The Rashīdī History 227.5

227.5

In short, we set out and came to the district of Nagam. Mirza Ali Taghai went in advance. At the second stage we learnt that lower down there was no road, or if there were one, it was not suitable for the passage of an army. Chased from one place, and stopping in another, we finally halted at a spot called Jarura. The army of Kashmir, overjoyed with this march of ours, began again to collect their scattered forces from all sides, and descending from the hills, stationed themselves in a strong position, round which they threw a stockade [shakh]. [Couplet] .... This happened on the 4th of Shaban, 939. (An ingenious person found the date in 'Ruz-i-chaharum az mah-i-Shaban). When Shaban was over and the season of Taurus had come to an end, the snows of mid-winter (that is, the season of Capricorn) were melted from the passes by the heat of the summer sun. Mirza Ali Taghai, continuing his intrigues, began to point out, and enlarge upon, the enormous difficulties which the conquest of Kashmir would involve. He thus turned the hearts of the whole army from a desire to conquer Kashmir. The only exception was Mir Daim Ali, upon whom these base reasonings had no effect. All the leaders of the army of the Moghuls . . .