History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s14.27

v5.c74.s14.27

In October 1694, Zulfiqar suddenly marched out of Wandiwash and encamped north of the Changamon fort and pass (42 miles west of Jinji), the Marathas hovering round him and making daily incursions into his camp, in which they carried off horses. The Mughal cavalry, in its turn, harassed and plundered the country round, carrying away both men and goods. "At Wandiwash the people fled in fear of the Muhammadan army and took refuge in the Changamon hill." There was much disagreement at this time between Zulfiqar and his chief officers,—especially Daud Khan Pani, Kishore Singh Hada, and Dalpat Rao Bundela,—who were absurdly credited in public rumour with a design to seize him and send him in chains to the Emperor. The Khan, so it was reported, had sent ten camels laden with rupees for Rajaram, but they had been intercepted by Daud Khan. Another report was that the Marathas, by poisoning the waters and mixing milk-hedges in some of the tanks, had killed a great number of people. [Mad. Diary, 10 Nov. 1694.] Then after taking two or three small forts from the Marathas and receiving three lakhs of Rupees sent from the Court, the Mughal general marched to Saddam (at the end of December, 1694).