Later Mughals v1.c6.s20.14

v1.c6.s20.14

One Mirza Rukn now arrived from the front, and informed them that the struggle still continued in the passes of the hills. Rustam Dil Khan, he said, had gained the foot of a small hill, on which stood a white building. It was believed that the Guru, in person, was in that house. The Mirza added that, so far as he had ascertained, the Sikh leader was seated under a particular awning on a particular hill, looking on at the action, and that all way of escape from that hill was cut off. This conversation had hardly ended, when Rajah Udait Singh, stung by the taunts of his fellow countryman, Chattarsal Bundela, rode off towards that hill, and his matchlockmen, quickly occupying an eminence which commanded it, poured their fire upon it. It seems that the Guru, who with several of his chief men was in that tent, was disconcerted by this firing, and moving down to the other side of the hill made good his escape. His departure caused the evacuation of several of the other hill-tops. The Rajah and other commanders of Munim Khan's force cleared the other eminences of their defenders, and by the time of evening-prayer none of their Sikh opponents were left, except those in the white building. Many women and children, horses and camels, were captured. Munim Khan was now recalled and he returned to the imperial camp, leaving Rustam Dil Khan and his troops round the hill on which the building stood. Munim Khan reported to His Majesty the course of events, and in the confusion of the fight the escape of the Guru having remained unnoticed, he added that the leader was surrounded and would shortly be brought in a prisoner. One story is that Zulfiqar Khan, long at enmity with Munim Khan, purposely spread the false report through his spies that the Guru was a prisoner. Munim Khan's own spies believed the story and brought in the news as true, whereupon Munim Khan intimated the fact to the Emperor.†