This important victory, which had cost so little that it seemed a gratuitous prcsent from heaven, raised the ideas of Muëzzeddin, a Prince who wanted neither courage nor merit; and he conceived now the design of setting aside the partition treaty, and of assuming to himself the crown of all Hindostan. With that view, he displayed the standard of contention and superiority, and in such a manner that the union of the three brothers ended in disunion and bloodshed. It is certain that these dissensions arose about the division of the Imperial treasures. This consisted in eighty cart-loads of the Eshreffies,* and in a hundred more laden with rupees. Qhodjistah-aqhtar wanted to divide all this money in three equal parts; but Zulficar-khan made use of so much chicanery, and he brought so many pretences forwards, that three-fifths of that immense sum became Muëzzeddin’s share, and the two other two-fifths only fell to the share of the two other brothers. Such a proceeding could not but exasperate them; and Qhodjistah-aqhtar resolved to assume the crown, and took the title of Djehan-shah:* so that the two parties were ripe for coming to blows. This Prince, having been joined at the same time by several commanders of great Bloody deci­sions between the three brothers. distinction, such as Mahmed-khan, and Rostem-dil-khan, men who breathed nothing but slaughter and blood, the two armies looked at each other with a jealous eye; and although they did not come to a battle, they passed whole days and even whole nights under arms. For as soon as the King of Astres had retired behind the western tracts of the world, the two armies would light an infinity of tapers and other fires, and seemed to wait but for an opportunity of coming to blows. Djehan-shah, who had a very cosiderable party, soon found himself at the head of a great army and a numerous artillery; nor was Muezzeddin behind him in those two respects; and he now took the title of Djehandar-shah, or, Possessor of the Whole, or of the World. The two armies partook of the enmity of the two brothers; and for three days together, nothing was thought of but skirmishing by day, and watching under arms by night. On the fourth day the fortune of Djehan-shah’s having declined from its meridian, he said to his generals that he wanted to examine his encampment from without, and that meanwhile they should be careful to keep their troops mounted and ready, as he intended a review. At the same time he recommended to his spies to be upon the watch, and to give him immediate notice, the moment they should perceive that the enemy’s cavalry had alighted, and were preparing to dress grain for their horses.* That moment being come, Djehan-shah, who had his troops mounted and ready, rushed towards the enemy’s camp, where after a slight combat, the confusion became general. The enemy’s troops confounded by such an unexpected attack, made but a faint resistance, lost ground, and at last dispersed. The flight and dismay became at once so universal, that a famous courtesan, called Lal-coär,* who was the favourite mistress of Djehandar-shah’s and followed him everywhere, mounted upon a veiled elephant, was obliged to fly with the crowd, and that too on foot without a veil. She fell in the hands of Rostem-dil-khan; and that officer was actually busy in loosening the string of pearl that hung at the cordon of her drawers, when she was rescued from his hands.* In a confusion so sudden, Djehandar-shah himself having missed his accustomed elephant, got upon the first that came to hand and had no canopy, wrapped himself up with a large sheet, and bid the driver carry him across the enemy’s troops, and under colour of his carrying a woman,* to find his way to Zulficar-khan. The man did as he was bid; and no opposition being made to a woman’s voiture, Djehandar-shah got safe to his general, just as cries of victory were filling the air in the enemy’s troops. Zulficar-khan amazed to see Djehandar-shah in such a condition, became anxious about the fate of the day; he called aloud to a body of choice musqueteers attached this long while to his person, and throwing gold by handfuls amongst them, he told them that the day was come to render him an important service; that it was the only one he asked of them; and that one once performed, they would see what his gratitude was capable of, and what their good fortune had prepared for them. “You see,” added he, “that Djehan-shah is now sur­rounded by multitude of officers and soldiers, who are present­ing him their Nazurs* in compliment to his victory. Let some hundreds of you mix with that crowd under the same pretence, and then let them fire at once all altogether upon him. This is easy, and all that I want of you.” As soon as he had done speaking, three or four hundreds of them,* with their officers at their head, mixed with the crowd; and whilst Djehan-shah was talking to the people about him, and receiving Nazurs, and looking at the troops who pillaged Muëzzeddin’s camp, they fired altogether at him, laid him sprawling in his blood, and gave an unexpected victory to their master. This prince, so unexpectedly victorious, no sooner saw the enemy Djehandar-shah unexpect­edly victori­ous. retreat, than he retired with his mistress to his quarters, where he spent the night in drinking wine,* and in looking at his dancing-women, whilst the troops fatigued by such a journey, were taking some repose on the field of battle, every one where he found himself.

The next morning at day-break the Prince Refi-al-cadr sent the principal eunuch of his seraglio to compliment him on his vic­tory; but the victor who had passed the whole night in drinking delicious liquors, was now fast asleep, and there was no awakening him; but his eunuchs hearing of the message, which the Prince’s man was bringing, fell a laughing, and told him “that he was a great fool indeed to bring such a message; the more so as his master having but just seen what had been Azim-ush-shan’s and Djehan-shah’s fate, had no occasion for any further warn­ing.” This answer having convinced the messenger of his master’s mistake, he made haste to return, and to give notice of what had happened. This intelligence afforded at once an immense deal of information to Refi-al-cadr; like a man wak­ing from a dream, he ordered the Nagara or great kettle-drum to be beat, and listening only to his own despair, he mounted and went forward, his troops and friends following as fast as they could. These motions having put Zulficar-khan upon his guard, he ranged his army in battle array, and sent a trusty eunuch with orders to drag Djehandar-shah out of the women’s apartment, and to get him mounted by any means whatever upon an Imperial elephant. But Djehandar-shah was now in the height of intoxication, bare-headed, with his clothes in the utmost disorder,* and with hardly any knowledge of what was about him; and it is in that condition he was put upon his elephant and brought to the field of battle, where the Generalis­simo was already marching to Refi-al-cadr. This Prince advanced on a full gallop, and charged the troops of his rival with an heroical valor that deserved a better fate. He penetrated through the thickest of the enemy, and fell covered with wounds, after having shown throughout this bloody action a great deal of presence of mind. The few troops he had about his person being mostly slain, or wounded, and himself being left nearly alone, he took up his sabre and buckler, jumped down from his elephant, and after having performed prodigies of valor, he drank undauntedly the bitter draught presented him by death.

This victory having put Djehandar-shah in an undisputed possession of the Empire, he sent notice of his accession throughout all the provinces. Moving at the same time from Lahor, he marched to Shah-djehan-abad, where he made his entry with all the pomp of an hereditary monarch, and all the pride of a victor. It was on a Monday, the fourteenth of the first Djemady, of the year 1124, about three hours before sun­set. On his passage through Badely, he was received by Mahmed-yar-khan, Governor of the province, who went so far on purpose to pay his homage to the Emperor, as he was passing on his elephant. Four days after, at about noonday, the sun being then in the meridian, the Emperor made his entry in the citadel, and took possession of the Imperial palace.*

And now the new Sovereign being seated on his throne, confirmed Assed-khan in the high dignity of Vekil-mootlac, or his Lieutenant-General, all over the Empire, and Zulficar-khan, his son, in that of Vezir. But here he commenced embruing his hands in blood. Sultan Kerimeddin, eldest son of Azim-ush-shan, was seized at Lahore through the management of Hedaiët-kesh-khan, and brought to the Emperor’s presence, where he was instantly put to death. Nor were the other princes, of the blood, all sons of Aazem-shah or of prince Cambuqhsh, treated much more favourably. Those unfortunate youths, who lived quietly, without suspecting any thing of their impending fate, were all seized at once and rigorously confined. History, melted by the misfortunes of so much innocence, has conserved their names. It was Aaly-tebar, son to Aazem-shah, and Muhi-et-tessa, and Firozmend, the two sons of Cambuqhsh. There was a third son, whose name is not certainly known.