History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c51.s5.2

v3.c51.s5.2

The letter bewildered Tahawwur Khan. He felt that he had sinned beyond hope of pardon; but his family was held as hostages in the hands of the enemy, and Akbar's chances of success had by this time dwindled away to almost nothing. After putting on a coat of scale armour under his robe, as a precaution against treachery, he secretly left his tent without informing Akbar or Durgadas, arrived at the imperial camp a little before midnight, and demanded audience. He was ordered to be admitted after being disarmed; but he refused to take off his arms, pleading that as a high officer of State he had never been put to the indignity of being ushered into the Presence unarmed like a captive. The more they urged him to lay his sword and daggers aside the more did his suspicion of treachery grow. The dispute became loud. Some courtiers whispered to the Emperor that Tahawwur had really come there in concert with Akbar to assassinate him. At this Aurangzib in high wrath dropped his rosary, drew his sword and cried out defiantly, "Let him enter with his arms on!" The guards took the hint; one of them gave the Khan a rude shove on the breast; Tahawwur retorted by slapping the insolent fellow on the face, and then tried to run away. But a tent-rope caught his feet, he stumbled on the ground, and the crowd of royal attendants attracted to the spot by the noise rained down blows on him with their maces. The hidden cuirass saved him for a time, but at last some one cut his throat and "silenced his uproar."*