1 Tho Mahrattas retire
2 to Panipat.
3 The number of tho
4 Mabratta troops.
5 Force under tho
6 Abdali,
7 Partial actions,
8 The war is protract-
9 ed.
10 236 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
11 The brave troops plunged into the waters of the Jaimna, which was cross-
12 ed on 23rd October, partly by fording and partly by swimming. The passage
13 was effected with some loss; but the daring spirit displayed by the Durrdni
14 king, and the alacrity with which his army crossed the swollen and rapid
15 stream, spread dismay through the camp’ of the Mahrattas, who, feeling
16 themselves unable to cope with the hardy veterans of the Shah in the open
17 field, retired to Panipat, where they intrenched themselves’ and mounted
18 the parapets with all the ordnance they could collect. The troops under
19 the Mahrattas numbered 300,000 men, including the cavalry in their
20 regular pay, which numbered 55,000, predatory Mahratta horse, regular
21 infantry, and the contingents from allied States. They had also three
22 hundred pieces of cannon. The troops under the Abdali consisted of 40,000
23 Afghans and Persians, 13,000 Indian cavalry and 38,000 Indian infantry, with
24 about 70 pieces of cannon borrowed from Indian allies. The Shah was unre-
25 mitting in his energy in cutting off the enemy’s supplies and keeping a strict
26 blockade on their intrenched position. Govind Rao Bundela, collecting 10,000
27 or 12,000 horse on the lower Jamna, spread these troops over the country,
28 so that the Afghan camp was deprived of ail means of communication
29 and began to suffer severely for want of provisions.. At length Atai
30 Khan Popalzie, nephew of the grand wazir, with Haji Karim Ddd Khan
31 Durréni, fell suddenly on Govind Rao’s camp, early one morning, and suc-
32 ceeded in completely destroying it, Govind being himself slain in the action.
33 The treasure and provisions which he was conveying for the Mahrattas fell
34 into the hands of the victorious Afghans. Shankar Rao, the Mahratta
35 killadar of Delhi, fell in this action, By the overthrow of his detach-
36 ment, the Durrduis made themselves masters of the surrownding country,
37 and the difficulties which they experienced in procuring supplies for their
38 camp were now removed. But the main body of the Mahrattas maintained
39 their position intact in the intrenchments, and, though desultory engagements
40 and skirmishes* occurred from time to time, the Mahrattas carefully re-
41 frained from hazarding a general action in the open field. This state of
42 affairs lasted for three or four months. The two armies lay close to each
43 other, and the patience of both was nearly exhausted. Yet the Shah’s
44 troops reposed in their leader the greatest confidence, and the Indian allies
45 had the highest respect for his opinion. Every hardship was borne with
46 patience, and such was the dread of the Shah that none dared to utter a
47 wordt} against his commands.
48 The severest distress and pressure were now felt in the Mahratta camp
49 for want of supplies. The town of Panipat was within their lines, and they
50 * Tn the last of these actions the Mussalmans sustained a heavy defeat, about six thousand
51 Rohillas under Najib-ud-doula being killed and five hundred infantry wounded. This victory
52 seems to have encouraged the Mahrattas to risk a battle in the open field.
53 + Kanshi Rao, a contemporary historian, has given a vivid picture of the transactions of
54 this period and the principal actors of the scene. The Durréni king, Ahmad Shah, had a small
55 red tent pind for himself about a mile and a half in front of his camp. Early each morning,
56 after reading his morning prayers, he came out of it on horseback accompanied by his son,
57 Tymur Shah, and forty or fifty horsemen. He personally examined all his posts and reconnoi-
58 tred the enemy’s position. He rode forty or fifty kos every day, returning to his camp at noon, |
59 when he dined, either in the small red tent, or the royal camp in the lines. At night time
60 bodies of Durrani and Hindostani horsemen, 5,000 strong each, patrolled the camp and remained
61 under arms the whole night. The Shah was constantly seenamong them. He used to say to the
62 Hindostini chiefs : ‘‘ Do you sleep, I will take care that no harm befalls you.” Every day the
63 artillery were engaged in firing at long distances, and skirmishes were carried on, the parties
64 withdrawing to their respective quarters towards sunset. Three very severe actions took
65 ye but none was decisive. This state of affairs continued for over three months. At length the
66 indostani chiefs, whose patience was exhausted, begged of the Shah to put an end to their
67 toils and hardships by attempting a pitched battle. ‘To this the Shah replied : “This isa matter
68 of war with which you are not acquainted. In other matters do as you please, but leave this
69 to. me. Military operations must not be precipitated; you shall see how 1 will manage this
70 ws ; affair; and at, rtunity will bring i a ion. _:
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