The Marathas under Malhar With their camp at Dholpur were carrying on frequent lightning raids into the Bharatpur Kingdom, while on the other hand the Sikhs were growing refractory for want of payment and they also began to lay waste that country. Maharaja Jawahar Singh did not want a long struggle against the Marathas. Because it had to cause more economic loss and loss of soldiers on both sides. And Maharaja Jawahar Singh did not want to bring trouble on any part of his empire. And the Marathas wanted to any extent that their territory should be conquered by attacking Bharatpur. So in view of this, Maharaja Jawahar Singh sought help from his old comrades And the Sikh Jats of Punjab again agreed to his point and provided the help of seven to eight thousand soldiers.Then leaving his camp in Shahgarh, Jawahir Singh with a light force and some guns marched to fight the Marathas and engaged them at a distance of 7-8 kos from Dholpur, on the 13th and 14th March. First the Jats and Sikhs advanced and the Marathas defeated them killing 50 to 1oo of their body. The Sikhs turning back came close to Maharaja Jawahar Singh , and the exultant Marathas chased them “thinking the enemy had fled.” This brought them with in the range of the fire of the Jat guns while the Sikhs arranged themselves on the flanks of the Jat army and they advanced in a body firing. The Marathas, seeing their folly in being so easily taken in by the cunning trick of the wily Sikhs, began to retreat towards evening. Just at this juncture the Sikhs and Jats delivered an assault. Many of the Maratha troops lost their lives while several hundreds of their horses were captured in the ravines of the Chambal. The Maratha generals, being defeated, took shelter in Dholpur. Sultanji, a prominent Maratha chief was taken captive while lying wounded in the battle-field. Maharaja Jawahar Singh followed up his victory, seized Dholpur and captured all the Maratha generals.
References :-
- S. P. D. xxix. 126, 127.
- History of the sikhs vol. 1 by Hari Ram Gupta