History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v2.c24.6

v2.c24.6

Leaving Delhi after a week's halt, on 12th June, with an army swollen to 10,000 men, Dara reached Sarhind, where he seized the property of the revenue-collector and dug out 12 lakhs of rupees which that officer had buried underground before his flight. Then, after crossing the Sutlej, he destroyed all the boats found at the ferries within his reach, in order to hinder the enemy's passage. Reaching Lahore on 3rd July, he spent there a month and a half in enlisting new men and completing his military preparations in order to meet Aurangzib on equal terms again. Even before leaving Agra he had instructed his Lahore agent, Syed Ghairat Khan, to raise troops and collect guns, and he had also "written to every quarter of this martial province inviting the tribes to enlist, and sent robes of honour to the zamindars...and *faujdars* of the Panjab, Multan and Tatta (then in his vice-royalty) and to the troops near Peshawar, inviting them to join him. After entering Lahore he opened the rich Imperial treasury and began to distribute money lavishly to the soldiery, and to give *mansabs* and titles freely. In a short time 20,000 men were assembled under him. Some Imperial commanders also joined him, such as Rajah Rajrup (zamindar of the Jammu hills) and Khanjar Khan (*faujdar* of Bhera and Khushab). His strength daily increased. He secretly wrote to Aurangzib's officers and to the Rajputs in their homes inciting them to rebel against Aurangzib."*