All this while Azim-ush-shan, surrounded by Crown officers, and by the courtiers and generals attached to his party, was sit­ting on the throne in full possession of the Imperial honors, but resolved to fall on whoever should venture to attack him. He surrounded his camp with a ditch, planted his cannon round, and for a few days waited the event, in hopes that the other pretend­ers, having no money, their troops would disperse of themselves, or come over to his camp. But as fortune was not on his side, it happened that the very reverse of all that came to take place; for Zulficar-khan, after having performed a service that seemed above all reward, invited the Princes to join together; and this being agreed to unanimously, they repaired with him to Muëzzeddin’s camp, where they formed him a court worthy of the Imperial splendour. This happened in the 1124 year of the Hedjrah. The next day, they marched to attack Azim-ush-shan, and a royal battle was fought; but as destiny was against him, in a little time his troops were defeated, and they fled on all sides; but what is singular, is that Azim-ush-shan’s body could not be found, not­withstanding all the search made for that purpose. This event was related in the following manner:—

The first day, there was a slight attack from the enemy; but as if they had changed their minds, they contented themselves, for seven days together, with firing showers of cannon-ball into Azim-ush-shan’s camp, from which they were answered in the same style. On the seventh day, Naamet-ollah-khan and Aziz-khan, with Radja Mohcum-sing the Cahtri, and Radja Radj-sing the Djatt, came in a body with Shah-nevaz-khan at their head; and they represented to that Prince, that as his enemies were not yet grown so numerous as had been apprehended, it was possible to attack them, and to disperse their troops, by sallying upon them at once, and coming to hand-blows. For all answer, the Prince desired them to wait a little, and with this order they were obliged to comply. The Prince hoped that as the Djatt Chura­mon, and the Bandjarras,* had so beset the roads, that no provisions could reach the enemy’s camp, the latter would soon be obliged to disperse for want of daily food. Whilst he was so much inclined to dilatory measures, he took none to gain the hearts of his troops. Extremely sparing of those treasures he had found ready under his hand, he looked like one anxious to carry them to the other world with him. With such a scheme in his head, no wonder that whenever any bolder advice was pro­posed, he was sure to mar it, by answering those very words of his—wait a little more. On the eighth day, Zulficar-khan, hav­ing fetched from the city of Lahor, several large pieces of can­non, got them planted on a raised advantageous ground, from which they were incessantly pouring showers of large balls into Azim-ush-shan’s camp; and as in order to bring up the cannon, the enemy had set open the road to Lahor, the troops of Azim-ush-shan, already exceedingly disgusted, availed themselves of that opportunity to put themselves out of the reach of a heavy fire, by retiring from the rear of his camp. This state of inaction having highly disgusted the two Gentoo Radjas, they repaired to the Prince at the head of their troops, and represented to him that “as there were no means left to tarry in his camp, and they would put up no more with the eternal taunts of the enemy, they were resolved to fall upon them with their own men, whether they should be supported or not, being determined on taking their chance.” To this animated remonstrance the Prince made no other answer than this—wait a little more. The two brave Gentoos shocked at such a reception, vented their indignation in expressions of reproach, and with one and the same breath, they sallied forth, and fell sword in hand upon the enemy. As these did not expect such a sudden attack, they were sur­prized and gave way; and the two Princes, after performing wonders, and passing through the enemy’s ranks, penetrated as far as the battery in question, of which they took possession. This was the time to support those brave men; but so far was the Prince from any such exertion, that he sent his Aid-de-camps abroad to reprimand and bring back some commanders that had sallied forth of their own accord. This moment of suspense having been observed by the Generalissimo and Rostem-dil-khan, they made a brisk attack upon the Gentoo Princes, who received them with great bravery, and a sharp engagement took place; but the two Gentoos, overpowered by numbers, having fallen mortally wounded, their men lost courage, and fled towards Lahor, at the very time that a brave Afghan, called Suléiman-khan-péni was coming to their assistance with a thousand horse of his nation. He came just in time enough to lose his own life by a musquet-ball, and his body was sent to the city by the victors.

Of about sixty or seventy thousand horse that had been in Azim-ush-shan’s army, there remained now about his elephant, no more than about ten or twelve thousand; and these, as soon as the Prince was returned to his quarters in the evening, retired to Lahor by shoals—so that the next morning he found himself with no more than two or three thousand men; and with this handful, he wanted to march up to the enemy; but as they had brought him his accustomed elephant, and he was going to mount, the animal refused to kneel, whatever his driver could do to oblige him; and the Prince was obliged to send for another. By this time, even the few that remained with him had disap­peared, and on putting his elephant in motion, he found about his person, only Naamet-ollah-khan, with ten troopers, Amin-ed-dö8la-khan, with twenty, and Radja Djehi-sing, with a little more than a thousand;—all his people, of all sorts, not amount­ing to two thousand men; still he was advancing to the field of battle; but hardly was the action commenced, when there arose such a violent wind as put in motion all the sands of the Ravi; and it raised such clouds of dust, as left no other party than that of shutting one’s eyes, and turning the head away from the violence of the hurricane; nor was it possible to open an eye but to see the flash, or to unstop an ear but to hear the report of the enemy’s cannon. Some troops of cavalry having come upon their rear at this moment, let fly a shower of arrows; but as there was no see in Azim-ush-shan’s person, they pushed for­wards to plunder his treasures. A moment after, a cannon-ball striking the Micdember, or throne, on which he was sitting, set on fire the pillows, and occasioned much smoke. The Prince, to save his life, threw all the furniture down; and Amin-ed-do8la having asked whether he was not hurt, was answered, “Not at all—go on—go on.” At these words, the General having fetched several deep sobs, and dropped some tears, was reprimanded by the Prince, who, with a magnanimity remarked by all, reproached him for his want of firmness. “Firmness!” answered the Gen­eral, “what purpose can it answer to us now? The vessel of our hopes is going to be dashed against rocks; and nothing remains to me but to strike my head against a stone, or a stone against my head. In vain have all your faithful servants been entreating you to let them sally forth, and march to a general attack; in vain did they repeat their instances for so salutary a measure: your answer was always these words, of bad omen,— Wait a little more;” but after all, how could your Majesty do “otherwise, since it was in the Almighty’s decree, that we should be undone? Still there remains one party; it is yet time to take it; but a moment hence, it will be too late. Leave your ele­phant, mount a horse, and fly with us towards Bengal. There you have your family, you have friends and succourers; and at any rate, Da8d-khan-peni, who commands throughout all the Decan, is your servant. Let us retire to Bengal, which is a place of safety; and there, after having dried your feathers, and trimmed your wings, you may take your party, and come again, and act as occasion shall direct.” “All that is very fine,” replied the Prince; “but what has Dara-Shecoh done after his defeat? And did all that avail to Shudjah?* If I am yet destined to reign, the scriptural sentence—Many a time did a small number prevail over a multitude—shall be verified in my person; nor is victory and success so far distant from us yet.” To all this Amin-ed-do8la rejoined, that he had no more than twenty troopers with him, and that every one else was gone away. “Very well,” said the Prince, coolly, “let me have one-half of these twenty, that I may with them rush on that Muëzzeddin; and with the other ten, do you rush on that wretched of Qhodjistah-aqhtar.”* The general was near losing his wits on hearing these words, and the Prince was yet speak­ing, when Qhoadja-hassen (since Qhandö8ran) was heard to cry from behind: “General, I am going to Bengal. Believe me, let us go together.” “Never,” answered the General; “and so long as there is breath in Azim-ush-shan, I will not part with him.” He had hardly said this, when a large cannon-ball having struck the elephant full on the root of the proboscis, made him run mad. The animal turned about and made to the water side, with the fury of a whirlwind, and the rapidity of light­ning. His conductor lost his seat, and fell on the ground. Djelil-khan-lo8dy, who sat behind,* laid hold of the ropes, came to the ground, and fled for his life. Several people attempted to intercept the elephant, and Amin-ed-do8la was of the number; but there was no overtaking him. In a moment, he saw the animal jump down a cliffy part of the bank, and plunge into an eddy—he plunged and disappeared. Coming close, he perceived an extraordinary motion in the waters, with a great Azim-ush shan is drowned. deal of mud flying upl he heard the roaring of the waves, but saw no elephant; and he concluded that both the animal and Prince had sunk, never to come up again. Immediately he took to flight, but was soon overtaken and seized; and he was sent close prisoner to the Citadel of Shah-djehan-abad, where he remained until he was set at liberty by an express order which Feroh-syur, after his victory over Muëzzedein, addressed to the Governor Yar-khan for that purpose; and in the sequel he rose to the highest dignities of the state.