The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.132

v4.c20.132

At the time of Bahādur Shāh’s death all his four sons were with him at Lahore. The eldest, Mu‘izz-ud-dīn (surnamed Jahāndār Shāh), was slack and negligent and without money or troops; ‘Azīm-ush-shān (the second and his father’s favourite and most influential adviser) was the ablest and strongest in resources among the brothers; Rafī‘-ush-shān (the third son) was very jealous of ‘Azīm, while the youngest, Jahān Shāh, was an invalid. Zu-’l-Fiqār Khān had secretly brought the other three princes together for joint action against ‘Azīm and they had made a solemn agreement for partitioning the empire among themselves, with Zu-’l-Fiqār as minister for all the three! The death of Bahādur Shāh was followed by the immediate seizure of his camp by ‘Azīm-ush-shān; the nobles deserted their posts and hastened to join one or other of the princes, the ordinary people in the imperial camp fled to the city for shelter and their property was looted by the ruffians. Terrible noise and confusion raged everywhere; the soldiers ill-treated and plundered the pay-masters for their arrears. But ‘Azīm-ush-shān took up “the attitude of a helpless waiter on events”; instead of striking quickly while his forces were so superior and his rivals unprepared, he stood on the defensive and thus gave them time to enlist fresh troops and to strengthen their coalition and artillery through Zu-’l-Fiqār’s exertions. ‘Azīm-ush-shān despised his rivals with the insane pride of Muhammad A‘zam on the eve of Jājau, and with the same result. The three other princes soon besieged ‘Azīm’s camp, commanding three sides of it with their artillery. Battles at close quarters took place on 15 March and the next day, both being very obstinate and bloody contests. ‘Azīm’s soldiers were cooped up within their camp and suffered heavily from an artillery fire to which they could give no adequate reply, while their enemies could freely retire and refresh themselves after every fight. Zu-’l-Fiqār’s contrivance led to the desertion of most of ‘Azīm-ush-shān’s suffering troops. Finally, a general attack was delivered on 17 March, ‘Azīm’s chief adherents were killed, his trenches penetrated, and his followers reduced to 2000 men only. Then a shot from a heavy gun wounded the elephant on which he was seated and the maddened beast rushed into the Rāvī river, where it and its rider were both swallowed up by a quicksand.