Storia do Mogor 173.10

173.10

Akbar rose at midnight to make ready for the great attempt, when it was already too late to begin. Supposing the Rajputs to be still in their due place, he found instead the camp evacuated, for the rest of his army had also fled, leaving him with only a few soldiers. The prince fell into profound dejection [194] at finding himself abandoned, and felt unable to decide what ought to be done. Tahavvar Khan, who was in the king's service, seeing that the cause was lost, now staked his life on making Akbar king. He said to the prince that, since they had not men enough, the rebellion could not be carried to completion. Let him wait where he was with the few men he had left, while he went to assassinate the king. In pursuance of this design he entered the royal camp, clad all in mail, telling the sentries who challenged him that he was Tahavvar Khan, and, being a known man, he was allowed to pass without difficulty. During a storm of rain and wind he arrived close to the royal tent. If he had found entrance then, he and his companions could have killed the king and Shah 'Alam and his sons, who were quite unprotected, the rain and the cold having made the soldiers retire into their tents. At this time the guard on the royal tent consisted of only a door-keeper or two. Lutfullah Khan, son of Sa'dullah Khan, who commanded the guard, was inside the entrance to the tent.