Page:Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan.djvu/163

 CHAPTER IX

Military Operations of the Maráthás and the Nizám

A passing reference may here be made to the measures taken by the Poona Darbár and the Nizám, whose co-operation the Governor-General had secured, to prosecute hostilities against the Mysore ruler. The principal gain which the Maráthás hoped to secure from the alliance was the recovery of the territory between the Krishna and the Tungábhadra which Raghubá had made over to Haidar as the price of his support. An army of 10,000 horse and 10,000 foot was placed under the command of Parasu Rám Bháo, one of the Patwardhan Bráhmans, who, aided by a small reinforcement of British troops from Bombay, proceeded to besiege Dhárwár, the capital of the province, September, 1790.

Dhárwár was then held by Badar-uz-zamán, who had under him about 10,000 men, regular and irregular. He resisted all attacks for three months, and although an escalade was attended at first with some success, it ultimately failed owing to the Maráthás beginning to pillage and burn the town. The conflagration