but likewise threatened to cut off the Patel's communications with Punah. Rájá Partáb Singh (head of the Kachwahas, and Dhiráj of Jaipur), called for the aid of the head of the Ráthor clan, Maharájá Bijai Singh of Jodhpur, who had married his daughter, and who adopted his cause with alacrity. Joined by the Rana of Udaipur, and by other minor chiefs, the Rajput leaders found themselves at the head of a force of 100,000 horse and foot, and 400 pieces of artillery, and with this array they took post at Lálsot, a town forty-three miles east from Jaipur, and there awaited the attack of the Imperial forces, with the more confidence that they were aware of the growing disaffection of the Moghul nobles.

Here they were encountered at the end of May, 1787, by an enormous force under Sindhia in person, with Ambáji Inglia, Appa Khándi, M. de Boigne, and other trusty lieutenants. The Moghul horse and the regular infantry in the Imperial service were under the general direction of Mohamad Beg and his nephew. The latter, a young man who will play a conspicuous part in the succeeding pages, was named Ismail Beg, and was the son of Nahim Beg, who had accompanied his brother Mohamad from Hamadán, the two attaching themselves to their Persian countryman, Mirza Najaf, during that minister's later prosperity. Ismail Beg had married his uncle's daughter, and was a person of great spirit, though not, as it would seem, of much judgment or principle.

The battle, as described by Native history, began by a reconnaisance of Ismail Beg at the head of 300 Moghul horse. A large body of Rájput horse made way before him, but the Mahrattas not following up, and nearly half his men being slain, he was forced to retreat to

his uncle's division. This terminated the fighting for that day, but the next morning Ismail renewed the fight, leading on his artillery on foot, and followed by his uncle on an elephant with the rest of the corps. They were throughout the day engaged with the bulk of the Rajput army, but a heavy storm arose from the westward, as evening came on. The Mahrattas, having been in the meantime severely handled by a body of Rajput swordsmen mad with opium, the battle degenerated into a cannonade, at long ranges and at fitful intervals. Suddenly a chance round-shot dropped into the Moghul ranks, which, after overthrowing two horsemen, made a bound and struck Mohamad Beg on the right arm. He fell from his elephant, and, coming in contact with a small stack of branches of trees that had been piled at hand for the elephants' fodder, received a splinter in his temple which proved instantly mortal. Ismail, hearing of this event, exclaimed, "I am now the leader!" and immediately addressed the troops, and concluded the action for that day with a brisk cannonade. The next day (the 1st of June, and the third of this protracted engagement) both sides continued to fight till towards evening, when a body of some 14,000 infantry surrounded Sindhia's tents and clamorously demanded an issue of pay—very probably in arrear-and sent a message at the same time to the Jaipur Rájá, offering to join him on receipt. of two lakhs of rupees. The Rájá readily accepting these terms, the battalions joined his camp and received their money on the spot.

Meanwhile, such was the distress in the MoghulMahratta camp, isolated, at it was, in an enemy's country, that wheat was selling at four seers the Rupee,

* Probably about twelve times the average price current of those days.

and there was every prospect of the scarcity increasing; while the countless camp-followers of the Rájputs were engaged in nightly depredations, stealing the elephants and horses from the midst of the sentries. Under these circumstances, the Patel broke up his quarters the next evening, and fell back upon Alwar, whence Ismail Beg marched off without leave towards Agra, taking with him 1,000 horse, four battalions, and six guns. Sindhia, justly regarding this as an open act of defection, instantly made terms with Ránjit Singh, the leader of the Játs, and pushed on all his forces to the pursuit, at the same time throwing a strong reinforcement into the fort of Agra, the garrison of which was placed under the command of Lakwa Dáda, one of his best officers.*

The following version of the affair appears in the Calcutta Gazette :

"Reports are various respecting the particulars of an engagement between Scindia and the Rajahs of Joynaghurt and Jeypore; it is certain a very bloody battle was fought near Joynaghur about the end of last month, in which, though the enemy were repulsed in their attack on his advanced body by Scindia's troops,

This, it must be remembered, is a Musalman account of the campaign; and though it bears general marks of veracity, and is from the Tarikh-i-Mozafari, usually an accurate authority, yet one sees that it slurs over the details of Ismail Beg's defection. Grant Duff, writing from Mahratta sources, says that he and his uncle deserted before the battle of Lalsaut, which is the opposite extreme. Perhaps, we shall not be far wrong in supposing that Ismail Beg went off after his uncle's death, on the third day, when the mutinous corps deserted us stated in the text.

q. d. "Jodhpur," which was sometimes called Jainagar. Lalsaut was near Jaipur (v. sup.). See also Jawan Bakht's letter (inf. 164), where the word is apparently used for Jaipur.

with much gallantry, they were ultimately in a great measure victorious, as Scindia lost a part of his artillery during the engagement, which was long and obstinate, and in which upwards of 2,000 men were killed on either side. Both armies, however, still kept the field. Among the chiefs of note who fell on the part of Scindia, is Ajeet Roy. On that of the Joynaghur Rajah, is Mohamed Beg Humdanee, a very celebrated commander, much regretted by that party, and, but for whose loss, it is said that the Mahrattas would have been totally defeated. Several of Scindia's battalions, with a considerable corps of artillery, went over to the enemy on the 1st instant, but the intelligence we have yet received does not enable us to account for this revolt."

Francklin says, in general terms, that Mohamad Beg went over at the commencement of the action, and that it was Partáb Singh who conferred the command of the Moghuls upon Ismail Beg. But Partáb Singh would have no voice in such a matter, and Francklin inconsistently adds that the trained battalions of the late Afrásyáb's force went over later in the day. Where no authorities are given, it is inevitable that we should judge for ourselves. And, after all, the point is not of much importance. It is, however, pretty clear that the Moghul nobles were grievously discontented; that their discontents were known to the Rájputs before they provoked a collision; and that the latter were joined by them as soon as a likelihood appeared of Sindhia's being defeated.

General de Boigne used to relate that this was the hour of Sindhia's moral greatness. He made vast efforts to conciliate the Játs, appealing to the Thâkur's rustic vanity by costly presents, while he propitiated the feel

ing of the Bhartpur army, and the patriotism of the country at large, by restoring to the Játs the fortress of Dig, which had been held for the Emperor ever since its conquest by Najaf Khán. He likewise placed his siege-train in the charge of his new allies, who stored it in their chief fort of Bhartpur. At the same time he wrote letters to Poona, earnestly urging a general combination for the good cause.

Ismail Beg, on his part was not idle. His first effort was to procure the co-operation of the Rájputs, and had they not been too proud or too indolent to combine actively with him, it is possible that Mahratta influence might have been again overthrown, and the comparatively glorious days of Mirza Najaf Khán renewed in the Empire of Hindostan. A fresh associate, too, in these designs are now to appear upon the scene, which, for a brief but terrible period, he was soon after to fill. This was Gholám Kádir,* who hastened from Ghausgarh to join in the resuscitation of Mohamadan interests, and to share in the gains. The Emperor, moreover, was known to be in private correspondence with the Rájput chiefs, who shortly after this inflicted another defeat on the Mahrattas under Ambáji.

Unable to resist this combination, Sindhia fell back upon Gwalior, and Ismail Beg hotly pressed the siege of Agra.

Towards the end of the rainy season of 1787, Gholám Kádir approached Dehli, and encamped on the Shahdarat side of the river; his object at this time being, in all probability, a renewal of his father's claims, and attempts to obtain the dignity of Amir-ul* Vide sup. p. 149.

+ Shahdara was the scene of Suraj Mal's defeat and death.Vide sup., Chap. ii.