Later Mughals v1.c6.s5.1

v1.c6.s5.1

It was at Jamrud, twelve miles west of Peshawar, that Muhammad Muazzam heard of his father's death. The date was the 22nd March, 1707, only twenty days after the event, an instance of the speed with which intelligence could be carried, the distance from Ahmadnagar to Jamrud being about 1,400 miles, and the average distance travelled by the messengers being thus seventy miles a day. It was now a race between the competitors for the throne. Whoever could first reach Agra or Dihli and obtain the wealth stored at one or both cities, would be almost certain to overpower his rival. In such an emergency the usual dilatory movements of an Indian army would be useless. We have seen with what haste Azam advanced from the Dakhin. Muhammad Muazzam was now to display equal if not greater activity. The distances to be traversed were from Ahmadnagar to Agra about 700 miles, from Jamrud to Agra about 715 miles. The general opinion was that all the chances were in favour of Azam Shah's arriving first and winning the prize. [K. K. 577, Kamwar 7.]