The Book of Jahāngīr's Fortune 13.5

13.5

The intelligence of these reverses greatly troubled the Emperor. By advice of Mahabat Khan, he summoned Khana-zad Khan, son of Mahabat, from Kabul, and sent him with his army to join his father. * * * A despatch arrived from Mahabat Khan, informing the Emperor that Shah Jahan had quitted Patna and Bihar, and had gone to Bengal. Prince Parwez, with the Imperial army, was in Bihar awaiting instructions as to his future proceedings. It has already been related how Shah Jahan had made Darab, son of Khan-khanan, governor of Bengal, and having first bound him by an oath, had carried off his wife and son and nephew as hostages. After being defeated, Shah Jahan placed the wife in the fort of Rohtas, and wrote to Darab, ordering him to come in person to the fort. Darab improperly and perversely took another view of the matter, and wrote to say that he was unable to come, because the zamindars had banded together and held him in blockade. When Shah Jahan found that he must not expect the arrival of Darab, and that he had not forces sufficient to carry on the war, he placed Darab’s son in charge of ’Abdu-lla Khan, and went to Akbar-nagar, where he took all the munitions and baggage which had been left there, and returned to the Dakhin by the way in which he had come. Darab Khan had disgraced himself to all eternity by his detestable conduct, so ’Abdu-lla Khan relieved his own mind by putting Darab’s son to death; and this he did, although Shah Jahan had sent to forbid him.