H I N D O 
would fow diffenfion between him and Shah Abdallah. 
This event happened in the year of the hegira 1174, 
A.D. 1760. 
The initant that Ahmed Shah Abdallah was advifed of 
the proceedings in Delhi, though the river Jumna was 
not yet fafely fordable, he gave orders for march, and 
fwam with his army acrofs the river at Pakput; which Jo 
aftonifhed the Bhow, who had marched to plunder the 
town of Sirhipd, that he gave up the defign, and returned 
with precipitation to Panniput. He had with him one 
hundred and forty thoufand liorfe, commanded by the 
molt celebrated Mahratta chiefs, befides his corps of fe- 
poys and artillery; but, with this great force, not think¬ 
ing himfelf equal to engage the Afghan- chief Abdallah, 
he entrenched himfelf on a plain to the north of Panni¬ 
put. The Afghan chief foon arrived near him, and lent 
out parties to prevent grain from palfing to his camp. 
Daily lkirmilh.es took place between detachments from 
both armies. At length Abdallah, finding that nothing 
would force the Mahrattas from their camp, refolved to 
ftorm it. Jehan Khan, Pulfund Khan, and Nujeeb ul 
Dowlah, formed the van, and were followed by the other 
Indian chiefs. The Mahrattas, on their approach, drew 
out at a little diilance in front of their lines The aflion 
began with much fury at twelve o’clock, and continued 
doubtful,with great daughter, till evening at twilight,when 
the Rohilla infantry of Nujeeb ul Dowlah forced their 
way into the enemy’s works, and Bulwunt Row, a near 
relation to' the Bhow, was killed, with a great number of 
men; but night coming on, Shah Abdallah ordered a re¬ 
treat, and the ftruggle ceafed. Famine and licknefs raged 
in the Mahratta camp, and numbers died every day; but, 
they Hill held out, in expectation of receiving lupplies 
from Pundit, the chief of Etawa and Koran; bqt in-this 
they were difappointed. The Mahratta camp was at length 
rendered intolerable by filth of every kind ; numbers dy¬ 
ing hourly of famine and ficknefs. The chiefs held a 
conl'ultation, and agreed, that, as by remaining in their 
entrenchments they mull perilh by difeafe and hunger, it 
was better to hazard a battle, and, if defeated, fly to the 
Deccan. They accordingly marched out of their camp, 
and advanced, with their artillery in front, towards the 
army of Abdallah, who was prepared for their reception, 
and permitted them to move a confiderable diltance from 
their lines; when the Afghans rulhed upon them with 
fuch fury, as not to give them time to ufe their cannon. 
The Bhow was killed almoft on the onfet; which had an 
immediate effect on his troops, who fell into diforder. 
Junko, and ’many other chiefs were killed, and the rout 
became general. The field floated with the blood of the 
numerous flain. Two and twenty thousand men and wo¬ 
men were taken prifoners, and the plunder of the Mah¬ 
ratta camp exceeded all valuation. A great train of artil¬ 
lery, fifty thoufand horfes, two hundred thoufand cattle, 
, feveral thoufand camels, and five hundred elephants, 
formed a part of this vaft capture. Ahmed Shah Abdal¬ 
lah, after this great victory, marched to Delhi, where he 
continued fome months. Before his departure, he directed 
that the rightful heir, Ali Gohur, fliould be declared em¬ 
peror of Hindooftan ; and commanded the vizier Sujah ul 
Dowlah, and the other-chiefs, to promote his authority. 
Sultan jehan Bukht, his l’bn, was continued on the throne 
as regent, till his father, then engaged in warfare, in Ben¬ 
gal, lhould be able to return to Delhi; and Nujeeb ul 
Dowlah, the emir ul omrah, was entrafted with the care 
of the city, and protection of the royal family. Such was 
the ftate of things when Ahmed Shah Abdallah took his 
departure front Hindooftan. 
Ali Gohur was at * the head of an army in the province 
of Bengal, when thefinteliigence reached him of the mur¬ 
der of his father Aulumgeer, by Ghazee ul Dien. The 
prince was accordingly proclaimed emperor, by the name 
or title of Shah Aulum II. on which occafion he was met 
by his vizier Sujah ul Dowlah, Nujeeb ul Dowlah, the 
emir ul omrah, and other chiefs from Delhi, to congraiu- 
O S T A N. 71 
late him on his advancement to the throne. This event 
took place in the MufTulman year or hegira 1175, A.D. 1761. 
The new emperor continued in Bengal, where he was en¬ 
gaged in the difputes between the Englifh faCtory an ■ the 
nabob, an event which involved him in the jarring inte- 
refts of the French and Englifh in that province for the 
fpace of ten years, and which reduced him at laft to be¬ 
come a kind of penfioner on the bounty of the Englifh, 
in the city-of Allahabad; during all which time he was 
never once able to vifit Delhi, the capital of his empire. 
That city continued to be governed by Nujeeb ul Dow¬ 
lah till his death; when he was fucceeded in his office of 
emir ul omrah by his fon Zabtah Khan, who continued 
to proteCt the royal family,, and to govern the fmall dif- 
triCts round Delhi which yet remained to the houfe of 
Timour. 
It was not till the year 1771, that Shah Aulum, becom¬ 
ing weary of his retirement at Allahabad, and finding, 
after repeated applications, that he could not obtain the 
affiftance of the Englifh to put him in pofieflion of Delhi, 
over which fora long time paft he had only-maintained a 
nominal authority, refolved to quit their protection, and 
call in the Mahrattas to reltore him, amidft his furround¬ 
ing enemies, to the Mogul capital. To this refolution he 
was urged by Hufham’ ul Dowlah, his favourite, who 
hoped to acquire the foie adminillration of the royal af¬ 
fairs. His own army was very final!, but well appointed ; 
and he had two battalions of fiepoys, which had been dis¬ 
ciplined by Englifh officers. He moved from Allahabad 
to Nubby Gunge, where, by appointment, he was met by 
Mahadjee Scindia, a diltinguiihed Mahratta chief, who 
undertook to elcort him to the camp of his principal Bif- 
fajee, then encamped near Delhi. He agreed to pay the 
Mahrattas ten lacks of rupees, as foon as he fliould be put 
in pofieflion of the city; but they infilled upon the fum 
in advance; which, after much negotiation, was given 
them, and they performed the conditions. About the 
latter end of December 1771, Shah Aulum made his entry 
into Delhi, and received the congratulations of his family, 
and the joyful acclamations of the inhabitants of the an¬ 
cient capital of Hindooftan. 
The emperor’s enjoyments in Delhi were but fhort and 
fleeting. He had refolved on the ruin of Zabtah Khan, 
the fon of Nujeeb ul Dowlah, and father of Gholaum 
Kaudir Khan, who fucceeded him as chief of the Rohiilas. 
Many reafons were affigned for this hafty and perfecuting 
meafure. He had, it was faid, been deficient in refpeft to 
the royal authority, while Shah Aulum refided at Alla¬ 
habad ; and it was alio whilpered, that during his com¬ 
mand in the palace of Delhi, he had abufed his trait,, by 
corrupting the ladies of the harem, and contaminating the 
blood of Timour, by fleeping with the princefs Khieroo- 
nifla, the emperor’s lifter; a conduct highly deferving the 
royal difpleafure. Whatever the caufes were, Shah Aulum 
had determined to feize his territories ; and the Mahrattas 
agreed to aflifl h-irn; not only from the hope of plunder, 
but of gratifying their revenge for the Ioffes they had 
buffered from Nujeeb ul Dowlah; to the fuperior courage 
of whofe Rohilla troops, the victory of Ahmed Shah Ab¬ 
dallah at Panniput had been principally owing. 
Shah Aulum marched in January 1772, not more than 
twenty days after his arrival at Delhi, with an army of 
ninety thoufand men, chiefly Mahratta cavalry; and with¬ 
out delay entered the hereditary diltrifts of Zabtah Khan; 
who, unable to refill fuch a force, evacuated his capital of 
Ghofe Ghur, which, was given up to plunder; and he fled 
acrofs the Ganges, hoping to defend his territories on the 
eallern bank of that river, which he trailed would impede 
the royal progrels. He Rationed fome troops at -the dif¬ 
ferent fords; but this weakened his main bod;yq and was 
the caufe of his deftrudlion. Nujeef Khan gallantly crofted 
the river, and aifperfed the troops at one of the Rations, 
when lie was followed by the chief part of the Mahratta 
army ; after, which Zabtah Khan made but little refiflance. 
He fled to Pattergur, where lie had depofited his women 
