* * * On the 4th of the month of Ramazán, early in the morning, which was the time selected for Nazar Muhammad Khán's interview, news came in that he had sent his grandson Muhammad Kásim, son of Khusrú Sultán, in company with Kafsh Kalmák and several chiefs, and that they had all advanced two kos beyond the bridge of Khatab. The Prince, appreciating the gradations of rank, deputed his son, Muhammad Sultán, along with Bahádur Khán and some other nobles, to go and meet him; and that early fruit of the orchard of royalty having dutifully obeyed the command, brought the individual in question into his noble father's presence. The Prince, well versed in etiquette, then folded Muhammad Kásim in a fond embrace, and placed him in an adjoining seat; after which, Kafsh Kalmák delivered the Khán's letter, full of apologies for not having come in consequence of an attack of indisposition, and represented that the Khán, being obliged to forego the pleasure of an interview, had sent Muhammad Kásim as his representative, with a view to remove all suspicion of his having wilfully broken his promise.
After dismissing Muhammad Kásim, the Prince addressed the commanders of the army in that country, viz. * * saying, his instructions were, to deliver over Balkh and Badakhshán to Nazar Muhammad Khán, after the interview; but now that the latter had only sent his grandson, excusing himself on the pretended plea of sickness, he could not carry out this measure without a distinct order. He told them to take into consideration, however, that the country was desolated, winter close at hand, grain scarce, and time short; so that there would be great difficulty in making arrangements for the winter, and remaining in the kingdom during that inclement season, and asked them what was their opinion on the subject. The principal chiefs replied, that the passes of the Hindú Koh were just about to be covered by snow, when the road would be blocked up; so that, if he reported the matter, and waited the arrival of instructions, the opportunity would slip through his hands. They therefore came to the unanimous conclusion, that His Royal Highness should recall all the governors of forts and persons in charge of places around Balkh.
As a vast number of mercenary soldiers, consisting of Uzbeks and Almáns, had crossed the river Jíhún, and spread themselves over those regions, and wherever they saw a concourse of people, took the first opportunity of assailing them, Rájá Jai Singh was despatched to Turmuz to fetch Sa'ádat Khán. The Prince was also on the point of starting off Bahádur Khán to bring back Rustam Khán from Andkhod, and Shád Khán from Maimanah, so that they might rejoin the army in safety. In the interim, however, a letter arrived from Rustam Khán, saying, that as he had ascertained that the country was to be delivered up to Nazar Muhammad Khán, he had set out from Andkhod to Maimanah, with the intention of taking Shád Khán from thence in company with him, and proceeding towards Kábul by way of San-chárík. The Prince then marched with all the royal forces from the neighbourhood of Faizábád, and encamped at Chalkai, which lies contiguous to the city of Balkh; where, having ceded the country to Nazar Muhammad Khán, he delivered up the town and citadel of Balkh to Muhammad Kásim and Kafsh Kalmák. He presented the former of these, on bidding him farewell, with a jewelled dagger, a horse caparisoned with golden trappings, and 50,000 rupees out of the royal treasury. He also committed to his charge, among the stores contained in the fort and city, 50,000 mans of grain belonging to His Majesty, which, estimated by the rate ruling at that time, was worth five lacs of rupees; and besides this, all the granaries of the other forts. At this stage, Mirzá Rájá Jai Singh returned from Turmuz, accompanied by Sa'ádat Khán, and joined the army. From the beginning of the invasion of Balkh and Badakhshán till the end, when those conquered territories were ceded to Nazar Muhammad Khán, there was expended out of the State exchequer, in the progress of this undertaking, the sum of two krors of rupees, which is equivalent to seven lacs of the túmáns current in Irák.
To be brief. On the 14th of the aforesaid month of Ramazán, the Prince started from Chalkai with all the royal forces for Kábul. He appointed Amíru-l Umará with a party to form the left wing; Mirzá Rájá Jai Singh with his, the right; and Bahádur Khán the rear-guard; whilst he sent on Mu'tamad Khán, the Mír-i átish, with the whole of the royal artillerymen, and Pirthi Ráj Ráthor, as a vanguard; so that the bands of Uzbeks, ever watching for an opportunity of attack, might not be able to harass and cut off the stragglers in the rear of the army, whilst winding through the narrow defiles and passes. As it was an arduous task for the whole army to cross the pass of 'Arbang in one day, the victorious Prince himself having marched through it safely, waited on the further side with Amíru-l Umará, till the entire army was over; and by His Royal Highness's order, Bahádur Khán halted at the mouth of the above pass, for the sake of helping the camp and baggage through. He was also in the habit of sending some of the troops every day to protect the party who went out to fetch grass and firewood. One day, when the turn for this duty came to Shamsher Khán, Khushhál Beg Káshgharí, and others of his countrymen, the Uzbeks, imagining the party to be a small one, advanced, to the number of about 5000 horsemen, and one moiety of them having encompassed Shamsher Khán and his comrades in the midst, the other took up a position on the summit of some eminences. Bahádur Khán, having received intimation of this, went to his support, and having made several of those marauders a prey to the sword of vengeance, put the remainder to flight; whilst out of the royal troops some few were wounded. On the third day of the halt, whilst the rest of the army were crossing the pass of 'Arbang, a body of Almáns made their appearance; whereupon Nazar Bahádur Khán, Kheshjí Ratan son of Muhesh Dás, and some others, charged them on one side, and on the other Mu'tamad Khán with the artillerymen, and a number of the Prince's retainers. The enemy, unable to withstand the shock, turned and fled, closely pursued by the royalists, who killed and wounded a few of them.
The day they had to march from Ghorí by way of Khwája Zaid, as the road to the next stage, which had been selected on the banks of the Surkháb, was extremely difficult, and there was a great likelihood of an attack from the Uzbeks and Hazáras, the Prince left Amíru-l Umará at the top of the aforesaid pass, to protect the men who used to follow in rear of the army. As there was an interval of two kos between Amíru-l Umará, Bahádur Khán, and the left wing of the army, a portion of the baggage, whilst threading the road, was plundered by the Hazáras. A vast body of them also fell upon the treasure; but Zú-l Kadar Khán, and the rest who were with it, firmly held their ground, and the battle was warmly contested till some part of the night was spent. Amíru-l Umará, having been informed of the circumstance, sent a detachment of his own men to their assistance; whereupon the enemy retreated in confusion. After the camp had advanced beyond Shaburghán, during the march to Nek Bihár and to Chár-chashma, some injury accrued to the troops, in consequence of the narrowness and steepness of the road, and the rolling over of several laden beasts of burden, which were accidentally led along the top of the hill off the path by some of the people who had lost their way. When they started from Chár-chashma for the foot of the Hindú Koh range, it was resolved, for the greater convenience of the troops, that the Prince should first cross the pass, and at the expiration of a day Amíru-l Umará should follow; that after him should come the royal treasure, kár-khána (wardrobe) and artillery, with all His Royal Highness's establishment; and in this way, a party having gradually crossed every day, Bahádur Khán, who occupied the rear of the victorious army, should follow last of all. The illustrious Prince, having reached the foot of the pass that day, passed over the Hindú Koh on the next, and though the weather was not intensely cold, yet as snow had fallen previously, and there was a hard frost, the men got over with considerable difficulty.