History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c51.s7: §7. Akbar's flight.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c51.s7
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§7. Akbar's flight.
v3.c51.s7.1
In the morning Akbar woke to find himself deserted by all. His vast army had melted away in a single night, as by magic, and only his faithful old retainers, a band of 350 horse, were left with him. The dream of contesting the throne of Delhi had vanished with the night, and only the speediest flight could save him from his father's vengeance. Mounting his ladies on horses and loading what treasure he could on camels, he rode away for dear life in the track of the Rajputs.
v3.c51.s7.2
∗ Akbar's own words in his letter to Shambhuji.
v3.c51.s7.3
Early on the 16th of January the news of his flight reached Aurangzib. There was rejoicing in the imperial camp at this providential escape; the band played as for a glorious victory; the courtiers offered congratulations and presents to the Emperor. The remnant of Akbar's property which had escaped plunder was seized, and his deserted family,—consisting of one wife, two sons, and three daughters,—was brought away to the Emperor's camp. Relentless punishment was meted out to his followers: many were thrown into dungeons; many others were flogged in addition; and the four luckless Canon lawyers who had signed the decree of deposition against Aurangzib were stretched at full length on planks of wood and severely whipped. The Princess Zeb-un-nisa, whose secret correspondence with Akbar was discovered, was deprived of her allowance of four lakhs of Rupees and her landed property, and confined in the Salimgarh fortress. Akbar's name was ordered to be entered in all official records in future as Akbar the Rebel, and Akbar the Worse (*Akbar-i-abtar*).
v3.c51.s7.4
The very day of Akbar’s flight, Shihab-ud-din Khan had gone out in pursuit and killed many stragglers of the rebel force. A well-appointed army under Prince Muazzam was next sent into Marwar to hunt Akbar down, while orders were hurried off to the provincial governors, commandants of outposts, and zamindars on all sides, to watch the roads and prevent the prince’s escape from Rajputana.
v3.c51.s7.5
Akbar fled for a day and a night and a day again, without finding a refuge. But by that time the Rajputs had discovered the fraud played on them and no longer doubted the prince’s sincerity. During the second night Durgadas with the Rajput army turned back and took Akbar under his protection. Rajput honour demanded that the refugee should be defended at all costs. Akbar with his protectors roamed through Marwar, never passing twenty-four hours at the same place so as to give his pursuers no chance of overtaking him. At this Muazzam changed his tactics; he divided his troops and set up a cordon of outposts in Marwar to arrest Akbar’s movements. Within a week of Akbar’s failure near Ajmir, we hear of his having fled to Sanchor, close to the border between Marwar and Gujrat, while the pursuers reached Jhalor, 70 miles north of it. But the Mughal officers in *Gujrat* were on the alert and headed the rebel off. The unhappy prince then entered Mewar, where Maharana Jai Singh welcomed him with presents and invited him to stay. But Udaipur was no more invulnerable to Mughal invasion than Jodhpur. Then Durgadas most chivalrously undertook to conduct Akbar to the Maratha Court, the only Power in India that had successfully defied Mughal arms. With a slender escort of 500 Rathor horse, he issued from Mewar, crossed the Dungarpur range, and set his face towards the Southern Land. Every known ferry and pass was guarded by imperial pickets; but the Rathor leader with the greatest skill evaded them and misled his pursuers as to his real objective. From Dungarpur he made a dash westwards for Ahmadabad; and when it failed, he turned south-east, passed through Banswara and S. Malwa, crossed the Narmada (9th May) near the ferry of Akbarpur, and appeared within a short distance of Burhanpur on the Tapti (15th May). But here, too, his path was barred by imperial officers, and he marched due west through Khandesh and Baglana, finally reaching Shambhuji's protection in Konkan (1st June). To contemporaries the success of this small band in evading capture during such a long and perilous journey seemed incredible except on the supposition that Khan-i-Jahan Bahadur, the viceroy of the Deccan, had connived at the prince's escape.*