Táríkh-i Shahádat-i Farrukh Siyar, of Mírzá Muhammad Bakhsh (Elliot & Dowson, extracts)

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[When Nizamu-l Mulk went forth to treat with Nadir Shah, the author of this work, with several horsemen consisting of his brethren and near relations, by the strength of their horses, but with great difficulty and much management, got in front of the elephants of Asaf Jah Nizamu-l Mulk, and arrived first at the battle-field. * * As we were before all, we had the first sight. The Persians and others of Nadir's army, having dismounted and picketed their horses, were plundering and ransacking without check. They had broken open the chests with blows of axes and swords, torn in pieces the bags of gold and silver, and having scattered the contents on the ground, were engaged in picking them up. Furniture, especially the culinary utensils of silver and copper, fell into the hands of the plunderers.
When we reached the place of meeting, it was dark, and every one, great and small, remained on the spot he first reached. His Majesty approached with a large escort of men and guns with great splendour. Next came the train of the chief wazir 'Azimu-llah Khan Zahiru-d daula Bahadur. His elephant was in armour, and he himself rode in an iron howda, and was clothed in armour from head to foot, so that his eyes were the only parts of his body that were visible. He was attended by a suitable escort of men and arms, and made his obeisance to his monarch, and his salam to Asaf Jah. Next came the Waziru-l mamalik Bahadur. * * All the chiefs were mounted on elephants clad in armour, in war howdas of iron variously ornamented, and all the elephant riders from the greatest to the least were covered with arms and armour from head to foot.]