8? 



Mahratta power may be fixed, who otherwife would probably have long 

 ago reduced the whole of Hindoflan to their obedience.. 



It appeared to me in this light at a time, When a very particular and au- 

 thentick narrative of that action came into my poffeffion ; and, as the plainnefs 

 of the original led me to believe my felf competent to thetafk, I 'was induced 

 to undertake the translating it into Englijh, that the difficulty of reading it 

 in the Perjian might not prevent its being as generally known, as its his- 

 torical importance merits. - 



It is almoft fuperfluous to tell you, dear fir, who are (o well verfed in 

 Afiatick hiltory, . that this battle was fought in the month ot January 1761, 

 between the united forces of all the Mahratta Chiefs on one fide/ com- 

 manded by Sedasheo, (commonly called the Bhow) and the combined 

 armies of the Durra?iies, Rohillas, and Hindcflaty Mujfulmans, on the other, 

 under the command of Armed Shaii Durrany: few battles' have been 

 more bloody, or deciflve of greater events ; for, had the Mabrattasbeen con- 

 querors, they would hove put a final period to the Mujjuhnan dominion in 

 Hindoftm, and cf ablifbcd their own in its place ■; but, as it happened, the 

 power of the Mahmttas ^received a (hock, from which it has never entirely 

 recovered ; and the Durrany Shah, having returned precipitately to his. 

 own dominion, left the difunited- RohillQ, and llindoflany Mujfultnans to 

 carry on, as they could, their difbracled government, under a wretched pa- 

 rcant of royalty, and a dividc4 and unprincipled nobility. 



The writer of this narrative, Casi Raj Pundit, was a Mutt a* 

 fi'ddy in the xv ft] e-laie Vizier, Si-iuj a-ul-dowlah ; and, being by 



Birth a native, oi the Decan t acquainted with the MabratVa language, and 



M 



