Later Mughals v1.c7.s5: Sec. 5.—Death of Jahan Shah.
Later Mughals v1.c7.s5
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Sec. 5.—Death of Jahan Shah.
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At last no doubt remained of Zulfiqar Khan's intentions, and further delay was obviously useless. The Princes ordered the enlistment of fresh troops, and a number of Azim-ush-shan's fugitive troops returned from Lahor city and were admitted into Jahan Shah's service. Some three thousand or four thousand experienced soldiers were thus recruited. Jahandar Shah adopted similar measures, taking on many of the fugitives at high rates of pay. Rafi-ush-shan did the same. A few days only had passed since these men had been ranged in battle against their new employers; then for a time they had been unable to find bread to eat and were trembling for their very lives. By one of those transformations peculiar to such times, they were now restored to prosperity as suddenly as they had been plunged into poverty. In eight days from the defeat and death of Azim-ush-shan all preparations had been completed. [Kamwar, 110; Nur. 50.]
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On the 18th Safar 1124 H. (26th March, 1712) Jahan Shah made the first movement. He marched from his old position near Shah Mir's tomb and encamped near the village of Handu Gujar,† where there was an imperial hunting preserve. At once Jahandar Shah sent out his advance guard under Kokaltash Khan and Abdus-samad Khan, now his *Mir Atash* or general of artillery. The fighting was confined to the artillery. Rustam Dil Khan, who had charge of the artillery for Jahan Shah, placed two cannon in a commanding position and killed many men, the fight being continued until the setting of the sun. Both armies encamped on the ground they occupied, and under cover of night many of the mercenaries absconded. The numbers on both sides were thereby much diminished. During this night Jahan Shah's powder magazines were exploded. Raji Muhammad Khan, afterwards Jahandar Shah's *Mir Atash*, obtained the credit of this exploit.*
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∗ Kamwar Khan, 110; Khush-hal Chand, 385*a*-386*a*; Yahya Khan, 117*b*. † Query Mandu Gujran on *Indian Atlas*, sheet No. 30, just north of Mian Mir and the Railway line?
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The next day (19th Safar 1124 H., 27th March, 1712)† the fight was renewed, and it continued till the sun had passed the meridian, when both combatants prepared to rest and refresh themselves where they stood. Owing to the hot wind and exhaustion, the fighting had been up to this time far from vigorous. Jahan Shah now ordered a charge to be made by Rustam Dil Khan, Jani Khan and Mukhlis Khan. They rushed forward 'as a hungry tiger out of ambush flings itself on a buffalo's head.' Rustam Dil Khan reached without hindrance Jahandar Shah's vanguard which with little or no effort he drove before him, and pursuing the fugitives, he soon reached their centre. Here Azz-ud-din, the eldest son of Jahandar Shah, was made a prisoner. Nor far off was a small field-tent, in which Jahandar Shah had passed the night with his concubine, Lal Kunwar.‡ Surprised by this sudden attack, the Prince came out and mounted his elephant, while Lal Kunwar entered a litter and fled for safety to the mansion of Dara Shukoh in the city of Lahor, a house which had been recently assigned to her. [Warid, 65.]
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∗ Kamwar Khan, 110; Nur-ud-din, 51; Mhd. Qasim, 54; Valentyn, iv. 293.
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† This is Kamwar Khan's date, but the Dutch envoy, then in Lahor, (Valentyn, iv. 294) says the 27th March was spent by Jahan Shah in a heavy cannonade and the attack was delivered on the 28th. Mirza Muhammad, p. 131, who was also there, gives the 20th Safar (28th March) as the date of the Prince's defeat.
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‡ Mhd. Qasim, 55, calls her Lad Kunwar. She was a singing girl, who had become Jahandar Shah's favourite concubine. The *Hadiqat-ul-aqalim*, 131, says she was the daughter of Khasusiyat Khan, a descendant of Miyan Tan Sen, the celebrated musician of Akbar's time. (Blochmann, *Ain*. i. 612). There is the same statement in *Dastur-ul-insha*, 133, from which Shaikh
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Rustam Dil Khan, followed by Jani Khan and Mir Baqi, forced his way to the elephant bearing Jahandar Shah, to whom he made use of the most abusive language. The Prince's defenders Diler Dil Khan (Khwaja Abdullah), his brother Lutfullah Khan Sadiq, and Rai Surat Singh Multani, with his relations, did what they could to protect their master, but were driven away. Jahandar Shah, before his assailants came too close, crouched down in the high-sided, iron-plated canopy (imari) so as to be completely hidden from view. The horsemen supposing that the Prince had quitted his elephant, turned off and attacked his escort. The plausible talk of the Prince's elephant-driver meanwhile so deceived Rustam Dil Khan and Jani Khan that they too desisted, and turned their attention elsewhere. By the time that they had learned the truth and could return, the elephant-driver had driven his elephant away to a place of safety. Then came disturbing reports of the defeat and death of Jahan Shah. As soon as these were confirmed, Rustam Dil Khan and Jani Khan felt perplexed, and in the hope of securing for themselves an intercessor, they released their prisoner, Prince Azz-ud-din. All haste was then made to the place where Jahan Shah had fallen a victim to Zulfiqar Khan's attack. By heroic exertions Rustam Dil Khan and his companions rescued the Prince's elephant from the hands of the enemy : but all was in vain, they recovered nothing but a lifeless body. The only course left to them was to seek safety in flight.*
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Soon after ordering the charge by Rustam Dil Khan, Jahan Shah followed him in person at the head of his own troops. The movements of so many men had created so much dust that it was impossible to keep the right direction, nor could the one
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Allahyar probably copied. There is a long poetical description of her charms in the fragmentary History, B. M. Or. 3610, fol. 18b, which ends thus :
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Ba khubi Lal Kunwar nam-i-u bud,
Shakkar-guftar, sim-andam-i-u bud.
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∗ Warid, 66; Kamwar Khan, 112; Mhd. Qasim Lahori, 54, 55.
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army know the exact position of the other. The battle resolved itself into a number of separate skirmishes, the men attacking any one that they found in front of them, without regard to their own supports or any attempt at combined effort. Rustam Dil Khan’s charge had been so far successful that Jahandar Shah’s troops were shaken, and most of them took to flight and sought shelter wherever they could find it. One body of matchlockmen succeeded in reaching a deserted village, and there they hid themselves behind the ruined walls of the houses. In the confusion, and blinded by the clouds of dust, the wings and centre of Jahan Shah’s force quitted the direction in which their vanguard had advanced, and losing their way, arrived at the village within which the matchlockmen were hiding. As Jahan Shah’s men came into sight, the fugitives supposed that their retreat had been discovered, and resolved on selling their lives dearly. Jahan Shah was amazed by the sudden delivery of their fire, and his men hesitated. Emboldened by this first success, the matchlockmen renewed their fire and continued their defence. [Warid, 67.]
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When informed of the unexpected attack on Jahandar Shah, Zulfiqar Khan left his tents in great perturbation to search for his master. On his way spies brought him word that a few matchlockmen had engaged Jahan Shah, when separated from the main body of his army and followed by no more than one thousand horsemen. Zulfiqar Khan hastened to the spot thus indicated. His arrival encouraged the matchlockmen to redouble their exertions. Jahan Shah, noticing the slackness of his men, drove his elephant to the front. The musket-fire now began to tell so severely that Jahan Shah’s side relaxed all further effort, and most of them rode off. Excepting the few men round his elephant, the Prince was left alone. The other side now assumed the offensive, and the Prince’s son, Farkhanda Akhtar, who had claimed command of the vanguard, was shot through the head at the first discharge. A moment afterwards Jahan Shah followed his son into the realms of Death. By one of those sudden reversals of fortune, so frequent in Eastern story, just as Jahandar Shah was about to flee in despair from the battlefield, Zulfiqar Khan appeared with his rival’s head and laid it before him with his congratulations. As Shaikh Sadi Shirazi says, ‘A man wept all night at the bedside of a sick friend; when morning came, he was dead and the friend was living.’
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It is even said that so complete was the belief in Jahan Shah’s victory that the news of his accession was spread far and wide by the messengers of the Rajputana moneylenders, and in many places the *khutba* was read in his name.*
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