The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.137

v4.c20.137

After some days of distant firing, Farrukh-siyar decided that ‘Azz-ud-dīn’s entrenched position should be stormed on 28 November. But in the preceding night that prince took flight to Āgra, abandoning all his property, treasure and camp, which were next morning plundered by the victorious enemy. On hearing of his son’s defeat, Jahāndār Shāh moved from Delhi to Āgra; but his whole government had fallen into confusion and bankruptcy and he could not raise a large army nor equip his soldiers. All the gold and silver in Delhi fort and the imperial workshops were taken away and even the gold coating of the palace ceiling was broken up and distributed to the soldiers, and finally all the store-houses of goods accumulated since the age of Bābur were emptied indiscriminately by the troops. Leaving Delhi on 9 December, the emperor reached Āgra on the 29th, where he was joined by ‘Azz-ud-dīn and Churāman with his Jāt tribesmen, and then advanced to Sāmogarh. Farrukh-siyar arrived near the opposite bank of the Jumna on 2 January, 1713. Lack of boats forced him to halt for some days, and in the meantime treachery did its work in Jahāndār Shāh’s army—the Turānī chiefs being bribed to stand by during the coming battle. Sayyid ‘Abdullah crossed over by a shallow ford five miles up stream (6 January) and Farrukh-siyar on the 8th. The news spread consternation in Jahāndār’s army, and it fell back on Āgra. The decisive battle was fought on 10 January outside that city. Jahāndār Shāh’s cause was ruined by his character and the state of parties at his court. He was entirely guided by La‘l Kumārī, a vulgar thoughtless dancing-girl from the streets, his army chiefs (with the exception of Zu-’l-Fiqār Khān) were worthless upstarts, the imperial commanders were fatally divided by bitter personal jealousies and quarrels, in addition to the cross-currents of antagonism between the Turānī and Īrānī nobles as a class, each trying to thwart all the acts of the other. Zu-’l-Fiqār, who had won the throne for Jahāndār almost single-handed, now showed nothing of his usual energy and sagacity. With no unity of command and no devotion to their master’s cause, the imperial army was paralysed and helplessly left the initiative to its enemy.