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