The History of Shāhjahān (ʿInāyat Khān) 2.9

2.9

At this juncture, the malicious Hazáras, in their eager desire for plunder, assaulted the camp followers more desperately than ever; but Bahadur Khan each time inflicted summary chastisement on the freebooters, and drove them off. After reaching the foot of the Hindu Koh pass, and halting there for a day, he sent on all those who had lagged in the rear, and as soon as they were across, set out himself. As most of the people spent the night on the summit of the pass, on account of the difficult roads, and the intense coldness of a mountain climate, heightened by the deep snow and chilling blasts, some of the men and cattle that were worn out and infirm perished. Accordingly, from the first commencement of the army's crossing to the end, about 5000 men, and a similar number of animals, such as horses, elephants, camels, oxen, etc., were destroyed, and a vast deal of property remained buried in the snow. When Bahadur Khan came to the top of the pass, and Zu-l Kadar Khan explained the state of affairs to him, he halted there, and in company with Ikhlas Khan, and some other nobles and mansabdárs who still stood by him, spent the night on the spot. In the morning, having thrown the baggage off all such of his own camels as he could find, he loaded them with the treasure, and distributed the rest among the horses and camels belonging to the troops.