But the coarse and brutal preliminary of invading Jaipur territory and by force of arms coercing nation of warriors into paying tribute was quiet out of his line.

The order to compel the lord of many legions to pay up tribute quiet staggered the little quill-driving, copper-counting chief, and he immediately wrote pressing letters of Thomas urging him to assist in the proposed expedition.

He foresaw that to put into the field a body of troops sufficient for an invasion and like the one proposed could only be accomplished with a full treasury, whereas his was as dry as the sands of his own deserts.

[6] Herbert Eastwick Compton again gives a vivid and graphic description of the battle which is thought an authentic account as the crushing defeat and precipitate flight of Thomas being pursued by the Jaipur army is written in a clever way in his book.

Sawai Pratap Singh collected his troops and marched to the relief of his northwestern districts, where Thomas and Vamana Rao were relaxed and enjoying their time in Jaipur undisturbed, with a resolution to punish the Marathas and give them a battle whenever he met them.

Since the Marathas had been uninterrupted till now, they were buoyed by a false sense of security, and they pushed on too far, and suddenly discovered they were cut off in the middle of a hostile country without any source of supply or base of operations to fall back upon, a disregard of military caution which involved their small flying column in a very hazardous position.

This created a dilemma in Vamana's mind and he considered retreating, thinking it impossible to encounter a large force consisting of Rajputs, whose bravery was traditional.

Vamana agreed to risk an engagement with the Rajputs, marching to Fatehpur with a prospect of finding a supply of grain sufficient for the troops, and securing a strong defensive position.

Information of Maratha's and Thomas's approach was conveyed early to the local inhabitants of Fatehpur, who, as a measure of resistance, filled up the wells in the surrounding country, and thus rendered it waterless in the direction from which the invaders were advancing.

On the last day, they were obliged to make a forced march of 25 miles over deep sand, through which, as the long, hot afternoon wore on, the jaded troops could scarcely plough their way, their feet sinking ankle-deep into the yielding surface.

As the walls of Fatehpur loomed in sight, the Rajputs was fully prepared to resist, and the last well outside its gates was just being filled up by a body of 400 men, who had been detached for the task.

As the intelligence of Sawai Pratap Singh's approach, Thomas fortified his camp and the captured city of Fatehpur in the best possible way in limited time.

Thomas was aware that the Marathas could not be relied upon and hence left a battalion of his infantry and 4 six-pounder guns to defend the camp and protect the rear, which would otherwise be open to attack by the Rajputs.