Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c38.s10.2

v3.c38.s10.2

Mahadji Sindhia had not yet risen from his late sleep when Zain-ul-abidin came panting into his office-tent at Rupbas after a hard ride of five miles, and sought asylum as an innocent man in fear of a false accusation of murder. Sindhia, on hearing the news, refused to admit him to his presence and at once sent him to Mirzā Ghiyās-ud-din’s tent to be kept under guard till he should be cleared by a full investigation. The Maratha chief had no certain information about Afrāsiyāb’s Muhammad Beg’s position, and returned after selecting the plain near Sayyidpurā (2½ miles west of Khanua) as the site of the decisive battle with his rival. Next day, he rode out to the place, but returned after putting the battle off to the following day. Dropping into Himmat Bahadur’s tent on his way back, he dismissed most of his tired followers and himself spent an hour there playing chess and bragging of the victory to come on the morrow. Then he returned to his own tent and sent away his remaining officers, with the exception of Zain and four others who lingered sitting down on the carpet. It was now past 11 o’clock, and Afrāsiyāb, quite at ease, took his coat and turban off and called for his luncheon to be served. A Mughal retainer of Zain who had mingled with the Mir Bakhshi’s servants, now handed him a petition, and as he was reading it the man stabbed him with a dagger from his shoulder down to his breast. The wounded general started up from his seat “like a half-slaughtered fowl”, tottered a few steps and then fell down senseless. The assassin was cut to pieces by the servants. In the confusion following the first blow, Zain-ul-abidin rushed out of the tent and mounting a fleet horse galloped to Māhādji’s camp where he reported that some one had killed Afrāsiyāb and that he had come there for safety lest he should be killed in suspicion for the crime. (2nd Nov.)