the Battle op Paniput. 97 



After this the Bhow marched from Agra to Debly, and at once laid 

 £ege to the Royal Cattle, where Yacoob aly Khan (who was nephew 

 to" the Durrany Vizier, Shah vulli Khan) commanded, and fummon- 

 ed him to furrender the caflle, after the batteries had played fome days. 

 Yacoob aly Khan finding that refinance was vain, by the advice of 

 IShah vulli Khan, capitulated through the other Mahratta chiefs' me- 

 diation, and .delivered the caflle up to die Bhow, who entered it with 

 Biswas Row, and feized upon a great part of the royal efFects that he 

 found there : efpecially the ceiling of the great hall of audience, which was 

 ■of filver and made at an immenfe expenfe, was pulled down and coined 

 into feventeen lacks of rupees. Many other actions of the fame kind were 

 done, and it was generally reported to be the Bhow's defign to get rid of 

 fuch of the principal Hindo/fany chiefs as ftood in his way, and, after the 

 Durrany Shah mould return to his own country, to place Biswas Row 

 rUpon the throne of Dehly. This intelligence was brought to the Navab 

 ;Shuja ul Doulah, and it is on his authority that I relate it. 



"In die mean time the rains fet in, and the Bhow cantoned his army in 

 Dchly and for twelve co fs round it, rending himfelf in the Caflle ; while 

 Ahmed Shah Durrany remained in cantonments near Anufjhair : Nu- 

 jeib ul Doulah gave him exact information of every thing that palfed, 

 upon which intelligence the Shah told him, *' that, as Shu j a ul Doulah 

 V was a chief of great weight and power and Vizier of Hindojlan^ it was 

 41 of the greatefl importance to fecure him to their interefl, and to perfuade 

 *' him to join them, for that, mould he be gained by the Mahrattas, the 

 *' word confequences muft arife from it. That it was not neceffary, that 

 " he mould bring a large army with him : his coming even with a few 

 <* s would very considerably ftrcngthen their caufc. That on a former ecca- 



N 



