The History of Shāhjahān (ʿInāyat Khān) 11: Advance of the Imperial Army to Kandahar.

11

The exploits of the royal army were as follows. The day that 'Allami Sa'du-lla Khan crossed the Nilab with the royal forces, Prince Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur having arrived from Multan, also effected his passage over that river; and the whole of the forces set out at once in His Royal Highness's train for Kohat. On reaching that place, he halted to await the receipt of intelligence regarding the snow; and presently a letter arrived from Khalil Beg, who had been sent on in advance to level the road and construct bridges, to the effect that on the road through the hill-country along the Kohistan route the snow was lying so deep that even if no more fell the road would not probably be passable for at least a month. The ever-victorious Prince consequently relinquished his design of proceeding by that route, but started in the direction of Peshawar, by way of the pass of Sendh-Basta, which is an extremely rugged and difficult road, and without entering that city, pursued his journey by the regular stages to Kabul. * * *
Sa'du-lla Khan having set out with his comrades at full speed, came and pitched camp during the night in the suburbs of Shahr Safa. Having left Mubarak Khan Niazi to guard that city, he marched thence, and in three days reached the neighbourhood of Kandahar, on the 12th of Jumada-l awwal of this year; whence Kasadah Khwaja, which is half a kos from the fortress, became the site of his camp. As the 14th of the above-named month was the time fixed upon for commencing the siege, he halted next day to await the arrival of the victorious Prince, and the advent of the appointed time for the siege, but rode out in company with the commanders of the royal forces, and made a reconnoitring tour round the fortifications. On the 14th the Prince came up from the rear, and having joined the army, fixed his head-quarters half a kos from the fortress. * * *