, chela, known as 
Miyan ’Ise, and he told Shuja’-ud-daula. The latter wrote an angry letter 
to Ahmad Khan, ordering him to turn out his “thief? at once. Ahmad 
Khan in reply dared Shuja’-ud-daula to do his worst ; he had not sent for 
Umrao Gir, who had come of his own accord ; and never yet had he turned 
out any refugee, Shuja’-ud-daula brooded over this answer, and for some 
months nothing more was heard of the matter. Meanwhile Nawab Ahmad 
Khan’s chief men urged Umrao Gir to go away, for if anything happened, 
all the world would say that he had been the ruin of the Bangash family. 
Umrao Gir listened to them and prepared to go away. Ahmad Khan declar- 
ed that not a hundred Shuja’-ud-daulas should drag him away did he wish 
to remain ; at the same time, if he desired to go, his feet were not chained. 
Umrao Gir started in the direction of Agra, but had gone no more than 
oue stage when he was recalled, Shuja’-ud-daula’s approach having been 
reported to the Nawab. 
Shuja’-ud-daula had heard that at Farrukhabad there was only a small 
force of four or five thousand men, the remainder being scattered about in 
the parganahs. He therefore gave out that he was marching on a mulk- 
giri, or expedition to recover revenue from refractory zamindars, Part of 
the army advanced up the Duab, plundering on its way the town of Muse- 
nagar on the Jumna, Head quarters were for a time at the Sarde of 
Khwaja Pul.* On his side, Shuja’-ud-daula left Faizibad and proceeded 
lcisurely through his own dominions till he reached the ferry of Nandmau 
in parganah Bilhor. The army crossed over and proceeded to Kanauj, 
while Shuja’-ud-daula and the Emperor took up their quarters at a. bunga- 
low and bdgh in Makanpur, called the Madar-bari, belonging to Ahmad 
Khan. The villages in the neighbourhood of both Kanauj and Makanpur 
were given up to plunder. 
The news writers had kept Nawab Ahmad Khan under the impression 
that this army had set out for “ Mulk-giri.” It was not till Shuja’-ud- 
daula arrived at Makanpur and began to ask how long it took to reach 
Farrukhabad, that its destination was disclosed. Rajah Gangé Singh of 
Chachendi,t a great friend of Nawd&b Ahmad Khan, then with Shuja’- 
ud-daula, determined to send a letter of warning. He disguised his 
messenger as a fakir and hid the note in the man’s shoe. His orders were 
* In Parganah Sikandrah, some fourteen miles south-west of Jhinjhak railway 
station. 
t See p. 877, Vol, XLVIT, 1878. 
