292Saudar Jang and the Rohillas of the Moradabad-Eareilly Region Towards the second quarter of the eighteenth century, the Rohillas under the leadership of Ali Muhammad Khan had emerged as a power to reckon with in the Moradabad-Bareilly region.66 Since this region (p.269) lay on the north-west frontiers of Awadh, the governor was alarmed. As the deputy governor of the province Safdar Jang had always been aware of the implications of the developments in Moradabad. Owing to the absence of effective natural barriers between the sarkar of Moradabad and the province of Awadh, the disaffected zamindars of Khairabad when chased often fled to this region. Again, because of the diversion of the route taken for the Bengal treasury Safdar Jang visited Bareilly regularly, and he seems to have taken an interest even in the internal administration of the sarkar.67 The relationship between Safdar Jang and Ali Muham mad Khan also appears to have been amicable.68 They remained friendly, even during the periods when the Rohilla chief came into conflict with some of the nobles who had jagirs in Moradabad.69
Ali Muhammad Khan was, however, ambitious and tried to capitalize on the factional politics of the court. Coming gradually into close contact with the wazir,70 he became the principal ijaradar in the region and then began to violate the stipulated terms of contract even in the case of the jagirs of the big nobles. Again, in 1742 Ali Muhammad (p.270) invaded the territory of the Kumaon chief and annexed Kashipur, Rudrapur and two other parganas from the latter’s zamindari to his own territory. This was alarming for Safdar Jang since the Kumaon chief was his old ally. Soon after Ali Muhammad Khan intercepted certain employees of the Awadh government who were carrying logs of wood from the Kumaon teritory to Lucknow.71
Safdar Jang thus decided to cut him to size. He was amply assisted in this by Amir Khan, his greatest ally at this juncture. Amir Khan had a jagir in Moradabad and had also faced troubles from the Rohilla chief.72 In 1745 when Safdar Jang and Amir Khan dominated the political scenario at the court and the emperor seems to have been entirely under their spell, they convinced him that he should personally lead a military campaign against the Rohilla chief.73 Safdar Jang promised to meet the major part of the war expenditure.74 The expedition was to be under the personal command of the emperor. The emperor left Delhi in February 1745 with Safdar Jang, Amir Khan and other nobles and a huge army of about 1,00,000.75
However, the wazir pressed for a compromise and amicable adjustment with Ali Muhammad Khan, when he realized the real purpose of the expedition.76 But he could not dictate the terms of the (p.271) compromise.77 The Rohilla chief was asked to present himself before the emperor with a peshkash of Rs 1,00,00,000, surrender his arsenal (topkhana) and all claims over sarkar Moradabad.78 Ali Muhammad Khan, however, refused to accept these conditions and the encounter became inevitable which ended, on the wazir’s intercession, in his
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