Storia do Mogor 65.18.7

65.18.7

In this interval of preparation for the army to take the field, there arrived news at the court of Agrah that Aurangzeb and Murad Bakhsh had crossed the river at Brampur (Burhanpur), and traversed by a very narrow passage the difficult, hilly, and wooded country of Mandu. I have passed through these defiles many times myself. Dara had hoped to block their exit; now the above news only augmented the confusion at court. King Shahjahan thereupon sent for two famous leaders—the first, Raja Jaswant Singh (Rajah Jaswant Singh, Rathor), the king's loyal subject; the second, Caçamcan (Qasim Khan), a man not well affected to Dara, and enjoined them to proceed against Aurangzeb and Murad Bakhsh. His orders to them were to take every possible step to induce the two princes to retire. If they declined to listen, they were to be stopped by force. To please Shahjahan, Qasim Khan joined Rajah Jaswant Singh, but he had little inclination to undertake the campaign or withdraw from the king's court. At the farewell audience Dara gave splendid presents to Jaswant Singh, and also to Qasim Khan. He presented them with several elephants and horses with their trappings, and some costly arms. He behaved in a most friendly manner to them, and thus they were sent off. During the march they sent many letters to Aurangzeb and Murad Bakhsh, telling them they ought to withdraw to their governments.