390
HISTORY OF INDIA.
[Book HI.
ill the Uecuaii
A u. 17I.V Khan, afterwards well known as the founder of the Nizam dynasty, under his title of Nizam-ul-Moolk, meaning " Regulator or Governor of the State." To Proceedings make Way for Hosen Ali, he was removed to the comparatively insignificant government of Moradabad. B(;tli of these chiefs considering themselves aggrieved by the loss of their more important appointments, hated Hosen, and were di.s- posed to throw their weight into any confederacy that might he formed against liim. Daoud, naturally the more headstrong and impetuous of the two, was first worked upon ; and no sooner learned that Hosen's destruction would be hailed at Delhi as a deliverance, than he resolved to attempt it, not covertly, but liy open hostility. With this view, having mustered the forces of his own govern- ments, and increased them by leaes from the Mahrattas and other Deccan chiefs
among whom he had
any influence, he at
once made his appear-
ance in the field, and
that there might be
no doubt as to his
intentions, sent Ho.sen
his defiance. The trial
(jf strength thas pro-
voked was speedily
decided. Daoud, act-
ing with his usual im-
j)etuosity, commenced
the battle with a
charge, before which
those opposed to him
were
M.HRATTA.s. — From Forbas, Oriental Memoirs; and Bumouf, L'lude Francaise.
Progress of the Mahrattas
fleeing panic- struck, when he fell, pierced through the brain with a bullet. The fortune of the day was immediately reversed, and Hosen saw his threatened defeat con- verted into a complete victory.
While Daoud Khan Panni and Nizam-ul-Moolk governed in the Deccan, the Mahrattas, either distracted by internal dissensions, or satisfied with the advan- tageous peace which they had extorted, gave little trouble. The aspect of affairs was now changed. Hosen, offended at the assistance which they had given to his enemies, and deeming himself strong enough to put them down by main force, was not at all dissatisfied when the proceedings of one of their leading chiefs gave him good ground for interfering. This chief, whose family name was Dabari, by establishing a line of fortified villages in Candeish, had become the terror of caravans and travellers along the highroad leading from the Dec- can to Surat. A stroncj detachment which Hosen sent against him met with little obsti'uction, and marched on unconscious of danger till it became entangled
