Indian Antiquary Vol 40

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 80

74
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1911.
As soon as this hostile advance on Agra became known, Dārā Shukoh sent off an army under Qüsim Khan and Rajah Jaswant Singh, Rathor of Jodhpur, to bar the way. The contending armies met on the 22nd Rajab 1068 H. (April 25th, 1658) in the neighbourhood of Ujjain in Mālwä. After a sharp contest, in which Qasim Khan showed a want of vigour, a crushing defent was inflicted on the imperial force. Aurangzēb and Murad Bakhsh then resumed their march northwards towards Agrah. Consternation spread in the emperor's court; Shābjahān, who was on his way to Dehli, returned to Āgrah and being partially restored to health proposed to take the command in person. Därä overruled this proposal and kept the command in his own bands. He sent forward his advanced guard to the Chambal river, south of Agrab, opposite Dholpur, and entrenched his guns so as to command all the crossing places. Aurangzēb found it impossible to cross opposite Dholpur, but guided by some Bandelah chiefs he made a flank march and found an undefended crossing farther down the Chambal. He set his men in battle array between Agrah and the Chambal at a place called Samügarh, afterwards renamed Fathābād. Därā was thus forced to abandon the position he had selected and retrace his steps in the greatest haste, leaving most of his guns behind him.
On the 7th Ramaçãn 1068 H. (June 8th, 1658), the battle took place and the ground was fiercely contested. At first, the day seemed to be going favourably for Dara, bat a false friend persuaded him that nothing remained to complete the victory but a charge of his cavalry. He dismounted from his elephant, and as usually resulted with Indian armies, the disappearance of the leader led to the inference that he was either dead or had abandoned the field. Either of these events was the invariable signal for withdrawal and flight. Dārā's army began to disperse and was soon reduced to such scanty proportions that the prince's only safety lay in quitting the field. After a few hours' rest in Agrah, he continued his flight to Debli ; there he collected what treasure and supplies he could lay his hands on, and made as speedily as possible for Labor.
Aurangzēb and Murad Bakhsh advanced on Agrah and occupied it on the 10th Ramazan 2068 H. (June 11th, 1658). Some correspondence ensued between Sbåhjahan and his son, each side endeavouring to entrap the other. At length Aurangzēb's eldest son, Muhammad Sultan succeeded in surrounding the fort and forcing an entrance, whereby the mighty Shāhjahan became a helpless prisoner in the hands of his son.
Parsuit of Dära was resumed on the 22nd Ramaçãn 1068 H. (June 23rd, 1658). When the two princes were encamped just outside Mathurā, between Agrah and Dehli, Aurangzēb proposed that, as had been agreed between them, Murad Bakhsh's accession should be formally celebrated. On the 4th Shawwal 1068 H. (July 5th, 1658), Murad Bakhsh was invited for this purpose to Aurangzēb's camp, and while sleeping off a drunken bout, his weapons were abstracted by A'zam, infant son of Aurangzeb. Murad's faithful eunuch, while watching at his master's door, was assassinated, then Murad Bakhsh himself was seized, put into chains, and hurried off to a prison in the fortress of Salimgarh, being subsequently transferred to Gwaliyār, where he was put an end to on the 21st Rabi 'II, 1071 H. (December 25th, 1660), after a legal sentence had been passed by a venal gāzi to the effect that he deserved death for the assassination of a revenge official, one 'Ali Naqi, when he was governor of Ahmadābād.
Aurangzeb reached Dohli on the 16th Shawwal 1068 H. (July 17th, 1658), and upon the 1st Zü'l Qaidah 1068 H. (July 31st, 1658), he was formally enthroned under the title of Alamgir, in the plain of Agharābād, just outside Dehli city.
Before Aurangzeb could reach Lähor, Dārā Shukoh, with such new troops as he had been able to recruit, had left for Multan. He continued the journey thence by boats on the Indus as far as Bhakkar, which he provided with a garrison. He then turned eastwards and made his way across Kachh (Outch) into Gujarat. Aurangzēb followed from Labor on the 24th Zu'l Hijjah 1068 H.