Haïder-c8li-qhan, having mounted the two wounded noblemen upon the same elephant, carried them to the Emperor; and this Prince, who had a great deal of benignity in his nature, cast a look of compassion at them, and then consigned them both to Haïder-c8li-qhan’s custody; after which he ordered the Imperial music to strike up for so signal a victory. As to the vanquished army, some bodies of it fled; some mixed with the victorious; and Ghazi-eddin-qhan availing himself of this moment of suspense, returned to camp, and packing up as much of Abdollah-qhan’s baggage as had not been yet plundered, he fled towards Delhi, at the very time when the commanders and officers of the victorious party were presenting their Nuzurs, and congratulating each other, and returning thanks to God for so important a victory. As to the enemy’s camp and his baggage, immense, whatever was of a nature to escape a general pillage, was secured for the Emperor’s use.

A singular anecdote, which then became a general topic, is A singular prediction on the fate of the war. reported by men of authority and credit. On the very beginning of the divisions between the Sëids and the T8ranian party, a person attached to Abdollah-qhan repaired to the lodgings of a learned man, renowned for his skill in astrological predictions, and put to him a variety of questions about the future event of these dissensions, as well as about the success of the expedition. The philosopher without erecting any scheme, extracted his answer from the very words made use of by the propounder, and they proved to be these letters:—Ghain, Lam, Be, Aïn, Dal, Vow and Caf; which on being assembled in the usual manner, formed the Arabic words: Ghalub Ad8ca, that is, Thine enemy shall prevail; and on being inverted, signified, Thine end is come. And, in fact, these words were not belied by the succeeding event, and few predictions have proved so fortunate. For Soltan Hibrahim who had fled from the field of battle, had been pursued, and sent back to his former apartment; and a complete victory had been gained after a bloody contest of thirty hours.

The news of so decisive an engagement reached the capital in the evening of the fourteenth of Moharrem, being a Friday, and they transported an infinity of people with joy, whilst they afflicted an infinity of others with all the pangs of surprise and consternation. Those that were attached to the throne, ordered the Imperial music of the citadel to announce that happy event to the public; but the family and household of the three Sëids slain, recommenced their mournful rites.* The women especially belonging personally to Abdolloh-qhan’s three brothers, exhibited the most affecting picture of dismay and unutterable woe; whilst some of them, but of the inferior sort, availed them­selves of the confusion and opportunity so far, as to lay their hands upon whatever precious came in their way, and stole away under the disguise of dirty clothes and the cover of homely veils. They disappeared sometime before the Police thought of taking possession of the house. Some of these women fell with their booty in the hands of the Police officers; but some made good their escape. As to the ladies of Abdollah-qhan’s race or bed, so far from stirring out of the house, they retreated within their own chastity; and covering themselves from head to foot with the veil of decency and modesty, they sat weeping in a circle, without any one offering to move, or to avail herself of the dismal scene which now was taking place. For Abdollah-qhan-cashy, whom Abdollah-qhan, his old friend and benevolent master, had entrusted with the care of his consorts, ladies and seraglio, no sooner heard of the disaster that had befallen his benefactor, Abominable treachery of Abdollah-qhan-cashi to his master and friend. than forgetful of all that was expected from him, even as an honest man and a gentleman, he carried the daringness so far as to put a sacrilegious foot within those sacred precincts, and to give vent at one and the same time both to his infamous lust and to his treacherous cupidity. He soon came to an under­standing with the Hindoo who commanded the guard,* and getting within the sanctuary of the women, those two wretches seized and carried away whatever persons and effects they could fix their claws upon. So that this villain has ever been from that moment pointed out with the finger of detestation, as a renegade to his God, a traitor to his master and friend, and an invader of the most sacred rights of mankind. Fortune that had now turned her back on that forlorn family, seemed bent on rendering abortive every attempt made by any of its members; and Gholam-aaly-qhan and Nedjabet-aaly-qhan, two nephews of Abdollah-qhan’s, who by changing their apparel, and altering their faces, had endeavoured to make good their retreat to Djansita, a town where they were born as well as himself, were intercepted by the way and carried to the Emperor.

This Prince, now fixed irrevocably on his throne, and freed from all anxiety and solicitude, turned his thoughts towards the means of rewarding that number of Generals and Lords, who had so well deserved of his cause. Those whose golden nature and undebased fidelity had been tried in the fiery crucible of the late bloody battle, and found to be of a pure standard, were now exposed to the sunshine of distinction and favour, honoured with a variety of titles and offices, and rewarded with high prefer­ment. The sixteenth of Moharrem having been fixed on for the Emperor’s auspicious departure from that memorable spot, he mounted the palfry of achievement and victory, and turned its reins towards the capital of his Empire, shortening his distance and hastening his march with so much expedition, that on the nineteenth, he was already at the Monument of Saint Nizam-eddin-evliah, in which venerable spot he performed his devotions, and bestowed favours and liberalities on every one of the attendants. Here he spent two days in expectation of a lucky moment; in which time he raised Haïder-c8ly-qhan’s grade by a thousand horse, so as to make him a Mansobdar of eight thousand troop­ers, with the effectual command of seven. Saadet-qhan was honoured with the title of Bahadyr-djung or Valiant in battle, and decorated with the insignia of the Mahi or fish,* whilst a variety of favours and offices were pouring on every one of their friends and dependants; but Nedjabet-aaly-qhan having been brought in whilst the Emperor was bestowing preferments and distinctions, that nobleman was received with a look of compassion, and consigned over to Haïder-c8ly-qhan’s custody.

All these matters being over, and the ceremonial of the Emperor’s entry into his capital being adjusted, he now thought it high time to shew himself to his people. This auspicious event happened on a Saturday, being the twenty-second of Moharrem, in the year 1133 of the Hedjrah, in the middle of a pomp and an eclat that dazzled the eyes of all the beholders in the very sun­shine of a fine day, whilst the regions of the air were rent, as high as the sphere of the moon and sun, with the mingled sounds of an infinity of trumpets and kettle-drums. The Emperor’s Pompous entry of Mah­med-shah’s in the capital. cortege was followed and preceded by lofty elephants, resplendent with gold and silver trappings; by beautiful slave-boys and young men in gold-cloth; by thrones and Imperial chairs of gold and by sedans of jewel-work; by embroidered ensigns and streamers equally superb and elegant; and by crowds of servants shining in gold and silver tissue, that shed such a lustre, as rendered the sun’s rays of small value in comparison. All these were inter­spersed amongst bodies of troops that marched in battle array, and in ranks differenced by rows of commanders and noblemen, all advantageously mounted, and all conspicuous by the bright­ness of their arms, as well as by the richness of their apparel. Already a number of the most beautiful horses with enamelled saddles of gold and jewel-work, were announcing from afar the Emperor’s approach; and now this Prince, adorned by all the graces of youth and beauty, was making his appearance mounted on a mountain-like elephant, and seated upon a throne that blazed with a profusion of jewels and elegant ornaments. He directed his march through the Adjmir-gate, sprinkling his way with hand­fuls of gold, and enriching by such a long forgotten liberality, a multitude of needy people, that had this long while fixed the eyes of expectation on such an auspicious moment. In the victorious Singular cere­mony at his introduction into the Impe­rial seraglio. moment of the fifth hour of the day, he arrived at the Imperial castle, and landed at his august habitation, where the Empress Cadessiah, his mother, with a cortege of chaste Princesses and Ladies of the highest distinction, was waiting for him at the inner door of the sacred apartment. The Empress-mother holding a large plate of gold and silver, filled with gold and silver coins of several denominations, as well as with a variety of gems and precious jewels, poured the whole as a libation over his head, and after wishing him a long and prosperous reign, she introduced him by the hand within the Imperial sanctuary.