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Deckan, obliged the Mahratta armies to quit Lahore and return towards the south. Adina Beg died in the ensuing year, 1760, and the Sikhs profited by the present state of things to re-establish their authority in the province. In the same year another Mahratta army again advanced toward the north, with the avowed intention of making the conquest of that part of Hindustan. The nominal commander of this army was a youth of seventeen years, eldest son of Bala Row the Peishwa, or efficient chief of the Mahratta state; the real commander was Sedasheo Row Bow, who had for some years occupied the place of first minister to the Peishwa; but, though an able statesman, he seems to have been destitute of the qualities of a general. Contrary to

what had been in former times the mode of warfare of the Mahrattas, his army was encumbered with artillery and baggage.* After remaining for some time at Agra and the countries contiguous to it, the Bow, as

* See Appendix, Note C.

he is generally called, marched to Dehly, of which city he took possession. The periodical rains having set in soon after his arrival there, he put his army into cantonments. The Afghan monarch had for some time past been too much occupied in his own dominions, to take any active part in the transactions in India; but being warmly pressed by some Mohammedan chiefs to come to their assistance against the Mahrattas, he again crossed the Attock. Those chiefs having joined him with their forces, and consented to be guided by him, he marched against the Mahratta leaders, who instead of advancing to meet him, established themselves in a strong position at Panniputh, in the province of Dehly, and about forty-five miles north of that city. The Mahrattas counted above 200,000 men under arms, even after the desertion of the Jats, who secretly quitted them. The Mohammedan army amounted to about 150,000. The Mahrattas had covered the most accessible parts of their camp with batteries and entrenchments. The armies

remained in presence of each other near three months, during which several partial actions were fought with various fortune. The activity of Ahmed to prevent supplies from getting into the enemy's camp, had at last reduced the Mahrattas to be in want of subsistence. The Bow, their real commander, having in this extremity resolved to give battle, early on the morning of the 7th of January, 1761, quitted his camp and marched towards the Mohammedans. At day-light the Mahrattas were seen advancing with their numerous artillery distributed in their lines. Ahmed was soon in readiness to receive them. The battle, one of the most bloody and obstinate that almost ever imbrued even the plains of Hindustan, was completely engaged shortly after sunrise, and continued with unremitting fury till between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, when the Mahrattas began to give way, and soon after fled, leaving dead upon the field, Biswas Row, a youth of most promising qualities, Sedashéo Row Bow, with many other generals, and at

least 50,000 of the best troops of their army. A still greater number is supposed to have perished in the pursuit, for the Afghans gave no quarter. Above two hundred pieces of cannon with all their baggage, including an immense booty taken at Dehly and other places during this expedition, fell into the hands of the conquerors.* Soon after this event Ahmed returned to Cabul, carrying with him, besides the principal part of the richest booty taken from the Mahrattas, a large sum paid to him by the different Mohammedan chiefs for his assistance.

Early in 1762, he again crossed the At

* See an account of this battle by Casi Rajah Pundit, who was an ocular witness of it. Asiat. Researches, vol. iii. p. 488-491. Having examined some of the prisoners, he computes the number of persons of every description, men, women, and children, taken or killed, on this occasion, at near five hundred thousand. This number may appear incredible to those who have not seen Indian armies, but in the usual way of warfare in India, at least three followers of all kinds, may be reckoned to every one who is to fight as a soldier.

tock, and over-ran the whole of the Panjab, every where defeating and dispersing the Sikhs, who took refuge in the woods and mountains. He halted at Lahore, in order to complete the conquest, and regulate the affairs of that province. The Sikhs, thereupon, assembled in Sirhind, where being above a hundred miles from Lahore, they were without apprehension of any immediate danger: but Ahmed, by one of those sudden and rapid movements, to which he frequently had recourse in his operations, after two days march, surprised and defeated them.* The Sikhs lost on this occasion above twenty thousand men, the rest again betook themselves to their fastnesses. Amritsar was now entirely razed to the ground, and the sacred reservoir filled with its ruins. Every Sikh that could be found, was instantly put to death; pyramids of their heads were to be seen in the market places; and the walls of such mosques as they were thought to have

* February, 1762.

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