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 524 HISTORY or Sl)L. [Book III.

AD. 1742 Moorshad Cooly, finding no safety within the province, was gla/1 to seek an asylum in Masulipatam.

syod Ahmed Ali Verdy, Ijelieving that the insurrection was at an end, gave the govem-

govoriK.rof mcnt of Orissa to Syed Ahmed, his brother's second son, and set out for Bengal. He was scarcely seated in the capital wli<n intelligence anived which left him no alternative but to retrace his step.s. Syed Ahmed, by profligacy and vinflic- tiveness, had rendered himself so obnoxious that a new iiLsurrection, heaxled by Boker Khan, had broken out, and made him prisoner. The fame of the nabob as a warrior was now so widely spread that his mere presence in Ori.ssa sufficed to dissipate the revolt. Delighted not more at its suppression than at the reco- very of his nephew, he again settled the province, which, as it was no longer to be governed by Syed Ahmed, but by an officer of experience, was expected to give no further trouble. In this belief, Ali Verdy disbanded the greater part of the troops he had brought with him ; and, escorted only by about 5000 horse, proceeded by slow stages for Bengal, amusing himself on the way with hunting. After passing the frontiers of Orissa, he had entered the district of Midnapore, and was encamped near its capital, when he was startled by the intelligence that Bosker Punt, in the service of Ragojee Bhonsla, a Maliratta chief, who had established himself in possession of Berar, had arrived in Bengal, at the head of a formidable army, with the professed object of levjdng the chout, but more

Mahratta probably with the hope of making a permanent conquest. The nabob had not

invasion of />!• i t • • t ii*

Bengal. been unaware oi the intended invasion, but expected that it would be made from the north-west through Behar, and at so late a period as would give him ample time to reach Moorshedabad and provide sufficient means of defence. He was therefore taken completely by surprise when he learned that they had entered by Orissa, and were following close upon his track. He immediately hastened northward to Burdwan, expecting that he might be able there to deposit his heavy baggage in safety. He had only reached it when the arrival of the Mahrattas was announced by smoking villages and the helpless inhabi- tants fl.eeing in terror before them. The Mahratta commander, with the u.sual policy of his nation, avoided a general action, and after several skirmishes endeavoured to induce the nabob to buy him off by offering to withdraw on the payment of a heavy contribution. Still hoping to be able to reach his capital, Ali Verdy refused to submit to the humiliating terms, and made an effort to continue his retreat. With this view he gave orders that the heavy baggage and camp-followers should remain at Burdwan, but the terror had now become so general that the orders were disobeyed, and the confusion became inextricable. The greater part of the baggage, artillery, and tents fell into the hands of the enemy.

The nabob would now gladly have escaped by paj^g the contribution first demanded. It was no longer in his option. Bosker Punt, who would have been satisfied at one time with ten lacs of rupees (£100,000), was too weU