The loss of this battle having given the Emperor some sus­picions about the event of the war, he thought it proper to try what policy could perform; with that view, he sent a dress of honor to Abdollah-khan, applauded what he had done, and added a confirmation of his government. But it proved in vain; for Feroh-syur was already at Ilah-abad with a numerous army, in which they reckoned a number of Generals of character, for instance, Saf-shiken-khan, Ahmed-khan-coca, Muëzzeddin the Cossa, alias Ghazi-eddin-khan, since Ghalub-djung, and Qhoadja-hassen, since Qhandö8ran. The two brothers, who were the soul of all that multitude, having made choice of a favourable moment, invoked the souls of their pious and brave ancestors, and set out full of spirits, on an expedition that already promised so much. This intelligence having been soon conveyed to the Emperor, The Emperor sends his son, Yezzed­din, to fight Feroh-syur. he resolved to send his son, Yezzeddin, at the head of a powerful army to oppose Feroh-syur on his march. But in fact this young Prince himself was under the care of Qhadja-ahfen-khan, brother to Cocal tash-khan. This nobleman who enjoyed the grade of five thousand horse, was then raised to that of seven with the effectual command of so many; and the whole management of the expedition, as well as the safety of the Prince’s person, was recommended to his care. After his departure, the Emperor dispatched Chin-kylydj-khan with orders to reinforce the army with his body of troops. The Prince, after many marches, hav­ing advanced as far as Kedjwa near the Ganga, heard that the two brothers were in full march to fight him. This piece of intelligence stopped him short; and although he was so vastly superior to them both in numbers, (for he had above fifty thousand horse) and in artillery, he did not think himself a match for the enemy, but chose to entrench himself. His perturbation already great, became still more glaring, when he heard that the enemy was drawing near by continual marches. On this intelligence he betrayed, as well as his General, every mark of trepidation and pusillanimity. But when Abdollah-khan drew nearer and fell acannonading his camp, which he did for a whole day, he could contain himself no longer; and his General being as much out of his senses as himself, they sallied together at the back part of the camp, after having loaded themselves with as much gold and jewels as they could, and at the beginning of the night they took flight together, leaving their army, camp, artil­lery, Yezzed­din’s shame­ful flight from his own camp. baggage, jewels, and military chest to be disposed of by the enemy, who as yet knew nothing of the matter. But the army was soon informed of there being neither Prince nor General-in-chief; nor could any party be taken in such a singular evene­ment; for the officers and grandees in the camp disagreed with each other, and could come to no final resolution amongst them­selves, but passed the whole day in disputes. On the evening, the enemy got intelligence of the state of things, and rushing without order into the Imperial camp, they plundered it so lei­surely, and found in it so much booty, that vast numbers of people that had never had an assured subsistence, now enriched themselves for the remainder of their lives. Notwithstanding all that plunder, there remained still a vast deal of wealth, which together with the artillery, was seized for Feroh-syur’s use. This prince tarried a few days to give some rest to his army, whilst Yezzeddin in his flight towards Ecber-abad, fell in with the corps commanded by Chin-kylydj-khan. This General shocked at so flagitious a conduct, made use of force and violence to stop the Prince, who wanted absolutely to fly farther; and he obliged him to wait in his camp until the Emperor should send orders.

Such a shameful defeat very nearly blasted all the hopes The Emperor, undismayed, marches in per son against his competitor. conceived by that Prince. Trusting now to no one, that mon­arch resolved to march in person against a rival so successful; and on the Tuesday of the twelfth Zilcaad, in the year 1124, he set out of his capital with an immense pomp, and an army of seventy thousand horse, besides a numerous infantry and a train of large cannon capable to shake the foundations of the globe. It was Zulficar-khan who commanded this mighty host; he had under him the famous Cocal-tash-khan, with several Generals and officers of character, all renowned for their achievements, all fond of battle, and all thirsting after an engagement, like so many famished tigers howling in the wilderness. Such were Aazem-khan, and Djani-khan, and Mahmed-amin-khan, and a multitude of T8ranian and Iranian Lords*. On his march he was joined by Ser-bolend-khan, Fodjdar of Corrah, who tak­ing possession of the money he had been receiving there on Feroh-syur, his master’s account, deserted to Djehandar-shah, to whom that small merit rendered him so dear, that he gave him the Government of G8djrat, and sent him to Ahmed-abad, its capital, after having passed many encomiums on his conduct. As a counterpart to this, Chebilram, the new Fodjdar of Corrah, and Aaly-ashgar-khan, son to Car-talab-khan, Fodjdar of Atava, went over to Feroh-syur. But by this time the Emperor being arrived at Semogur, a town in the neighbourhood of Ecber-abad, found himself over against the enemy, who was parted from him only by the river Djumna. What looks singular is, that the sight of the enemy occasioned transports of joy amongst the two Sëids and in Feroh-syur’s Court; whereas it occasioned much trepida­tion in the Emperor’s camp. The reason is plain. Unanimity reigned in the enemy’s camp; whereas Djehandar-shah’s flagi­tious behaviour had alienated the hearts of most of the grandees of his court. The T8ranians in particular, had promised by letters and messages, that they would join Feroh-syur; Abdol-semed-khan alone abstained from such promises. Nevertheless there was so visible a superiority of force on the Emperor’s side, that it was generally believed that his rival would have no chance against him. Unluckily there reigned such a difference of tem­pers and sentiments between his principal Generals, Zulficar-khan and Cocal-tash-khan, and this difference had given rise to so much enmity, and to so inveterate an aversion, that nothing went forwards in the Emperor’s camp. Cocal-tash-khan, in par­ticular, who enjoyed the Emperor’s confidence, was a man equally incapable of giving or of receiving a good advice. In conse­quence of so much animosity no one concerned himself about any thing; and every thing went to wreck. There is more. No specific order had been issued to cross the Djumna for attacking the enemy; and the two favourites agreeing in nothing but in an eternal variance from each other, and in giving opposite advices, it happened that the Emperor himself was actually incapable of taking a party for himself. Desperately in love with Lal-Coär, he had of late fallen into a delirious kind of melancholy, that rendered him incapable of business.

Such a state of things could not be concealed from an enemy who had so many well-wishers; and, in fact, Abdollah-khan having received information of a ford which was four cosses above the enemy’s camp, crossed over in the night time, and marched on without stopping as far as K8zbehari, a village beyond Ecber-abad, on the high road to Dehli. There he took post; and some time after he was followed by Feroh-syur himself, who crossed over likewise and joined his General. To impose on the enemy, and to perplex his ideas, Hossëin-aaly-khan with the rear or corps de reserve, remained where he was over against the enemy’s camp, and did not cross over, but when his motions could be effectually concealed by the darkness of the night. He had with him Chebilram-nagur, an Hindoo of character. What is very singular, and marks the finger of Providence in this affair, is that this fording over in the dark, seemed to give a turn to the whole war; for as Feroh-syur’s army made its appearance at day-break on the enemy’s rear, it became necessary in the latter’s camp to change the whole order of battle, to marshal the Feroh-syur’s army crosses the Djumna in presence of the Imperial army. troops anew, and to bring the artillery from the van, all which could not be done without an infinite deal of confusion. This happened on the fourteenth of Zilhaj, of the same year; and the two armies, the one in good order, and the other, that is the Emperor’s, in much disorder and confusion, advanced against each other. This Prince took his post in the centre, surrounded by a brilliant cortege, and by several corps of choice troops, that had a train of large artillery in their front. Zulficar-khan, by whom he seemed to be governed in whatever related to matters of war and politics, but who in reality had not his confidence, as his extreme firmness displeased the Emperor, came to place him­self before that Prince with a body of old troops and a quantity of artillery, together with the Imperial Music of trumpets, haut boys, and kettle-drums. Cocal-tash-khan, and Djani-kan, with Aazem-khan, and other Lords of his party, took post at the right wing; and the T8ranian Lords, such as Mahmed-amin-khan, Abdol-semed-khan, and Chin-kylydj-khan,took post at the right. Radji-mahmed-khan, with Hafiz-ollah-khan, and some other Generals, with their Corps, were posted as light troops. Reza-cooly-khan, the Grand-Master of the Artillery, was ordered to attend diligently to his business; and the rest of the troops were placed as the ground would permit.