Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c16.s8.11

v1.c16.s8.11

But in the night between, spies brought the news that 20,000 Maratha light horse under Malhar had arrived within 24 miles of the camp.* Ahmad Shah called his wazir for counsel, but the latter was sick of his worthless master and exasperated at the failure of his plan of campaign, and gave an angry reply. The Emperor controlled himself and immediately ordered the drums to beat a march, called for his portable chair (*takht-i-rawān*), and ordered that that night they would go to Shorajpur, 7 miles north of Sikandrabad. At this sudden order, for which none had been prepared before, his servants became utterly confused and disturbed. The camp stood at the crossing of two roads, and every one, in the absence of guidance or concerted plan of marching, went away some one way, some another.