Later Mughals v1.c7.s3.9

v1.c7.s3.9

During this day Azim-ush-shan had preserved the same attitude as hitherto of a helpless waiter on events. When Daya Bahadur and Muhkam Singh entreated him to give orders to assume the offensive, no other answer could they force from him except his eternal *andak bashid*, ‘Wait a little longer’. They spoke their minds freely to him and went against the enemy without waiting for his orders. We have seen above how little advantage they reaped, in spite of all their exertions. Sufficient reinforcements were not sent, and by the end of the day most of the troops had vanished, having sought a refuge in Lahor city. At last out of the 60,000 to 70,000 men that he had at first under his command, Azim-ush-shan was left with 10,000 to 12,000 men only. During the night which preceded the last day’s fighting, the rest of the men deserted. The artillery fire continuing all night long, every man thought of his own safety. Only a few determined to remain steadfast so long as Azim-ush-shan was still alive, and these passed the night in watching and prayer. At early dawn the drum beat for them to take horse. But, when the Prince’s war elephant was brought up, it refused to allow him to mount, and his attendants were forced to send for another. Round him were grouped Niamat-ullah Khan and Aqidat Khan in *palkis*, for they said they were wounded, Rajah Raj Singh of Kishangarh with about 1,000 men, and Amin-ud-din Sambhali with twelve relations or dependents and ten new men. Shortly afterwards Khwaja Muhammad Asim,* paymaster of the Ahadis, with Ghulam Husain, an Afghan of Qasur near Lahor, joined the party. In all there may have been two thousand men round the Prince. [*Dastur-ul-insha*, 18.]