Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/559

 CuAP. VIII.] THE MAHRATTAS INVADE BENGAL. 52.)

aware of the advantage he had gained, and refused to take less than a crore ad. 1742. (£1,000,000), together with all the elephants. Desperate as the case was, any risk was better than this ignominy ; and after a «ti"uggle of four days, during ^laiiratta which new losses and hardships were endured, the nabob succeeded in placing ueugai. the Bhagaruttee between him and his pursuers. Here Nuazish Mahomed, the eldest son of his brotiier Haji, joined him with a considerable reinforcement, and he found little difficulty in obtaining sufficient supplies. It was now Bos- ker Punt's turn to take alarm. The rainy season had commenced, and the whole country was becoming inundated. It seemed madness to remain, and he would have departed had not a bolder spirit than his own interfered. An Arab by origin, of the name of Meer Hubbeeb, was Dewan of Orissa when Moorshad Cooly governed it, and made no scruple, when satisfied as to the winning side, to abandon his old master and take service under Ali Verdy. His only object, however, was to serve, himself; and having been taken, or rather, perhaps, allowed himself to be taken prisoner by the Mahrattas, he ingratiated himself with their commander, and was soon the most influential, as he was certainly the ablest of his advisers. From his thorough knowledge of the country he was able to turn every circumstance to advantage, and when Bosker Punt spoke of retreat, pointed to the defenceless state of Moorshedabad. 'hen Bosker Punt hesitated, he volunteered to surprise it, and was provided with a detachment for that purpose. The nabob obtaining intelligence of his departure, tried to outstrip him. He was a day too late. Meer Hubbeeb had already plundered the suburbs, and extorted from the banker, Juggut Seat, a sum which has been estimated at £2,500,000 sterling. The success of this expedition induced Bosker Punt to abandon the intention of returning to Berar, and he encamped for the rainy season at Cutwah, on the Hooghly.

Though the season made operations on a large scale impossible, the Mahrat- tas made repeated incursions, and were at last masters of the whole of Bengal west of the Ganges, except Moorshedabad and its environs. The nabob, con- tented in the meantime with the possession of his capital, continued strength- ening its works and making preparations for a decisive campaign. His resources on the east of the Ganges were still unimpaired, and his troops, placed in cantonments and abundantly supplied with provisions, suffiired few privations. It was otherwise with the inhabitants of the districts ovennin by the enemy. Plundered of their property, and pursued by fii-e and sword, multi- tudes fled across the river, carrying their teiTors along with them, and sought shelter and protection in Calcutta. Even here the alarm became general ; and an entrenchment, afterwards known by the name of the Mahrattii Ditch, was commenced. It was intended to carry it romid the territory, and form an inclosure seven miles in extent ; but as the jMahrattas did not attempt to cross the river, and were believed not to possess the necessary means, the work was abandoned when scarcely half the distance was completed. At the same time