The Seven Cities of Delhi
being forthcoming, he entered the palace three days afterwards and took up his quarters in the house usually ascribed to that functionary. What Shah Alam would have done cannot be imagined, had not the Begam Samru of Sardhana hastened to his aid, and forced Ghulam Kadir to retire across the river. Fresh troops now arrived under a Rewari noble, and Shah Alam melted down his plate to pay others, so that a considerable force was got together to oppose Ghulam Kadir, who started a second cannonade, some of the balls hitting the Diwan Khas. A truce, however, was patched up and
Ghulam went off to Aligarh, and on to Agra.
At the beginning of 1788 Shah Alam, excited by the unusual sight of an army under his orders, actually undertook an expedition,which had one small triumph, and was then abandoned. Ghulam Kadir and his ally were now defeated by the Mahrattas at Agra, and the former again appeared before Delhi, at Shahdara ; he had another interview with Shah Alam, but retired on the arrival of a small Mahratta force. Again was the palace bombarded,again the Moghal soldiery was bought over, and again the Hindus withdrew. Ghulam Kadir presented himself for another interview, and entered the palace with a small body of troops;248
