Kasim Ali Khan was beaten in several actions by our gallant little band of troops under their able leader, Colonel Adams; and at last driven to seek shelter with the Nawab Wazir of Oudh, into whose service Sumroo afterwards entered.  This chief being in his turn beaten, Sumroo went off and entered the service of the celebrated chief of Rohilkhand, Hafiz Rahmat Khan.  This he soon quitted from fear of the English.  He raised two battalions in 1772, which he soon afterwards increased to four; and let out always to the highest bidder—­first, to the Jat chiefs of Dig, then to the chief of Jaipur, then to Najaf Khan, the prime minister, and then to the Marathas.  His battalions were officered by Europeans, but Europeans of respectability were unwilling to take service under a man so precariously situated, however great their necessities; and he was obliged to content himself for the most part with the very dross of society—­men who could neither read nor write, nor keep themselves sober.  The consequence was that the battalions were often in a state of mutiny, committing every kind of outrage upon the persons of their officers, and at all times in a state of insubordination bordering on mutiny.  These battalions seldom obtained their pay till they put their commandant into confinement, and made him dig up his hidden stores, if he had any, or borrow from bankers, if he had none.  If the troops felt pressed for time, and their commander was of the necessary character, they put him astride upon a hot gun without his trousers.  When our battalion had got its pay out of him in this manner, he was often handed over to another for the same purpose.  The poor old Begam had been often subjected to the starving stage of this proceeding before she came under our protection; but had never, I believe, been grilled upon a gun.  It was a rule, it was said, with Sombre, to enter the field of battle at the safest point, form line facing the enemy, fire a few rounds in the direction where they stood, without regard to the distance or effect, form square, and await the course of events.  If victory declared for the enemy, he sold his unbroken force to him to great advantage; if for his friends, he assisted them in collecting the plunder, and securing all the advantages of the victory.  To this prudent plan of action his corps afterwards steadily adhered; and they never took or lost a gun till they came in contact with our forces at Ajanta and Assaye.[13]

Sombre died at Agra on the 4th of May, 1778, and his remains were at first buried in his garden.  They were afterwards removed to the consecrated ground in the Agra churchyard by his widow the Begam,[14] who was baptized, at the age of forty,[15] by a Roman Catholic priest, under the name of Joanna,[16] on the 7th of May, 1781.