6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

5TH GLORIOUS EPOCH 427
ABDALI'S SECOND INVASION OF INDIA
1049. Abdali bad been secretly given reports of this
forthcoming imperial treaty with the Marathas six months-
or more before the actual event. That is why in 1749 he
invaded India for the second time simply to oppose the
Marathas*'. So the imperial governor of the Punjab, Mir
Mannu, himself ceded helplessly Thattha, Sindh (Multan,) the
Punjab and other adjoining territories to Abdali and accep­
ted the overlordship of the latter over that region**. Satis­
fied with the thought that the Maratha authority over that
region, relegated to them by the imperial treaty, was wiped
out by the abject surrender of Mir Mannu, the imperial
officer in charge of that part, and that the time for further
advance was not yet, Abdali once again went bank to
KabuIBO.
1050. But the Marathas \tere highly infuriated at this
duplicity of the imperial officer and the reported mute con­
sent of the Emperor himself to this treacherous act. The
Marathas vowed to avenge Abdali's usurpation of the region
between Sindh, Thattha to Punjab, in defiance of the Moghal-
Maratha treaty just as furiously as would a cobra whose tail
has been trodden down wilfully. But they were at this time
preoccupied with the South-Indian Muslims*^, the westerners
like the Portuguese** and also with the domestic political
troubles at Satara*'. As such Nanasahib Peshwa ordered'
Malharrao Holkar and Jayajirao Shinde, and the two Maratha
leaders crossed the Jamuna and fell upon the fifty-to sixty-
thousand-strong army of the Rohillas encamped at Kadar-
gunj on the 20th March, 1751. The Pathans fought tenaciously,,
but in the end the Marathas completely routed and destroyed
the joint army of the 'original and legitimate' Pathans and
Rohillas**. Quickly following this signal success the Mara­
thas fought the Pathan Ahmadkhan Bangash, who had come
on a hot scent to Farukhabad with his army**. Ahmadkhan
took shelter in Farukhabad and was timely joined by the
second mighty army of the Rohillas**. But again the
Marathas besieged the conjoint army of these 'true born"