Later Mughals v1.c6.s3: Sec. 3.—Azam Shah's March to Hindustan.

Later Mughals v1.c6.s3

Language: English

Sec. 3.—Azam Shah's March to Hindustan.

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After his enthronement Azam Shah issued coin with the inscription

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Sikkah zad dar jahan ba daulat o jah
Padshah-i-mamalik Azam Shah.

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“Coin was struck in the world with fortune and dignity by the Emperor of the kingdoms, Azam Shah.”

Some advised that Kam Bakhsh's pretensions should be first dealt with. Azam Shah held the enterprise of Muazzam Shah to be threatening, though even this rival would hardly require more than a stick to beat him. A number of appointments and promotions were made before leaving Ahmadnagar. On the 17th March, 1707, the advance tents were sent on, and on the 2nd April, after eleven days' march and five days of halt, Aurangabad was reached. Much of the many stores and many of the artificers were left behind at Aurangabad. One day's rest was taken, the tombs of Alamgir, the Prince's father, of his mother and of the saint Burhan-ud-din were visited, and a short prayer (*fatiha*) recited at each. On the 3rd April 1707 the march was resumed, and on the 24th April the army arrived at Burhanpur, having covered fifty-six and a half *kos* in eighteen marches with four halts. [Kamraj, *f.* 78 *a* ; K. K. 571.]

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At Aurangabad the Prince was joined by Zulfiqar Khan and Tarbiyat Khan, former Mir Atash or Commander of the Artillery, who before the late Emperor's death had been sent to drive away the Mahrattas. Rao Dalpat Bundela, Rao Ram Singh Hada and other of the officers serving under these generals were presented. But from the manner in which things were conducted, Zulfiqar Khan refrained in great measure from any interference in public business; in fact, he and his father Asad Khan had done their best to persuade Azam Shah to leave them behind in the Dakhin; while Chin Qilich Khan on the pretext that his presence was required in his new Governments of Aurangabad and Khandesh quitted the army. [Kamwar, Dil. 161b.]

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Azam Shah left Burhanpur on the 25th April, 1707 and, instead of the usual and open route by the Akbarpur ferry, [on the Narmada] he bore to the right and adopted as being shorter the more difficult road across Pandhar to the Tomri Pass,* long, narrow and entirely waterless. In the two marches through that pass numbers of the poorer men and women died from want of water. Grain was also very dear; and it was with difficulty that a bullock's skin of muddy water could be procured even at the price of fifteen Rupees. [Kamraj, f. 92b; Iradat 12; Dil. 162b-163b.] Further confusion arose from the withdrawal of Muhammad Amin Khan and all his troops, while the army was passing through the defile under the supervision of Rao Dalpat Bundela. It was reported to Azam Shah, as soon as he had reached Pandhar, a place six kos from Burhanpur, that the men of Muhammad Amin Khan, who was in command of the rear-guard, had commenced to plunder the stragglers. A great outcry was raised in the Prince's presence by the tradespeople and poorer camp-followers. Azam Shah became very angry, sent for Muhammad Amin Khan, and addressed him in strong language. Muhammad Amin Khan made excuses at the time, and he was left in charge of the rear-guard. It had been obvious from the first that he was not hearty in the cause, he had acted without vigour and had betrayed ill-will whenever he dared. The next day, when the army had reached the village of Daudnagar, Muhammad Amin Khan loitered six or seven miles in the rear of the column and thence without leave or notice turned and made off for Burhanpur. He was followed by many of the soldiers raised in the Dakhin. On his way he plundered the convoys of supplies coming from Burhanpur. Many offers to pursue the fugitive were made, but all were rejected owing to Azam Shah's eagerness to press on.* Some said that the true reason for this desertion was that Azam Shah having given up the prayers of the Jamaat, he had fallen under the suspicion of being a Shiah†; but it is hardly necessary to search for any special explanation of Muhammad Amin Khan's conduct. It was, no doubt, governed entirely then as always by a regard for his own interest. [Kamraj ; Dil., 162b ; Kamwar.]

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∗ Tumri, in Bhopal State, about 16 m. north of Nimawar, which is opposite Handia on the Narmada.

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† The accusation of heterodoxy seems to have had some truth in it. Khush-hal Chand (366b) attributes the change to the influence of one Mhd. Amin Khan, the Prince's librarian. [Probably identical with the Mir Mhd. Amin (Sharf Khan) a learned man and confidant of Azam, killed at Jajau. 'i-i-Mhdi.] Half his army was made up of Shiahs. Mirza Muhammad (39a) says, "Azam Shah was suspected of being a Shiah. For this cause men of Mawar-al-nahr, nay all the Sunnis, objected to his succession, although he had Jurat and Khalk-i-adalat on which sovereignty is founded."

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During the whole of this time no word had reached Azam Shah as to the plans or movements of his elder brother Muhammad Muazzam. Azam Shah made up his mind, however, before he had left Burhanpur that he would make for Agra. At the time the reasons for so doing must have seemed very weighty. The subahdar of Agra, Mukhtar Khan, was father-in-law to Bidar Bakht, the Prince's eldest son, while Baqi Khan commander of the fortress and Ali Sher, the kotwal or Police officer of the city, were both known to be favourable to the Prince. In the fortress of Agra were stored the accumulations of several reigns, and whoever could first possess himself of these was likely to overcome his opponent. For neither side had means of their own for carrying on a long campaign.

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∗ All that he said was "He who is coming, let him come, and he who is not coming let him stay away, our trust is in the Master and not in his slaves." [Khush-hal Chand, 366b.]

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Bidar Bakht, the eldest son of Azam Shah, was at Ahmadabad when he heard of his grandfather's death. He wrote at once to his father proposing, with his approval, to raise troops and march by way of Ajmer straight to Agra and bar the road of the opposite side. At first Azam Shah assented and sent a *farman* to his son under the style of Bidar Shah. Abdullah Khan, deputy governor of Malwa, who had a large force, was ordered to join the Prince. On receipt of the *farman* Bidar Bakht raised 2,000 men, conferred robes of honour on his chief men, as his father had directed, while Wazarat Khan, his *diwan*, distributed money to the troops. The Prince then started from Ahmadabad. [Kamraj, 69*a*.]

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Unfortunately Azam Shah was jealous of his eldest son and had long suspected him of plots for his (Azam Shah's) supersession. This feeling had been intensified by one of the last acts of Alamgir. Annoyed by the overbearing conduct of Azam Shah, Alamgir as soon as Azam Shah had departed for Malwa, wrote a letter in his own hand to his grandson, Bidar Bakht, then at Ahmadabad, complaining that Azam Shah had given as much trouble as he ought to have given assistance. Bidar Bakht must, he wrote, make the greatest possible haste to head-quarters. This letter was received when Bidar Bakht was in the Jama Masjid of Ahmadabad. In obedience thereto he marched 4 or 5 miles out of Ahmadabad and then wrote a reply to that effect to his grandfather. This reply fell into Azam Shah's hands when he took possession of his father's property. The estrangement between the father and son was now greater than ever. As the proverb says, "An enemy inside the house is worse than one outside." [*M. U.* iii. 659; Kamwar.]

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Wala-jah, Azam Shah's second son, proposed to his father the capture of Agra, where all the treasures of the Empire were buried. It was hinted that Bidar Bakht, if he obtained the start, might on reaching Agra take possession of all the treasure and turn his arms against his father. Fresh orders were therefore issued to him. He was now ordered not to enlist men but to join his father at Gwaliyar. Bidar Bakht, although he lamented the evil advice his father had received, disbanded his troops and started to join his father. He reached Shahjahanpur in Malwa on the 5th April, 1707. In this neighbourhood as that of Ujjain he waited one month and twenty days for the arrival of Azam Shah. On the way he had been joined by Rajah Jai Singh of Amber.[*]

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On the 14th May, 1707 Azam Shah, after seventeen days of marching and one day's halt, reached Sironj, a distance of more than 114 *kos* from Burhanpur. The suffering from heat and want of water had been very great and the Grasiyahs or jungle tribes plundered every man that they could lay hold upon. From Sironj a force of some 4,500 men under Zulfiqar Khan, Rao Dalpat Bundela, Rao Ram Singh, Ahmad Said Khan Barha and others was sent on to reinforce Bidar Bakht, who now advanced by his father's orders towards Gwaliyar, in order to seize the fords on the Chambal river. At Sironj Azam Shah heard that Muazzam Shah had reached Lahor.[†]

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† Kamraj, Kamwar, Dil. 162*b*.

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From Sironj Azam Shah hastened on to Gwaliyar, the sufferings from heat and bad water continuing to be most terrible. When he had reached Sarai Imak, fifteen *kos* from Gwaliyar, two messengers arrived from Bidar Bakht's direction with the information that Prince Muhammad Azim, second son of Muhammad Muazzam, had already reached Agra and had sent on Muhtashim Khan with 7,000 horse and a strong force of artillery to occupy the fords over the Chambal, while Muhammad Muazzam in person with his three sons had entered Agra and taken possession of the fort. Much disturbed by this intelligence, the first that had been received of Muazzam Shah's progress beyond Lahor, Azam Shah deposited the greater part of his baggage in Sarai Imak and made a forced march into Gwaliyar, which he reached on the 11th June, 1707. [Kamwar; Siyar; Dil. 163a.]