Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c16.s8.12

v1.c16.s8.12

The Emperor had arranged that Udham Bāī (his mother), Ināyetpurī Bāī (his favourite wife), Mahmud Shah alias Prince Bankā (his son), and Sāhiba Begam (his half-sister) should mount with him from the royal gate; the other princesses were ordered to enter their carriages at the Khawāspurā gate of the camp and to be conducted by the nāzir Roz-āfzun Khan. After the Emperor had started, his wife's sister, with his daughter Dilāfroz Banu (or Muhammadi Begam) and some other ladies and maids got into a bamboo-covered waggon at the royal gate and followed him. "During this confusion some arrived and some were left behind, none knew or cared who came and who did not. At the Khawāspurā gate a large party of royal ladies, including Malika-i-zamāni and Sāhib Mahal (two widows of Muhammad Shah), two daughters of Ahmad Shah, and Sarfarāz Mahal and Rāni Uttam Kumari (two of the Emperor's secondary wives) had mounted their covered waggons (rath) when the Marathas were sighted and an alarm was raised." It was two o'clock in the morning of the fourth day of the new moon, which had set long ago. The numerous munition carts and the waggons of the imperial stores and workshops and a vast crowd of followers blocked the road and caused indescribable confusion, which was heightened by the darkness of the night and the horror of the Maratha attack who had opened fire with their matchlocks. Every one fled wherever he could find an opening, forgetful of duty or friendship.