पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

KUNJPURA 55
Shahdaula and cleared the regions upto Attock In the Jalandar Doab, the
Sikhs firmly established themselves, driving out the Afghan posts Alasingh,
the founder of the Patiala State, promised to join Bhau with his troops Thus,
at the beginning of October 1760, Abdali's hold over the Panjab had been
completely lost, but for a post here and there Abdus Samad Khan found his
position in Sarhind untenable and was reported to be coming down to Kunj-
pura on the Jamuna on his way to join Abdali in the Doab (Persian
Akhbar MS )
From the news available in the Persian Akhbar dated 15-10 1760, it
seems as if Abdali also had become weary of waiting and was ready to solve
the political tangle by negotiations Up till then, Shah Abdullah Darvesh
Pirzada had come as the envoy of Abdali But now it was thought necessary
that these roundabout ways should cease and the plenipotentiaries of the two
sides, if not the chiefs themselves, should meet face to face to have a personal
talk before taking the final plunge It was suggested that the rendezvous
should be near the Buradi Ghat, strongly guarded by Damaji Gaikawad, the
chiefs should meet in midstream, each in his own boat, standing in juxtaposi-
tion But this meeting never took place, however, as Bhau had to hurry up to
Kunjpura so as to cut off Abdus Samad Khan
The plan of marching to Kunjpura was maturing in the mind of Bhau
for more than a month,⁹ but the rainy season had delayed the project The
Deccan bullocks, connected with the artillery department, had suffered most
from the rains Many of them died, probably on account of the northern
Indian climate being unsuitable to them Bhau had sent an express letter to
Govind Ballal for sending 500 bullocks, as early as 17th August, and had also
called for 400 Pathans or northern Indian men capable of enrolment in the
artillery on 27th August ¹⁰ He took over all the ghats on the Jamuna and
made arrangements for guarding the same This had made Abdali power-
less to do anything in the matter Nothing remained for him but to wait till
the subsidence of the river
When Bhau started for Kunjpura in the first week of October, he had
calculated that the water of the Jamuna would not subside for at least one
month ¹¹ But his calculation seems to have been based on incorrect informa-
tion Two important persons of Bhau's office, writing three weeks before he
wrote, calculate one month or even a fortnight as the period necessary for the
river level to go down ¹² According to them, the water should have subsided
by the middle of October, almost the time when Bhau wrote and started for
Kunjpura If we take the calculation of the two officers to be mere guess
work and very rough, we cannot say the same thing of the written opinion
of Balvantrao Mehendale, supposed to be the most intimate friend and ad-
viser of Bhau during the Panipat campaign Writing on 14th October he
9 Ibid 1.237
10 Ibid 1.231, 237
11 Ibid 1.252
12 SPD 2.130-31