140 W. Irvine—Zhe Bangash Nawdbs of Farrukhabdd. [No. 2, 
After this the Nawab wrote a letter (kharita) to Ghazi-ud-din Khan 
*Imad-ul-Mulk, Wazir, who was then in the country of Straj Mall Jat,* 
asking for his aid and presence. The despatch was made over to Khwaja 
Khan, the wakil of Imid-ul-Mulk, to whom the Nawab said that if, which 
God forbid, he came across Siraj Mall, and he should ‘ask why he, too, was 
not invited, the answer should be given, thatformerly he had not behaved like 
a neighbour, else he never would have joined Safdar Jang. He had better 
march to join Shuja’-ud-daula, Safdar Jang’s son, for with God’s favour 
he, Ahmad Khan, did not want his aid ; and, please God, he would serve 
Shuja’-ud-daula as he had served Safdar Jang. 
When Khwaja Khan reached Dig and delivered his tetdael ’Imad-ul- 
Mulk at once sent for Siraj Mall. ’Imad-ul-Mulk repeated to him how 
affairs stood and declared it to be his intention to march to the assistance 
of Ahmad Khan. The Rajah asked why he had not been invited to 
joi. Khwaja Khan then repeated the Nawab’s exact words. The Rajah 
admitted that what the Nawab said was true, still byegones should be bye- 
gones. Although he had not been asked, he would send off 3000 active 
horsemen with orders to encamp at Koil. If Shuja’-ud-daula advanced 
any further than Kanauj, they would advance by forced marches to join 
Ahmad Khan. Besides this he would send several thousand horse to ac- 
company the Ex-wazir. They marched, and when ’Imdéd-ul-Mulk drew 
near the city, Ahmad Khan came out in person to meet him, and conduct- 
ed him to his tents in the Haiyat Bagh. 
In answer to the parwdnahs the troops from far and near began to 
pour into the city. Altogether some thirty or forty thousand men had 
assembled, including Pathans from Shahj4hanpur, Shahabad and other 
places. When Hafiz Rabmat Khan arrived from Bareli, his tents were 
pitched in the fort of Fathgarh. Below Zu’lfikargarb, near the city, a bridge 
of boats was thrown across, and there Mulla Sardar Khan and Donde Khan 
crossed with their men, The artillery was got out and put in order. 
It was then sent on to the banks of the Bagar just beyond Yakitganj, 
where all the tents were set up which had been plundered from Safdar 
Jang and Naval Rae. The Nawab then marched out at the head of his 
army, and having stayed one night, he returned to the fort, leaving the 
Bakhshi in command. Roshan Khan and Umrao Gir, each with about five 
thousand men, were ordered to proceed and join Shekh Kabir’s camp on the 
Kali below Khudaganj. 
Soon after Shuja’-ud-daula’s arrival at Makanpur, an eunuch of his | 
establishment made his appearance at Farrukhabad, and put up at the Lal 
* It was not till 1763-4 that Suraj Mall lost his life during a skirmish with Najib 
Khan's troops, 
