Later Mughals v1.c8.s13.10

v1.c8.s13.10

At the time appointed by the astrologers, near midnight of the 11th Zul Qada 1124 H. (9th December, 1712), Jahandar Shah mounted his elephant and rode to his camp at Talab Kishan Das near Khizrabad, seven miles south of the city. The superstitious were cast down from the first by several accidents, which they treated as omens of coming evil. As the elephant bearing the imperial kettle-drums passed through the Dihli Gate the ropes broke, the drums fell, and were dashed to pieces; and a few days before this sinister event, the imperial umbrella, having caught on the branch of a tree, lost its fringe of pearls. In addition, from the time that Jahandar Shah set out for Agra, there were continuous clouds and rain with cold wind night and day. The cold was so intense that to the native of India to put his head outside his tent was a hardship, his blood felt frozen in his veins, and his feet were hard as if made of stone. The mist was so thick that the country round could not be seen. It need hardly be added, at any rate those acquainted with the country will know well, that these outward circumstances produced the most depressing effect upon the troops. To add to the other bad omens, came the accidental destruction by fire, in spite of the rain and cloud, of some of the imperial tents. At Khizrabad they learnt that Prince Azz-ud-din had reached Agra on the 6th of the month (4th December, 1712). Farrukh-siyar was at the same time reported to be at Etawa, though he was then really at Makhanpur.*