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Sháh Jahán-náma, of 'Ináyat Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 9 - **Language:** English ### Loss of Kandahar. ### [9.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.1) On the 8th of Rabi'u-l awwal, when the victorious camp started from Jahangirabad, intelligence reached the Court that the servants of the crown had lost possession of the fortresses of Kandahar and Bust, and all the rest in that country; a detailed account of which events is here given. When Shah 'Abbas came from Tus to Hirat, he proceeded from thence to Farah; where, having halted some days, he marched upon Kandahar, having, however, first despatched Mihrab Khan with some of his nobles, and an additional number of matchlockmen, etc., amounting altogether to about 8000 horsemen, to besiege the fortress of Bust, and Saz Khan Baligh with five or six thousand composed of Kazalbashis and the troops of Karki and Naksari, to subdue Zamindawar. On reaching that place, he fixed his head-quarters in the garden of Ganj Kuli Khan, whilst Daulat Khan, who had shut himself up in the fortress, having committed the interior of the stronghold to the charge of trusty persons, appointed a party of the royal matchlockmen and a portion of his own men to occupy the summit of the Kambiil Hill. The defence of the towers he left to the care of Kakar Khan, to whom he also sent some of the matchlockmen; and the protection of the intrenchments below the Bashtiri and Khwaja Khizr gates he entrusted to Nuru-l Hasan, bakhshi of ahadis, with a body of the latter who were serving under him. ### [9.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.2) He also appointed some of the household troops, and a number of matchlockmen belonging to the Kandahar levies, to garrison the fortifications of Daulatabad and Mandavi, and having consigned the superintendence of them to Mirak Husain, bakhshi of Kandahar, came himself from the citadel to the former of these two forts, for the purpose of looking after the intrenchments. With a wanton disregard to the dictates of prudence, however, he did not attend to the defence of the towers, that Kalich Khan, in the days of his administration, had constructed expressly for such an occasion, on the top of the hill of Chihal-Zinah (forty steps), whence guns and matchlocks could be fired with effect into the forts of Daulatabad and Mandavi. The Kazalbashis, therefore, seeing those towers devoid of protection, despatched a number of matchlockmen to take post in them, and open a destructive fire. They also laid out intrenchments in two different quarters. \* \* \* At length a number of the garrison, from want of spirit, lost the little courage they possessed, and Shadi Uzbek having entered into a conspiracy with the Kazalbashis, seduced Kipchak Khan from his duty. ### [9.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.3) Though the latter was not naturally inclined at heart to this course of behaviour, yet as his companions had their families with them, through dread of losing their wealth, their lives, and their good repute, they would not let him follow the bent of his own disposition, so he was necessarily compelled to ally himself with those unfortunates. Some of the Mughal mansabdars, ahadis, and matchlockmen too, having sprinkled the dust of treason on the heads of loyalty, entered into a league with them, and having come in front of the fort, declared that, in consequence of all the roads being closed, from the vast quantity of snow on the ground, there was no hope of the early arrival of succour, and that it was evident from the untiring efforts of the Kazalbashis, that they would very shortly capture the fort, and after its reduction by force and violence, neither would there be any chance of their own lives being spared, nor of their offspring being saved from captivity. The wretched Daulat Khan, who ought instantly to have extinguished the flames of this sedition with the water of the sword, showed an utter want of spirit, by contenting himself with offering advice in reply. This, however, made no impression on the individuals in question, who got up, and departed to their respective homes, so that nought but a scanty force being left in the intrenchments, the Kazalbashis entered the Sher-Haji in several places. ### [9.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.4) As for the party that forced an entrance on the side of the Babawali gate, some of the household troops and Daulat Khan's followers, who occupied that quarter, rushed upon them, whereupon several were killed on both sides. Meanwhile, the traitor Shadi sent a message to the governor of the fort, who was stationed at the above gate, to say that Muhammad Beg Baki had come, bearing a letter and message from the Shah, and accompanied by Sharafu-d din Husain, a mansabdar who was darogha of the buildings and magazines in the fort of Bust. Daulat Khan, on this, despatched Mirak Husain Bakhshi, for the purpose of sending away Muhammad Beg from the gate; but as soon as the bakhshi reached the gate of Veskaran, he noticed Kipchak Khan, Shadi, and a number of the Mughal mansabdars, sitting in the gateway, and perceived that they had brought Muhammad Beg inside, and seated him in front of them, and that he had brought four letters, one addressed to Daulat Khan, and the other three to Shadi, Nuru-l Hasan and Mirak Husain, and was saying that he had besides some verbal messages to deliver. Mirak Husain therefore turned back, and related the circumstances to Daulat Khan; whereupon that worthless wretch deputed his Lashkar-navis (paymaster of the forces) to detain Muhammad Beg there, and send Kipchak Khan and Shadi to him. ### [9.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.5) As soon as these ungrateful wretches came, acting in conformity with their advice, he adopted the contemptible resolution of proceeding to an interview with Muhammad Beg, and receiving and keeping the letters he brought. The Shah also sent a message to the effect, that he should take warning from what had already befallen Purdil Khan, the governor of the fort of Bust, and his comrades, and neither prolong hostilities any further, nor strive to shed the blood and sully the fair fame of himself and his comrades; and with a view to acquaint the inmates of the fort with the condition of the garrison of Bust, he despatched along with Muhammad Beg the aforesaid Sharafu-d din Husain, whom Mihrab Khan had started off loaded with chains in advance of himself. To this Daulat Khan replied, that he would return an answer five days hence; and it having been stipulated that during this interval hostilities should not be engaged in on either side, Muhammad Beg received his dismissal, and returned to his own camp. ### [9.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.6) On the 5th day 'Ali Kuli Khan, brother of Rustam Khan, the former commander-in-chief, having come to Shadi's intrenchment, and delivered a message, saying that the Shah, had commissioned him to ascertain their final decision, the pusillanimous Daulat Khan, with most of the servants of the crown, went to the gate, and invited him in. The latter, after being introduced, stated, that as they had already offered as gallant and stubborn a resistance as it was possible to make, it was now proper that they should refrain from fighting, and, applying themselves to the preservation of their lives and property, should send an individual along with him to deliver their reply. The worthless Daulat Khan accordingly despatched 'Abdu-l Latif, diwan of Kandahar, for the purpose of procuring a safe conduct, in company with the above individual, and on the following day he returned with the written agreement. ### [9.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.7) The villain Shadi, however, without waiting for the governor's evacuating the fort, surrendered the Veskaran gate, which was in his charge, during the night to the Kazalbashis, and hastened along with Kipchak Khan to the Shah's camp. However much the miserable Daulat Khan exhorted his men to repair to the fort on the top of the hill, it was of no avail; though had he but taken shelter there with a detachment, he could have held out till the arrival of succour without suffering any harm. On the morrow, when the mansabdars, ahadis, and matchlockmen, who were engaged in the defence of the gates of the new and old forts, marched out, after obtaining a safe conduct, with the exception of the citadel where the helpless Daulat Khan was left with Kakar Khan, the base Raja Amar Singh, and some other mansabdars, as well as a party of his own adherents, every spot was in the possession of the Kazalbashis. On the 9th of Safar, this year, 'Ali Kuli Khan came and said that any longer delay could not be permitted; whereupon the disloyal Daulat Khan delivered up a place of refuge of that description, and having marched out with his goods and comrades, encamped at a distance of a kos. During the period of the siege, which extended over two months, nearly 2000 of the Kazalbash army and 400 of the garrison were slain. ### [9.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9.8) Summarily, on the third day after Daulat Khan's dastardly evacuation of the fort, 'Ali Kuli Khan, 'Isa Khan, and his brother Jamshid Khan, came to him, and intimated that the Shah had sent for him, as well as for some of his chief officers and associates. The latter replied that it would be better for them to excuse him from this trouble, or, if they were resolved upon taking him there, to manage so that there should be no delay in his getting his dismissal, and to give him a dress of honour, both of which requests were guaranteed by 'Ali Kuli Khan. The ill-fated Daulat Khan accordingly proceeded with Kakar Khan and Nuru-l Hasan, in company with the above-named nobles, to wait upon the Shah, and having received his dismissal after a few moments, returned to his own camp, and on the 18th of the month of Safar set out with a world of shame and ignominy for Hindustan. The Shah, in consequence of the horses with his army having mostly perished for want of forage, in addition to which a scarcity of grain was experienced, appointed Mihrab Khan, with about 10,000 Kazalbashis and slaves, armed with matchlocks, to garrison Kandahar; and Dost 'Ali Uzbek with a detachment to guard the fortress of Bust, and returned himself to Khurasan on the 24th of this month. The account of the fortress of Bust is as follows. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.shahjahan.shahjahannama-inayat-khan~en-elliot.9) · Pramāṇa