English
27). At the time of the Emperor’s illness, Prince Dara ghekob, the eldest son, was at Agra. Prince Shnj'a, the second son, was in Bengal; Aurangzeb, the third son, wa9 in the Dakhin ; whilst Prince Mnrad, the fourth son, was in Gnjrat. Owing to illness, §hah Jahan was invisible to the pnblio as well as to his ministers and officers, and great confusion in State affairs occurred, and Dara Shekoh went to the Emperor, and took into his hands the reins of Government. In order to make himself thoroughly master of the situation, Dara Shekoh aimed to keep the Emperor fnlly under his control and so forcibly removed the Emperor together with all royal treasures from Delhi on 20th Muharram, 1068 A.H. (1086 in the printed Pors. text is a mis¬ print) to Agra, whioh was reached on 19th $>far, 1068 A.H. In the mean¬ time, Mnrad proclaimed himself King in Gnjrat, whilst ghnj'a similarly proclaimed himself King in Bengal, and invaded Patna and Benares (Alamgirnamah, p. 29). Dara Shekoh’e plan was first to vanquish Shah Shnj'a, next Mnrad, and to reserve the final blow for Aurangzeb, whom he dreaded most. In pursuance of this soheme, he first detached a large army nnder the command of his son Snlaiman 8hekoh together with Rajah Jai Singh to operate against ghah Shnj'a. The army under Snlaiman §hekoh on the 4th Rabi-al-A wwal 1068 A.H. reaohed Bahadnrpnr, a village on the banks of the Ganges, 2| kos from Benares, and It kos from §hih Shuj'a’s encampment. Shah Shnj'a had brought with him a large number of Naioarah or war-ships from Bengal, and so was sanguine of success, and treating the foe with oontempt, he had dis¬ pensed with all ordinary precautions of war. Snlaiman §h e 1coh made a feint retreat whioh further took in ghih Shnj'a, and then tnddenly wheeling round, made a bold daah whioh completely surprised ghah Shnj'a, who leaving behind his tents, treasures, guns and horses, haatily got into a boat, and sailed down te Patna, thence to Monghyr, where he halted for some days. Snlaiman Shekoh s army pursued ghnj'a to Monghyr; and, then the latter quitting 216 Government could not obtain audience with the Emperor, great confusion ensued iu the affairs of the Empire. Since amongst the MoDghyr, set oat for Bengal. (See Alamgimamah, p. 31). Whilst these events were transpiring in Bengal, Aurangzeb with his marvellous insight grasping the sitnation forestalled Dara Shekoh by making a move from Aurangabad towards Burhnnpur on Friday, 12th Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1068 A.H. (Alamgimamah , p. 43). After halting for a month at Burhanpnr to get news of the state of things at Agra, Aurangzeb learnt that Dara Shekoh had detached a large army under Rajah Jaswant Singh, who had already arrived at Ujjain, in Malwah. This made Aurangzeb decide his plans. He imme¬ diately on 25th Jamadi-ul-Ayiirah on a Saturday marched from Burhanpnr, reached the banks of the Nnrbadda, crossed it, and on the 20th Rajab encamped at Dibalpur. Ou the 21st Rajab, setting out from Dibalpur, he met on the way Prince Murad, and won him over to his side ( Alamgimamah, p. 55), and reached Dharmatpur, a place 7 kos from Ujjaiu, and one kos from Rajah Jaswant Singh’s army, and pitched his camp on the banks of a rivulet, called Chur Narainah. ( Alamgimamah , p. 66). Rajab Jaswant Singh was quite out-witted by this strategic move of Aurangzeb who had united his forces with those of Murad. Aurangzeb then inflicted a crashing blow ou Rajah Jaswant Singh at Dharmatpur. (Soe charming description of this battle in the Alamgimamah, Pers. text, pp. 61, 66 to 74). Marching qnickly from Dharmatpur, Aurangzeb passed through Gwalior. In the meantime Dara §t2koh had marched to Dholpur (p. 85, Alamgimamah), to oppose Aurangzeb’s progress, and to prevent his crossing the Chanbal river. Aurangzeb quickly however crossed the Chanbal nver at the ferry of Bhadureah, which is 20 kos from Dholpur, on the first day of the month of Ramzan. On the 7th Ramzan, the battle of Dholpur was fought, and Dara Shekoh was completely defeated by Anrangzob. (See description of the battle of Dholpur in the Alamgimamah, pp. 100 to 104). Dara .Shekoh fled to Agra, and thence to the Paujab and other places, was eventually captured and beheaded. Shortly after his installation, Aurangzeb drew his force against Shah Shuj'a who had advanced, and occupied Rohtas, Chunar, Jaunpur, Benares and Allahabad. The battle between Aurangzeb and ghoj'a was fought at Kachwa, a place close to Korah, and resulted in Shnj'a s defeat. (Soe description of the battle in the Alamgimamah, Pers. text, p. 243). At r his defeat, Shuj’a fled to Bahadurpur, thence to Patna, thence to 'Mong y which he fortified, and thence (owing to the treachery of Rajah Bahro zamindar of Kharakpur) to Rangamati, and thence (owing to treachery Khwajah Kainala-d-din, zamindar of Birbhua.) to Raja,ahl then*. <W Minor place, to Dacca, thence throngh Bhaleah and - places to Arrakao Lay. heroically contesting every inch of gronnd agam.t the b° s „ o f Aurangzeb, led by his General Muazzam Khan alias M.r Jam t f time baffled by the treachery of so-called adherents, barnug Trla who clang to hint to the iaet. (See pp. 495 to 66., Jb-I""-* Pers. text). 217 Princes Royal, no one except D*ra ghekoh was near the Emperor, the reins of Imperial administration were assigned to him. Dara §iekoh, viewing himself to be the Crown-Prince, fully grasped the threads of Imperial administration. Owing to this, Prince Mnrad Bakst in Gujrat had the Efrutbah read after his own name, whilst in Bengal, Muhammad Shuj‘a proclaimed himself King, and marshalling his forces, marched towards Patna and Behar, and advancing thence, reached the environs of Benares. On hearing this news, Dara Sjjekoh, during the serious illness of the Emperor, marched with the latter from Shahjahanabad i Delhi), to Akbara- bad (Agra), on the 20th Muharram, 1068, A ll corresponding to the 31st year of the Emperor’s accession, and on the 19th Safar, reached Akbarabad (Agra). From this place, Dara Shekoh detached Raja Jai Singh Kaohoah, who was a leading Rajah mid a principal member of the Empire, together with other leading noblemen, such as Diler Khan, Salabat Khan and Iznd Singh, and other officers holding the ranks of Panjhasari and Chah<irhaz<iri, besides a large army composed of his own and the Imperial troops, along with guus and armaments, under thegener.il com¬ mand of Suluiinan Shekoh. his eldest son, in order to fight against Muhammad Shuj'n. Accordingly, these marched from Agra on the 4th of tlie month of Rabiul-A wwal of the aforesaid year, and set out on the aforesaid expedition. Ami after marching several stages, and passing through the oity of Benaies, these encamped at the village of Bahadurpur (which is situated on the hank of the Ganges at a distance of two and a half k'oh from the city of Benares) to a distance of one and a half kroh from Muhammad Shuj'a’s army. Both the armies exhibited military stategy and tactics, and sought for an opportunity to surprise the other. In consequence neither side made a sally. On the 21st Jamadiul- Awwal, the Imperialists made a feiut as if to shift their camp, but Suddenly wheeled round, and rushed Shuj'a’s army, which was completely taken by surprise. On hearing the nows of the feint retreat of the Imperialists on the previous day, Shuj'a had neglected his war-preparations, and was fast asleep. Being thus taken by surprise, he woke up from his slumber, and mounting a female elephant, he moved about restlessly. But the game was already up, especially as Raja Ji Singh making a dashing flank movement from the leftside, closed in upon him. Seeing no alter¬ native, Shah §huj‘a got into his war-vesBels which he had brought 28 218 up from Bengal, and sailed down swiftly, abondoning his treasures, guns, horses, baggages and tents. Sailing swiftly down Patna, be reached Mungir, and prepared to fortify it, and halted there for some days. Sulaiman Siiekoh’s army, after plundering and ravaging and slaughtering and capturing, followed up Muhammad Shuj'a, and reached Mungir. Muhammad Shuj'a, finding it impos¬ sible to stand his ground there, fled with the swiftness of light¬ ning and air, and entered Akbarnagar (Rajmahal). The Imperial army reduced to subjection the Subah of Patna and Behar. 1 * But in the meantime, Auraugzeb had marched from the Dakhin 8 towards the Imperial Presence, and on the outskirts of the Narbadda had fought an engagement with a numerous horde of Imperialists, and after sanguinary fightings had inflicted a signal defeat, and had marched to Shall jahanabnd, and entered the Capital. Deputing his eldest sou, Sultan Muhammad, to be near the Emperor, Auraugzeb put the latter under surveillance, and killed Dara Shekoh 3 * S * * after much warfare, and in the holy month of Ramzan 1069 A.H. ascended the imperial throne of Delhi. Sulaiman Shekoh, on hearing tho news of Dara Shekoh's defeat, gave up the pursuit of Shall Shuj'a, and retreated towards Shalijahanabad (Delhi). Muhammad Shuj'a fancying that the struggle between Dara Shekoh and Aurangzeb would be a protracted one, thought his opportunity had come, and by the bad advice of Alivardi Khan and Mirza Jan Beg and other members of his Government, 1 Tho Alamgirnamah, p. 31 (from which the account here in the text appears to be borrowed) s iya : “ From Monghyr to Patna became annexed to the Satrapy (iqta) of Darn Shekoh/’ 8 Anrangzeb moved from tho Dakhin in 10G8 A.H., inflicted a orushing defeat on Dara Shekoh’s troops led by Maharaja Jaswant Singh at Ujjain, and also defeated Dara Shekoh near Agra, and then informally proclaimed himself Emperor in 1069 A.H. (See Alamgirnamah, pp. 69 to 80, and pp. 87 to 108)..