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234 gallantry, started from Lucknow in the height of the rains, which fell with greater violence than in ordinary years, and having with the utmost spirit and resolution traversed the intervening roads, which were all in a wretched muddy condition, made Shahabad the site of his camp. Till the conclusion of the rainy season, however, he was unable to unite with Najib-ad-daulah, owing to the overflowing of the river Ganges.

No sooner had the rains come to an end, than one of the Maratha chieftains, who bore the appellation of Govind Pandit, forded the stream at Datta's command with a party of 20,000 cavalry, and allowed no portion of Chandpur and many other populous places to escape conflagration and plunder. He then betook himself to the spot where Sad-allah Khan, Dundi Khan, and Hafiz Rahmat Khan had assembled, after having risen up in arms and quitted their abodes to afford succour to Najib-ad-daulah. These three, finding themselves unable to cope with him, took refuge in the forests on the Kamaun hills.

Nawab Shuja-ad-daulah, being apprised of this circumstance, mounted the fleet steed of resolution, and in Rabi-al-awwal, 1173 A.H. (Oct.-Nov. 1759 A.D.), taking his troops resembling the stars in his train, he repaired on the wings of speed to Chandpur, close to the locality where Najib-ad-daulah was stationed. As Govind Pandit had reduced the latter's force as well as his companions to great straits by cutting off their supply of provisions, Nawab Shuja-ad-daulah Bahadur despatched 10,000 cavalry, consisting of Moghuls and