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Quanlong to Abdali

English translation (Qianlong to Abdali)

You say in your memorial that the Ma-er-ta Khan Na-bala-chi (nAnAsaheb balAjI) heard that you had taken the city/fortress of Zha-ha-naba-te (and thus) collected together his neighboring tribes/polities, totaling several hundred thousand each of cavalry and infantry, to come fight with you. When he reached Qi-li-na-le he heard that you were leading a mass (of troops) to come meet him. They all then took refuge in the fortress of Pani-pa-te. You attacked and besieged them for six months, obliterated scores of their great commanders (bo-ke = beg), over a hundred thousand of their partisans, and seized gold, silver, and precious vessels beyond count. Now, since Na-bala-chi was able to join together a mass of partisans, how is it possible that he would enter at once into a strong fortress without having first joined battle, sitting and waiting for his execution? This matter is truly impossible to fathom.