English
On the next day, Mahabat Jang, with his army marching night and day, entered Murshidabad. Then the Mahrattas abandoned the idea of assaulting the City, and after desolating the surrounding tracts across the river returned to Katwah. The rainy season now set in. In view of the tumultuousness of the river, the Mahrattas now suspended their fighting, established their quar¬ ters at Katwah, and from there commenced making administrative arrangements. Giving Mir Habib a free hand in all affairs, Bhaskar Pandit himself remained at Katwah, and sent out detachments in all directions for raid and plunder. Similarly, Mahabat Jang, in view of giviqg rest to his army, did not move out of the City. As in his earlier years, Mir Habib had lived at Hugli, the latter place still abounded with many of his kinsmen and friends. Their headman, Mir Abu-l-Hasan Sarkhil, now laid plans to sur¬ prise Hugli. He won over many of the Mughals to his side, and held secret correspondence with Mir Habib. Mir Muhammad Riza, the Deputy Faujdar of Hugli, 1 used to treat Mir Abu-l- Hasan ns his right-hand in all affairs. Mnhabat Jang Snbsdar of Orissa, in place of Abdnl Rasul Khan who was recalled. Dulab Rim bod been before Peshkar in Orissa. Dulib Ram exhibited great cowardice when the Mahrattas invaded Orissa. The Mahrattas oaptur- ed him, and he was released on payment of a heavy ransom after a year. He was very snperstitioas, and spent his time mostly in the oompany of San- yasis, who tarned ont to be Mahratta spies. See Seiru-l-Mulakberin, p. 645 ^nn^hefleiru-t-MuhiMeifn (Pers. text. p. 514) it is stated that Muhammad Yar Khln, a step-brother of AH Yard! Khan, was at the time Governor of the Port of Hugli, and that, Mir Abu-’-Hassan and Mir Abu-l-Qasim, who were intimate with the above Governor, conspired with Mir Habib, and in uoe e Governor by their treacherous assurances to admit Mir tfabib into the Fort of Hugli. After thus treacherously seizing Hugli, Mir tfabib mats e as JJ Governor Sis Rio, a Mahratta, whilst he himself played the r tU of the Chief Administrator of Mahratta affairs in Bengal, and divided hi. lndence between HjJgli and Katwah, / 343 In blissful ignorance of the fact that he had a traitor in his 3 amp, the Deputy Faujdar passed nights and days in carousals. At length, at the instigation of Mir Abu-1- IJasan, Mir Habib with a detachment of two thousand cavalry commanded by Sis Rao advanced to Hugli, and at midnight arriving at the gate of its Fort announced his arrival to Mir Abu-l-l^asan. Whilst Muham¬ mad Riza, arranging a feast of revelry, was quite absorbed in watching the dancing of some pretty women, Mir Abu-1-Hasai\ said to the former: “ Mir Habib has come alone to visit you, and is waiting at the gate of the fort.” Under the influence of liquor, the Deputy Faujdar unhesitatingly ordered the gate of the Fort to be thrown open and to admit Mir Habib. Eutering the Fort, Mir Habib with the concurrence of Mir Abu-1-Hasan placed Muhammad Riza and Mirza Piran under surveillance, established himself inside the Fort, and posted his own guards at its gate. The noblemen and residents of the town that very night fled to Qhuohrah (Ohinsurah) and other places, and took refnge in the houses of the Dutch and French. Next morn T ing, Sis Rao with his detachment of cavalry entered the Fort, Many of the Mughal residents who were Mir Habib’s acquaint¬ ances were introduced to Sis Rao by Mir Habib. The Rao treat¬ ed them courteously and deferentially, reassured every one of them, and issuing proclamations of peace and security forbade the Mahrattas from looting or sacking the town. He persuaded the Zamindars to assess and collect the revenue, and appointing as usual Qazis, Muhtasibs and other officers to administer justice, he bestowed the office of Faujdar on Mir Abu-1-Hasan. Mir ^abib, carrying off some guns and ammunitions together with a flotilla of sloops from Hugli, rejoined Bhaskar Paptfit at Katwah. . As it was the rainy season, Mir Habib deputed Mir Mihdi with a detachment of musketeers on boats for collecting revenue from the mahals across the Ganges. But Mir Mihdi, from fear of Mahabat Jang, did not laud. The agents of the Zamindars proceeded to Mir Habib, and paying him large sums obtained guards for the immunity of their tracts from the ravages and loot of Mahratta freebooters. The wealthy nobility and gentry, to save their family honour, quitted their homes, and migrated across the Ganges. 1 The whole tract from Akbarnagar (Rajmahal; l That is to say, there was a general exoduB of the Mnsalman nobility and gentry from the western ride of the Ganges (thatia, from Southern and .Vest- 44 344 to Mednipur and Jalisar (Jalasore) came into the possession of the Mahrattas. Those murderous freebooters drowned in the rivers a large number of the people, after cutting off their ears, noses and hands. Tying sacks of dirt to the mouths of others, they mangled and burnt them with indescribable tortures. Thus they desolated and dishonoured the family and children of a whole world. Maha- bat Jang, making strenuous efforts towards the chastisement and expulsion of the insolent enemy, set about collecting troops and armaments Requisitioning to Murshidabad a large flotilla of boats from the neighbourhood of Jahangirnagar (l>acca),from theJilengl, from Maldah, and Akbarnagar (Kajmahal), &c , he constructed a road leading to Kntwah. From the eastern bank of the Bhagirati he detached for bridge-making twelve thousand pioneers and sap¬ pers on boats, and attended to the comforts of the army. Collect¬ ing paraphernalia, horses, elephants, and swords, and winning the hearts of his soldiery by bestowing on them gifts and increments in pay, he encouraged and incited them to fight. Finding the enemy absorbed in political affairs relating to Zemindars, Reve¬ nue-Collectors and Administrators, Mahabat Jang seized this op- ern Bengal) to its Eastern and Northern sides (that is, Eastern and North- orn Bengal) which were immune from Mahratta raids. Those who are at pains to account for the comparatively large Musalmnn population in Eastern and Northern Bengal and are ready to put forward more or less fanoiful theo¬ ries, might perhaps take into consideration the above circumstance, and also the following facts which I summarise from tho 8eiru-l-Mutafcherin (a contem¬ porary account). The Seir states that in this wave of Mahratta invasion of Bengal, the whole of the Chaklahs of Bardwan, MednipQr, Balasore, Katak, Birbhum, some pnrgannahs of Rajshahi (probably those on the south side of the river) Akbarnagar (Rajmahal) were overwhelmed, whilst only Mnrsjndo. bad and the countries on the other side (that is, Eastern and Northern Hides) of the Ganges remained peacefully in possession of All Vardi Khan, that in the rainy season, even the populations of Mnrshidabid, apprehending Mnh- ratta raids, migrated en masse on boats to the other sides (that is, Eastern an Northern sides) of the Ganges, such as Jahangirnagar or Dacca, Maldah, Rampore Beauliab. <fcc., and that even Nawab Shaha.nat Jang (All Vardi s son- in-law) with h'is family and children moved across the river to Godagan, a place close to Rampore Beauliah, on the north bank of the Ganges or Poda- These historical facts occurring as they did only in the middle df the e.gh- eenth century, would sufficiently explain why the Musalman population, i Western Bengal and even near Murshidibid (tho latest Mailman capital m Bengal) are numerically much less than those in Eastern or Northern Beuga (See Per*, text, pp- 564 and 614). 345 portunity, and held a Council of War with hie Afghan and Bhaliah Generals in view of delivering a night-attack. In pursuance of this plan, Mahabat Jang marched expeditiously with a large and effi¬ cient army, and by forced marches, at midnight, reached a place just opposite to Katwali. In the cover of the night’s darkness, he instantly floated a bridge of boats that had been kept ready from before, and with a large army commenced crossing the river* Whilst he with the officers and some veteran soldiers had crossed the river, the bridge suddenly gave way nnder the heavy weight of a- large army. Some of the boats sank, whilst a large number of Afghans and Bhaliahs were drowned in the river. Mahabat Jang, on learning about this mishap, was engulphed in a sea of confusion. His mind was racked with anxiety. He realised that the entire army from the eastern bank of the river had been unable to cross over, and that he alone with a handful of troops was on the western bank face to face with the enemy. In consequence, he apprehended that in the event of the enemy getting scent of his movement, he would meet with a terrible disaster. He, therefore, put out the torches, and gave directions for immediately repairing the broken portions of the bridge. After the bridge was repaired, he ordered the whole army to cross over and join him. As the enemy was heedless and negligent, everything ended well, Ki§hwar Khan, the Deputy Faujdar, and Mankant, the commandant of the pioneers and sappers, quickly rendered the damaged boats water tight by plastering their cracks and rends with mud and bits of wood, and thus displayed Luqman -1 ike skill. An array, waving like the sea, swiftly crossed the bridge, i*al- lied round Mahabat Jang and his Generals, and quickly unsheath¬ ing their swords, in a solid and clamorous phalanx, like some hea¬ venly disaster, swooped down on the enemy. Shouts rose up on every side True, the night was dark, but the sword flashed, So as amidst the dusky clouds, lightning flashes. From profuse shedding of blood on that battle-field, Earth’s face turned crimson. Heaps of corpses crashed on heaps of corpses, Aye, formed veritable mounds on every side.