पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

KUNJPURA 57
them some seven thousand horse.¹⁶ They were encamped outside the fort and
tried to defend it to the utmost. But the musketry fire of the Gardis soon
broke their resistance by fast withering away their ranks, and they tried to
save themselves by entering the fort. Nejabat Khan was at first apprehensive
of opening the fort gates to get them in, but had to yield to their entreaties and
open the same. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Marathas also fol-
lowed behind them and forced themselves into the fort along with the Durranis
The Durrani horse and Ruhela footmen fought for some time but were ulti-
mately overpowered by the Maratha arms and defeated with heavy slaughter.
Four thousand Ghilzais were put to the sword¹⁷ and the rest, taking grass in
their mouths and uttering the words, "We are your cows,"¹⁸ were allowed to
go, after laying down their arms. The majority of the Ruhela footmen had
been wounded together with Nejabat Khan, who died soon afterwards of his
wounds. Momin Khan died in the battle from a bullet-shot. Abdus Samad
Khan and Mian Qutb Shah were captured alive, beheaded after heaping in-
sults on them and their heads paraded through the Maratha camp. Mian
Qutb Shah was derided, cursed and insulted most, especially by Shinde's men,
as he was responsible for the decapitation of Dattaji Shinde on the battlefield
of Buradi, the previous year. Their bodies were exposed to be eaten up by
vultures and jackals, no funeral rites being allowed them. The conversa-
tion between Qutb Shah and Bhau given in the Bhau Bakhar seems imaginary,
as contemporary letters from Shinde's camp do not say a word hinting at such
a thing. It has been fabricated to suit the dramatic tone of the whole of the
Bhau Bakhar.
Bhau got some seven lakhs of rupees in cash, five thousand horses,
camels and elephants, arms and the rest, as spoils. But the most opportune
gain was of 10,000 khandis of wheat collected at this depot for the Abdali
troops. Starvation in the Maratha army ended for the time being, as the
troops were paid in kind instead of cash.¹⁹ Horses and other animals also got
fodder and grain. More important than this material gain was the revival
of optimism in the Maratha army after a four months' period of doldrums,
leading to a deterioration of morale. The prowess of the Gardi fire had been put
to the test and proved up to the hilt.
Bhau spent a week at Kunjpura destroying the fortifications and ar-
ranging matters in the new light. He seems to have felt no apprehension of
any impending danger as he ordered a march to Kurukshetra of at least a
part of the army. While on his way to Kunjpura, Bhau's idea was to finish the
work there in four days and then to cross the Jamuna by some upper ghat
like that at Budhia, into Saharanpur. He had already seized practically all
the boats on the Jamuna on which he could lay hands, and kept them to-
gether near the Selimgad fort on the bank of the Jamuna at Delhi with a
view to making use of them in case of necessity. He had also kept pickets
with small parties of soldiers to guard the main ghats over the Jamuna from
¹⁶ Shinde 3.234, 392; RAJ 1.260, 265
¹⁷ Purandare 1.391.
¹⁸ Shinde 3.234.
¹⁹ SPD. 21.197-8