Bhaskarram began an encircling manoeuvre around the Bengal army, plucking off outlying camp-followers, provisions, tents and carts from the army’s baggage. Aliwardi’s army became a mass of confused parts, with his disgruntled Afghans led by Mustafa Khan lagging behind. It was evening when Aliwardi found himself in the middle of a muddy field, near the water tank called Ranidighi.
Aliwardi had 4000-strong cavalry and 5000 musketeers with him. The Nawab’s army awakened one morning in late April 1742, to discover they were trapped. Overnight, they had been surrounded by the Maratha horse, all supplies cut off and granaries in villages in a periphery of fifteen kilometers burnt down. The starving army had to eat roots and their animals had to feed on leaves from the trees. Bhaskarram, who had been tasked with obtaining the Chauth, placed the price for relief at ten lakh rupees. In eight days, Aliwardi began facing deathly starvation. Bhaskarpant kept half his force in the siege positions and using the remaining half, rendered the other surrounding areas desolate. For a week, the Bengal army lay defenceless in the field. An emissary named Mir Khairullah Khan came to Bhaskarram and sought a means of pacification. The Maharashtra Puran quotes Bhaskarpant, “’Shahuraja has sent me here to take the Chauth. Go and tell the Nawab to give me the Chauth, go quickly.’ But when he had heard this, the Vakil said, ‘You say things which are not proper – that Bargis should come to Bengal at any time to take Chauth is a great wrong.’ Then Bhaskar said to him, ‘Whose is the wrong? Have you considered this – by whose command has (the Nawab) usurped this province? By what justice does he refuse to pay tribute to the Badshah? The Badshah has ordered me to take the Chauth. If you do not give it to me, I shall make war upon you and destroy the kingdom.’”
Tired of the envoy’s continuing pleas, the author of the Siyar tells us of Bhaskarram’s retort, “’Tell your master from me that the Viceroy of Bengal is now stripped totally of his baggage, and totally surrounded by my troops, nor is there a possibility of his escaping. How then can you talk of a treaty and agreement? Still, as he is one of the greatest sovereigns of India, I consent to spare him for the sake of his station: but let him pay down one crore directly, and surrender all his elephants; and then we shall open all our ranks, and allow him to pursue his journey to his capital.’”
Aliwardi’s army chiefly consisted of a Pathan contingent that had been in arrears of pay for a while. Moreover, Aliwardi Khan had breached his promise to their chief Mustafa Khan, of not laying off his men after the capture of Cuttack. The third reason given was the incident of the Raja of Mayurbhanj, who had been assured protection by Mustafa Khan, but had been assassinated by Mir Jafar on Aliwardi’s orders. Mustafa Khan and his men, therefore, refused to fight.
Now, in their hour of distress, Aliwardi taking his grandson Siraj-ud-Daulah along, in the middle of the night and without any guards, reached Mustafa Khan’s tent to plead with the Afghan General, “Hear me, friend Mustafa Khan. Nothing is dearer to man than his life, but my situation is such now, that the easiest and the foremost business I have to do, is to die. Needless it is for you then to contrive far-fetched expedients for the purpose of getting rid of me: are you dissatisfied with my person on account of some matters that have come to pass? Here I am, ready at your hand with Siraj-ud-Daulah, who is dearer to me than my own self. We are alone, dispatch me immediately, do your business at one stroke, and rid yourself at once of all your incertitudes. But if some remembrance of a friendship of long standing, and some gratitude for benefits received, have yet a place in your heart, and you can afford to forgive some transgressions of mine that are now past, if you are inclined to stand by me in this desperate moment – then renew your engagement with me.”
The battle-hardened Afghan chief melted before the Nawab’s soothing words. He resolved to fight for Aliwardi with Mustafa Khan declaring, “at present my head, my life and that of my family I have thrown at the feet of my master… and so long as this head shall stick to this body, I have made a legacy and a gift of it to Aliwardi Khan, to his children and to his family.”
With this resolution, the Afghans began to cooperate with the Nawab, and prepared to face the encircling Maratha army.
For a while, the Marathas raised a flag allowing men who wished to leave, to hand over their treasure and belongings and save their lives. However, many came with empty hands, and this window was soon closed. The Marathas then commenced an attack with one field-piece and rockets on Aliwardi’s army, firing on the camp even in the middle of the night. Soon, some from the Maratha army penetrated the Bengal camp and captured Mir Habib, who was with Aliwardi Khan’s contingent. From here on, Mir Habib gradually became a part of the Maratha army and was consulted on the strategy to be followed against the Nawab.
To be continued…
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