On the morning of the sixth of the month, Aalem-aaly-qhan, sur­rounded by thirty or forty commanders, all mounted on elephants, marched to the enemy with a blind security, which history can neither conceal nor dissemble.

Nizam-el-mulk, on his side, gave the command of his first line to the brave Merhamet-qhan, and to make a trial of his son, Ghazi-eddin-qhan’s fortune, he joined him to that renowned officer. Abdol-rahim-qhan, Raïet-qhan, Saad-eddin-qhan, Darab-qhan, and Camïab-qhan, and Ynaïet-qhan, all at the head of their troops, were distributed in his right and left wings, together with those corps commanded by Cadyr-dad-qhan, Ahtisass-qhan, and Rohollah-qhan, and Dilir-qhan, and Anver-qhan. To those troops he added all the Radjp8ts commanded by some Radjahs, and all those brought by some commanders, highly discontented with the two brothers, as well as fond of war and battle. Himself took his post in the centre, with Ghö8ss-qhan at his side. As to the troops brought by some Zemindars, as well as some thousands of Marhatta cavalry, he thought it better to leave them in his camp under Renbah, their General, with orders to secure his camp against the enemy’s Marhatta horse. He had a numerous artillery, which had been vastly augmented by what he drew from the fortress of Assîr and B8rhanp8r, but especially by that whole train which he had found after his late victory. All this he placed in his front, in full view of the enemy; but as soon as it became dark, he sent great part of it to the left and right, where it was con­cealed by a bushy ground from the enemy’s sight, and ranged with skill by men of tried valour and abilities. All these were loaded with churrah or small ball, and intermixed with swivels, wall-pieces and rockets, stationed by his own particular direction. He had hardly done, when Aalem-aaly-qhan’s army was seen in motion; and the action commenced by the forlorn hope, consisting of ten or twelve thousand horse, which under the command of Munev­ver-qhan pushed for the enemy’s artillery. But upon the first discharge he was slain together with some of the bravest of his men, who were all from Barr, or from Decan. On sight of this, the first line of Nizam-el-mulk’s, which was mostly composed of Moghuls, charged the enemy’s line, which they threw instantly into confusion; and this being reported to Aalem-aaly-qhan, he took a number of choice troops, and marched in haste to repair the disorder which he now perceived in his centre; and here the battle growing warm, Aalem-aaly-qhan, who was the foremost in every attack, overthrew the enemy, confounded their ranks, and made them lose ground. Flushed with this success, he pushed on with ardour, but without the least caution. The enemy was falling back, Aalem-aaly-qhan was pursuing, and both parties were drawing nearer and nearer to that fatal spot, where such an infinity of fire-mouths were concealed. All this artillery was under the management of a body of tried men, personally inimical to the two Seids; and fire being given to it, all those guns loaded with grape, and all those swivels and rockets, went off at one and the same time, and gave an image of the Day of Judgment. The sun’s light was darkened by the smoke, and the day was turned into night. When it cleared up a little, Munevver-qhan, the commander of the van, with Ghalub-qhan, and Shimshir-qhan, and Ashref-qhan, and Qhadja-rahmet-qhan, and Muntehi-qhan, and Mahmedi-beg, with a vast number of the bravest commanders and soldiers were seen dead, or sprawling in their own blood. The best and greatest part of the cavalry was destroyed or dis­abled. But this did not discourage Aalem-aaly-qhan; although wounded, he made a stand, and rallied round his person a num­ber of veteran soldiers, all accustomed to battle, all ready to part with their blood in his cause, and all capable to face so many lions in a wilderness. With these he kept on advancing, when he was stopped by Yqhtisass-qhan, and by Ynaïet-qhan, who had just been wounded in the eye by an arrow, as well as by num­bers who could not help admiring the valour of that young hero. And here commenced a long and bloody contest, which could not be ended but by Yqhtisass-qhan’s joining Aalem-aaly-qhan, and cutting off one of his arms at one blow. This wound having dis­abled him, he was overpowered by some of the bravest of the enemies, and slain on the spot, together with nineteen other commanders of character, and the greatest part of that brave body that had kept pace with him. The young Sëid cheerfully parted with all his blood, and with a face glowing with victory, he went to join his holy and valiant ancestors.* Sancradji, the Marhatta commander, who followed next to Aalem-aaly-qhan with a number of the bravest of his nation, was wounded and taken prisoner, as was his brave troops.

Whilst such a scene of slaughter occupied every one, Omer-qhan, brother to the late Da8d-qhan-peni, and Aamin-qhan, brother to Qhan-aalem, two commanders who had treacherously taken service with Aalem-aaly-qhan, availing themselves of the general confusion, seized on three or four elephants, and on three or four lacs of rupees, and slyly parted with the field of battle, as they thought, but as they really did, with their own honour, and character. Wheeling round with a number of troops as treacher­ous Aalem-aaly-qhan is slain fighting valiantly. as themselves, they went to surrender to Nizam-el-mulk. That General ordered the enemy’s artillery, military chest, camp-equipage, and whatever belonged to the commanders slain in battle, to be seized on for his use, as much of it at least as could escape a general plunder. It was observed in this second battle, as had been already in the former, that the victor’s troops suffered so little, that not a man of character was slain amongst them, and that he had hardly any wounded. Some citizens and some officers who were of the number, were soon cured with the unguent of his liberality, and the cerate of his encomiums and favours.

When intelligence of this disaster was brought to the two brothers, it threw them into a state which it would be difficult to describe; especially the younger, who from his deep sense of such a reverse of fortune, was consuming inwardly by grief and impatience; and he really suffered the agonies of death, when­ever he reflected that his consort and family were yet in Decan. Fortunately for him, in a few days more, he received intelligence that, before Nizam-el-mulk’s approach to Aorengabad, the Gov­ernor of Dö8let-abad,* although ill used by the two Sëids, and very dissatisfied with their proceedings, had had the generousity to receive that forlorn family with all their dependants and effects within that strong fortress. What is singular in that Governor is, Generous action of the Governor of Dö8let-abad. that he was actually upon ill terms with the very man to whose consort and children he was affording all the assistance and all the conveniencies in his power. In a word, he took an ample revenge of the two Sëids, by conferring upon them an important benefit at a most critical time.

“To return evil for evil is sometimes a very easy matter;

Return good for evil, if thou be a man.”

Hossëin-aaly-qhan, on hearing such a comforting piece of news, recollected his wonted firmness, and became easy in his mind; although he heard at the same time that Mubaruz-qhan, Gov­ernor of the kingdom of Haïderabad, as well as Dilaver-aaly-qhan, his brother-in-law, had both quitted his party, and gone over to Nizam-el-mulk, to whom they carried a body of seven or eight thousand horse.

The news from Decan becoming every day more serious, the two brothers held frequent councils together on the subject; and after much examination and debate, it was at last determined that Abdollah-qhan, who was the Emperor’s deputy by his office, should march to the capital, in order to overawe it into submission and quietness; but that Hossëin-aaly-qhan should march with that Prince in Decan at the head of a numerous army. This resolution having been several times examined and confirmed, the Viceroy turned his whole attention towards making great additions to his army and to his artillery. With that view he dispatched Sëid-mahmed-qhan with money and letters of array to the brave inhabitants of Barr, and to the Afghans who lived beyond them, whose bravest commanders he invited over to his service; and he was so well served, that in a little time he saw himself at the head of fifty thousand horse. He had the Imperial guards besides, and a number of Radjas with their Radjp8ts; and he was followed by Hossëin-aaly-qhan,
after many consultations, resolves on marching to Decan in per­son. an infinity of persons of distinction, who went as volunteers, desirous to signalise themselves under such a commander. His train of artillery was composed of such large cannon, that it seemed intended for shaking the earth on its foundations; and it was under the care of a numerous body of musqueteers formed by himself, whose unerring balls seemed to be so many expresses dispatched by fate. All this army having been reviewed about the end of Shevval, Hossëin-aaly-qhan sent his equipage upon the high road of Decan, and that same day he advanced with the Emperor at two cosses distance from Ecber-abad. But as the last hour which was allowed him by his destiny was at hand, he became guilty of several improper proceedings, which cannot be ascribed to any thing else, but to the imperiousness of fate. He took from Sëid-qhan-djehan the office of Grandmaster of the artillery, and gave it to Haïder-c8ly-qhan, an office of the utmost importance, and which always involved the disposal of the Emper­or’s household, family, and even person. Several days more having been spent in that encampment, it was the ninth of the next month of Zilcaad, when the Emperor, quitting the Imperial residence of Ecber-abad, advanced three cosses on the road of Decan,* on a spot of ground which he ennobled by his presence. He was attended by the Vezir Abdollah-qhan, who waited only for a proper opportunity to take his leave, and to commence his journey towards the capital; for as the anniversary of the Emperor’s coronation was at hand, and fell on the fifteenth, he wanted to assist at the ceremonies and rejoicings usual on that occa­sion, and then only to commence his journey.* Hossëin-aaly-qhan objected to so much delay, and he engaged the Emperor to dismiss the Vezir more early, after which he decamped himself with the Emperor; and on the fourteenth, he had marched one full stage more, to stop at Fateh-poor, at which town he spent three or four days in rejoicings for the anniversary of the Emper­or’s coronation. These being over, he thought only of march­ing by long stages to Decan. But his brother, Abdollah-qhan, remained in the same spot two or three days more with Hamed-qhan, uncle to Nizam-el-mulk, and some other lords that had neither wings nor feathers, such as, Ghazi-eddin-qhan, Ghalub-qhan, and many others. After this stay, the reason of which no one could guess, he set out for the capital, and in the road was met by Mahmed-qhan-bangash, the Afghan; who not satisfied with some lacks of rupees which he had touched from Hossëin-aaly-qhan, under promise of following him with his body of national troops, protested a want of money, and got fifty thousand rupees more from the Vezir. The latter continued his march to the capital, whilst his brother was intent on marching into Decan.