New History of the Marathas v1.c17.32

v1.c17.32

“Why is the Emperor so unkind to us? We are his loyal servants and shall continue so if we are left in peace and in subordinate alliance to the Emperor, following the policy of the great Akbar. But if relentless war is inflicted upon us, we shall never yield so long as the last drop of Rajput blood remains in our veins.” Akbar saw the position clearly and advised his father to conclude the war. But Aurangzeb was not going to be guided by such sober policy. He scolded Akbar in severe terms. Akbar took the rebuke to heart, and impelled by Durgādās and his valiant bands, he openly revolted against his father and proclaimed himself emperor, just about the time that Sambhājī was celebrating his own coronation at Raigad, early in January 1681. Aurangzeb thus came to face a dangerous situation. He was at Ajmere watching the course of events. As the Rajputs headed by Akbar marched upon him, so delicate became Aurangzeb’s position, that he was at his wits’ end how to extricate himself from the fate which he had once imposed on his own father. Space does not allow a full recitation of the ruse which the ingenious Emperor employed to save himself from falling a prisoner into his son’s hands. He succeeded in inflicting a defeat upon his enemies with the result, that both Akbar and Durgādās had to flee for their lives to the south, and take shelter with king Sambhājī, finding their escape blocked in other directions. They eluded the pursuing armies and crossed the Narmada on 9th May, whence Akbar wrote the following letters to Sambhājī two days after.