Muntakhab al-lubab 31: The War with Shuja'.—Defection of Prince Muhammad Sultan.
Muntakhabu-l Lubáb, of Kháfí Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 31
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- English
The War with Shuja'.—Defection of Prince Muhammad Sultan.
31.1
[vol. ii. p. 90.] Prince Muhammad Sultan, with Mu'azzam Khan as his adviser and commander-in-chief, pursued Shuja' until he reached Dacca, where Shuja' busied himself in collecting munitions of war, men and artillery. The command of the Imperial army and the appointment of the amírs rested in a great degree with Mu'azzam Khán. This was a great annoyance to the Prince, and Shuja', having got information of this, conceived the idea of winning the Prince over to his side. So he opened communications with the Prince, and by letters and presents, and the arts which gain the feelings of young, inexperienced men, he seduced the Prince from the duty he owed to his father, and brought him over to his own side. Soon he offered the Prince his daughter in marriage, and at length the Prince was so deluded as to resolve upon joining Shuja'. Towards the end of the month Ramazán, at the beginning of the third year of the reign, he sent a message to Shujá', informing him of his intention, and in the night he embarked in a boat on the Ganges with Amir Kuli, the commander of the artillery, Kasim 'Ali Mir-tuzak, who were the prime movers in this business, and with some eunuchs and domestic servants, taking with him all the treasure and jewels he could. When Shuja' heard of this step, he referred it to the favour of God, and sent his son Buland Akhtar with several boats and porters to conduct the Prince with his treasure and baggage over the river.
31.2
After the Prince had crossed over, and Shujá's men were busy in carrying away his treasure and baggage, the fact of his evasion became known, and was communicated to Mu'azzam Khan. The desertion caused great uneasiness in the Imperial army, * * and Mu'azzam Khan himself was much annoyed and troubled, but he would not allow this to be seen. He mounted his horse, inspected the lines, encouraged the troops, and did all he could to counteract the effects of this untoward proceeding. The rainy season had come, * * so, for the comfort of his troops, he removed thirty kos from Akbarnagar, to a high ground suitable for a camp in the rains. * * Shuja' passed over to Akbar-nagar by boats, and attacked Mu'azzam unawares; and although the Imperial forces made a splendid resistance, some of their allies were indifferent or disaffected, so they were overpowered and compelled to retreat. Mu'azzam Khan brought up some forces from his centre, and encouraging the waverers, he renewed the resistance, and charged. Two or three of Shuja's chief amirs were killed or wounded, and his attack was eventually repulsed. There were several other conflicts with similar results, until the rains and the rising of the river put an end to all fighting. * * Muhammad Sultan married Shuja's daughter, and it was announced that after spending a few days in nuptial pleasure at Akbar-nagar, the attack on the Imperial army would be renewed.
31.3
* * Mu'azzam Khan received reinforcements after the cessation of the rains, and it would be a long story to relate all his bold and skilful movements. Suffice it to say that in the course of fifteen to twenty days there were some sharp conflicts, in which Shuja' was defeated, and eventually put to flight, and escaped in the war-boats, by means of which he had been enabled to make his attacks on the army of Mu'azzam. * * Many of the war-boats were sunk by the fire of the artillery, and some were captured. * * Several actions were fought near the streams, and also between the war-boats on the Ganges in the vicinity of Tanda, in which many men were killed and wounded.
31.4
When Aurangzeb received the intelligence of Muhammad Sultan's going over to Shuja', and of Mu'azzam Khan's obstinate fighting, he thought it prudent and necessary to go himself to the seat of war, and on the 5th Rabi'u-l awwal he set out for the East. * * About the middle of Rabi'u-s sani intelligence arrived that Prince Muhammad Sultan had left Shuja', and had again joined Mu'azzam Khan. The Prince repented of the step he had taken, * * and communicated to one of the commanders in the royal army that he desired to return. * * He escaped with some of his servants and jewels and money on board of four boats, but he was pursued by the boats of Shuja'. * * The boats were fired upon, and one was sunk, but the Prince escaped. His return gave great joy to Mu'azzam Khan, who reported the fact to the Emperor, under whose orders he was sent to Court [and his associates to prison]. When the Prince returned to his father's army, Shuja' meditated flight, but still some hard fighting went on. At length Shuja' despaired of success, and retired leaving Bengal to the occupation of Mu'azzam Khan.