Storia do Mogor 281.3.1

281.3.1

When the general Zu,lfiqar Khan appeared to take leave of him preparatory to joining his army, he confided to him several instructions in respect of the above. Among other things he said to him in so many words : 'When you have an enemy to destroy, spare nothing rather than fail, neither deceptions, subterfuges, nor false oaths, for anything is permissible in open war. Invent as many tricks, if possible, as there are grains of purslane on your arm after you withdraw it from a barrel of honey. In one word, make use of every pretext in the world that you judge capable of bringing you success in your projects.' At the beginning of June in this year, 1701, the fortress of Parnala-garh, finding all its food and other supplies exhausted, was forced to surrender to Aurangzeb. Learning by reports repeated daily that the rebel Hindu princes had never ceased to ravage and plunder Hindustan still more and more, the monarch issued orders to his son, A'zam Shah, to apply some remedy. Shah 'Alam, as soon as he heard of this order, lost no time in coming out of the province of Kabul, and made for Multan city. Afraid that A'zam Shah might make common cause with the rebel princes and become master of the castles and cities of Dihli and Agrah, he (Shah 'Alam) directed his son, 'Azim-ud-din, to leave Bengal without delay, and march as quickly as he could to the latter of these cities. He hoped thus to hinder A'zam Shah from carrying out his [supposed] designs.