Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 4.5
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 4.5
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4.5.1
Of about sixty or seventy thousand horse that had been in Azim-ush-shan's army, there remained now about his elephant, no more than about ten or twelve thousand; and these, as soon as the Prince was returned to his quarters in the evening, retired to Lahor by shoals—so that the next morning he found himself with no more than two or three thousand men; and with this handful, he wanted to march up to the enemy; but as they had brought him his accustomed elephant, and he was going to mount, the animal refused to kneel, whatever his driver could do to oblige him; and the Prince was obliged to send for another. By this time, even the few that remained with him had disappeared, and on putting his elephant in motion, he found about his person, only Naamet-ollah-khan, with ten troopers, Amin-ed-döula-khan, with twenty, and Radja Djehi-sing, with a little more than a thousand;—all his people, of all sorts, not amounting to two thousand men; still he was advancing to the field of battle; but hardly was the action commenced, when there arose such a violent wind as put in motion all the sands of the Ravi; and it raised such clouds of dust, as left no other party than that of shutting one's eyes, and turning the head away from the violence of the hurricane; nor was it possible to open an eye but to see the flash, or to unstop an ear but to hear the report of the enemy's cannon. Some troops of cavalry having come upon their rear at this moment, let fly a shower of arrows;
4.5.2
but as there was no seeing Azim-ush-shan's person, they pushed forwards to plunder his treasures. A moment after, a cannon-ball striking the Micdember, or throne, on which he was sitting, set on fire the pillows, and occasioned much smoke. The Prince, to save his life, threw all the furniture down; and Amin-ed-döula having asked whether he was not hurt, was answered, "Not at all—go on—go on." At these words, the General having fetched several deep sobs, and dropped some tears, was reprimanded by the Prince, who, with a magnanimity remarked by all, reproached him for his want of firmness. "Firmness!" answered the General, "what purpose can it answer to us now? The vessel of our hopes is going to be dashed against rocks; and nothing remains to me but to strike my head against a stone, or a stone against my head. In vain have all your faithful servants been entreating you to let them sally forth, and march to a general attack; in vain did they repeat their instances for so salutary a measure: your answer was always these words, of bad omen, — 'Wait a little more;' but after all, how could your Majesty do otherwise, since it was in the Almighty's decree, that we should be undone? Still there remains one party; it is yet time to take it; but a moment hence, it will be too late. Leave your elephant, mount a horse, and fly with us towards Bengal. There you have your family, you have friends and succourers;
4.5.3
and at any rate, Daud-khan-peni, who commands throughout all the Decan, is your servant. Let us retire to Bengal, which is a place of safety; and there, after having dried your feathers, and trimmed your wings, you may take your party, and come again, and act as occasion shall direct." "All that is very fine," replied the Prince; "but what has Dara-Shecoh done after his defeat? And did all that avail to Shudjah? If I am yet destined to reign, the scriptural sentence — Many a time did a small number prevail over a multitude — shall be verified in my person; nor is victory and success so far distant from us yet." To all this Amin-ed-döula rejoined, that he had no more than twenty troopers with him, and that everyone else was gone away. "Very well," said the Prince, coolly, "let me have one-half of these twenty, that I may with them rush on that Muez-zeddin; and with the other ten, do you rush on that wretched of Qhodjistah-aqhtar." The general was near losing his wits on hearing these words, and the Prince was yet speaking, when Qhoadja-hassen (since Qhandoüran) was heard to cry from behind : "General, I am going to Bengal. Believe me, let "us go together." "Never," answered the General; "and so "long as there is breath in Azim-ush-shan, I will not part with "him." He had hardly said this, when a large cannon-ball having struck the elephant full on the root of the proboscis, made him run mad.
4.5.4
The animal turned about and made to the water side, with the fury of a whirlwind, and the rapidity of lightning. His conductor lost his seat, and fell on the ground. Djelil-khan-loody, who sat behind, laid hold of the ropes, came to the ground, and fled for his life. Several people attempted to intercept the elephant, and Amin-ed-doulah was of the number; but there was no overtaking him. In a moment, he saw the animal jump down a cliffy part of the bank, and plunge into an eddy — he plunged and disappeared. Coming close, he perceived an extraordinary motion in the waters, with a great deal of mud flying up; he heard the roaring of the waves, but saw no elephant; and he concluded that both the animal and Prince had sunk, never to come up again. Immediately he took to flight, but was soon overtaken and seized; and he was sent close prisoner to the Citadel of Shah-djehan-abad, where he remained until he was set at liberty by an express order which Feroh-syur, after his victory over Muezzedein, addressed to the Governor Yar-khan for that purpose; and in the sequel he rose to the highest dignities of the state.
4.5.5
This important victory, which had cost so little that it seemed a gratuitous present from heaven, raised the ideas of Muezzeddin, a Prince who wanted neither courage nor merit; and he conceived now the design of setting aside the partition treaty, and of assuming to himself the crown of all Hindostan. With that view, he displayed the standard of contention and superiority, and in such a manner that the union of the three brothers ended in disunion and bloodshed. It is certain that these dissensions arose about the division of the Imperial treasures. This consisted in eighty cart-loads of the Eshreffies, and in a hundred more laden with rupees. Qhodjistah-aqhtar wanted to divide all this money in three equal parts; but Zulficar-khan made use of so much chicanery, and he brought so many pretences forwards, that three-fifths of that immense sum became Muezzeddin's share, and the two other two-fifths only fell to the share of the two other brothers. Such a proceeding could not but exasperate them; and Qhodjistah-aqhtar resolved to assume the crown, and took the title of Djehan-shah: so that the two parties were ripe for coming to blows. This Prince, having been joined at the same time by several commanders of great distinction, such as Mahmed-khan, and Rostem-dil-khan, men who breathed nothing but slaughter and blood, the two armies looked at each other with a jealous eye; and although they did not come to a battle, they passed whole days and even whole nights under arms.
4.5.6
For as soon as the King of Astres had retired behind the western tracts of the world, the two armies would light an infinity of tapers and other fires, and seemed to wait but for an opportunity of coming to blows. Djehan-shah, who had a very considerable party, soon found himself at the head of a great army and a numerous artillery; nor was Muezzeddin behind him in those two respects; and he now took the title of Djehandar-shah, or, Possessor of the Whole, or of the World. The two armies partook of the enmity of the two brothers; and for three days together, nothing was thought of but skirmishing by day, and watching under arms by night. On the fourth day the fortune of Djehan-shah's having declined from its meridian, he said to his generals that he wanted to examine his encampment from without, and that meanwhile they should be careful to keep their troops mounted and ready, as he intended a review. At the same time he recommended to his spies to be upon the watch, and to give him immediate notice, the moment they should perceive that the enemy's cavalry had alighted, and were preparing to dress grain for their horses. That moment being come, Djehan-shah, who had his troops mounted and ready, rushed towards the enemy's camp, where after a slight combat, the confusion became general. The enemy's troops confounded by such an unexpected attack, made but a faint resistance, lost ground, and at last dispersed.
4.5.7
The flight and dismay became at once so universal, that a famous courtesan, called Lal-coar, who was the favourite mistress of Djehandar-shah's and followed him everywhere, mounted upon a veiled elephant, was obliged to fly with the crowd, and that too on foot without a veil. She fell in the hands of Rostem-dil-khan; and that officer was actually busy in loosening the string of pearl that hung at the cordon of her drawers, when she was rescued from his hands.