Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c10.s4.6

v1.c10.s4.6

The Afghān soldiers, seeing their patron dead and themselves surrounded by hostile rivals in a foreign land, marched away rapidly from Kuchān in a compact body for self-defence against any Qizilbāsh attack. At the end of the third day, they halted and held a council. Their captains said among themselves, "On the long journey before us we need a man whose commands all shall obey. It would be difficult, nay impossible, for us to reach Qandahār with the entire body of our women children and servants, in the face of the hostility of the Persians, unless we have a supreme chief. We must obey such a leader with all our power, whatever happens." All the Abdālis took this view and chose Ahmād as their commander, hailing him as Ahmad Shāh. (Mujmil, 74.)