Muntakhab al-lubab 70: Prince Akbar.

70

[Text, vol. ii. p. 275.] When Prince Muhammad Akbar took to flight, not more than three or four hundred men remained with him. Some of them were his own old followers, and others were Rajputs. * * All his property and treasure and guns fell into the hands of the royal army, as well as one son, a boy of tender years, named Neku Siyar, and two daughters. One son, who had arrived at years of discretion, remained with the Rajputs. The Prince himself was distracted, and knew not whither to go. At one time he thought of going to Dehli and Lahore by way of Ajmir. Then he proposed to go to Persia. Whichever way he turned, the faujdars and zamindars, under orders from the Emperor, blocked his way. Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam received orders to pursue him; but the common report is that he only made a feint of doing so, and marched leisurely.
Akbar proceeded by way of Lahore and Multan, and under the guidance of the zamindars he then passed by difficult roads through the hills towards the Dakhin. * * Orders had been repeatedly sent to Khan-Jahan Bahadur, Subadar of the Dakhin, and to all the faujdars, directing them to stop him wherever he might come, to take him prisoner alive if possible, if not, to kill him. Under these orders Khan-Jahan pursued the Prince with the intention of making him prisoner. He came within fourteen or fifteen kos of him, but on approaching nearer he made only a feint of arresting him. The fact was reported to the Emperor by Mir Nuru-llah, who was very unceremonious in these matters. A strong letter of censure was written upon the matter, and strict directions were sent to all the news-writers.
Prince Akbar then proceeded to Baglana, to the territory of Raja Debi Singh, the commandant and faujdar of Malir. Raja Debi sent out a force to take him prisoner; but when the force followed, the Prince escaped from Baglana. A few of his Rajputs remained behind, and these were taken to the Raja. Whilst the Raja was making inquiries of these men, another party of his horsemen overtook one of the Prince's followers, who had upon his back a blood-stained jacket belonging to the Prince, but which he had thrown off in consequence of the heat. They attacked and wounded this man, and carried him off to the Raja, under the impression that he was the Prince. The Raja did not believe it, and abused his men for their stupidity. Prince Akbar, after passing through the territories of the Firingis, found unquiet refuge for a while in the hills of Baglana. By means of a bribe of money, he induced the hill-men to guide him to Rahiri, belonging to Sambha. This chieftain came forth to receive him, gave him a house of his own to dwell in, about three kos from the fort of Rahiri, and fixed an allowance for his support.