Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 4.10.9

4.10.9

All this joy, however, did not remove the uneasiness he felt, on observing that Zulficar-khan, surrounded by a strong body of veterans, and by much artillery, did not move from the field of battle. Such a resolute countenance had something very imposing. He expressed his surprise in strong terms at what that General could mean by staying so late at night; and at last he sent him this message:— "He that pretended to the empire, has relinquished the throne and is fled—pray, have you any pretensions to it yourself, that you tarry so long after him? If you have, this is another matter; but if you have not, and you are only for an Emperor of the House of Aoreng-zib, what objections can you have to my being that Prince, instead of Muezzeddin?" Such a message, and such a tone of voice, informed at once Zulficar-khan of what he wanted to know; and finding that things were past remedy, he marched off at the head of his troops in good order; and he had so respectable a countenance, that no one thought of disputing the ground with him. The Emperor, meanwhile, had passed the night at Ecber-abad, where he shaved his beard like a Hindoo, changed his apparel for an humble one, and taking Laal Coar with him, he, in the latter part of the night, fled towards the capital, having about his person a number of people of all sorts personally attached to him. But instead of going to the citadel, he landed in the palace of the old Vezir, Assed-khan, who immediately seized and confined him ;