As soon as this execution was over, the Vezir who had taken umbrage at the Emperor’s supineness on this occasion, returned to the city, where having recruited his troops and stores, and left the Emperor in the hands of some trusty friends of his own, he took with him the Imperial Prince Aaly-goher, (now reigning under the name of Shah-Alem,) and marched towards Lahor, resolved to re-annex those countries to the Empire of Hindostan. This Minister, who was naturally impetuous and fond of dispatch, and had also a knack at sowing troubles and raising disturbances, set out with a numerous army, in which he had taken care to have all the Grandees of the Court, as well as the Prince Aaly-goher, and he seemed to be only hunting by the way, but yet was shortening his distance every day; and meanwhile he had managed in such a manner, as to have gained over to his party the famous Adina-beg-qhan. He was already arrived at Lodiana, within fifty cosses of Lahor, when being thoroughly satisfied with that man’s fidelity, he by his advice sent to Lahor a body of troops, under the command of Sëyd Djemil-eddin, who was likewise entrusted with a letter and a message to the Begum, relict of Mir-mann8, his uncle. He requested she might vouchsafe to send him her daughter, a Princess betrothed to him long ago. The Begum, pleased with the request, sent her daughter with great pomp and magnificence, gave her a suitable dowry in jewels and money, and got her accompanied by a full household of eunuchs, tents, and every requisite for a voyage. The Vezir on his side sent his own uncle at the head of a large body of horse, and a cortege of principal officers to receive her at a distance; and they brought her to camp, where a full household and a proper set of tents had been provided for her reception, and where she was visited by her husband’s aunt. The Princess’s mother being by this time perfectly well pleased with her match and quite easy in her mind, the Vezir dispatched Ybad-ollah-qhan, the Cashmirian, a trusty Commander of his, with a number of good troops, together with Sëyd Djemil-eddin himself, who had orders to join by the way some cavalry of Adina-beg-qhan’s. The distance was of forty or fifty cosses*, (a hundred and twenty miles); and all this being gone over in one day and night, without hardly stopping to take breath, at day-break they got within Lahor; and going to the Palace where the old Princess was yet asleep, and unsuspicious of what was managed, they sent eunuchs to wake her, and putting her in a close chair, they carried her to their camp, without Lahor; from whence, after taking one day to refresh, they returned to the Vezir, encamped at Lodiana. This Minister no sooner saw her alight, than he paid her a respectful visit and asked her forgiveness; and after giving the Government of Lahor and M8ltan to Adina-beg-qhan, under a clear rent of thirty lacs a year, he returned towards the Capital, seemingly happy and satisfied with the success of his journey. But the old Princess was extremely angry and uneasy all the way, giving abusive language to her guards, and making nothing of crying aloud, both to them and to their master, “That the indecent and unjust manner with which she had been used, would end in an infinity of troubles that would at last ruin his family, and the Capital itself; that the families of the highest nobility, involved in one common ruin with the poorest citizens, would experience merciless pillaging, and rapes and disgraces innumerable; that Stange pre­dictions of his mother-in-law. the Empire, as well as the Capital, would be overset and ruined, and know, (would she add crying with all her might,) that all this is not found. You shall see the Abdali-king in this Capital within six or seven months. Look, he is coming! All the noble families, ancient or modern, will be involved in one common massacre; no Sheh, no Sëyd, will be spared; all, all slaughtered!” And, in fact, matters came to pass just as the old woman had said.

The Abdali-king, informed of the Vezir’s insolence, and of the liberties he had taken with Mir-mann8’s relict, flew to Lahor with the wings of resentment and celerity; but Adina-beg-qhan, who did not think himself a match for him, fled for shelter to the desert tract of Hansi, where he took up his residence in a fortress of difficult access, especially for want of water. The Vezir, on the other hand, conceiving fears for his own life, brought his new consort to Mir-mann8’s widow, entrusted her person to her pro­tection, and by dint of entreaties and submissions, made his peace with her. For the Abdali-king, who was flying on the wings of resentment and rapidity, was already at twenty cosses The Abdali Monarch marches against him. from the Capital of the Empire; and the Vezir disconcerted by so much expedition, saw no other party left to him, but that of submission, and going to the Abdali camp, he presented himself before that Monarch. The latter at first reprimanded him severely; but his cause being pleaded both by Mir-mann8’s Begum, and by Shah Veli-qhan, the Abdali Vezir, who had been gained, the Monarch readily forgave him, and afterwards continued him in his office of Vezir. Nevertheless, on the seventh of the first Djemadi, of the year 1170, being a Friday, he quitted his encampment and entered the Citadel of Shah-djehan-abad, where he had an interview with the Emperor Alemghir the Second. From that day his people fell a plundering and sacking so mercilessly, and they Flunders Delhi. went on dragging away people’s wives and daughters with so much cruelty, that numbers overborne by the delicacy of their feelings, rather than to fall in such abominable hands, made away with themselves*; and God only knows the number and quality of all the violences exercised for a month together in that ill-fated city. The late Vezir Camer-eddin-qhan’s Palace and ser­aglio were rifled of every thing; and few houses of the nobility and better sort escaped a complete ruin and pollution. It was in the middle of so much violence and misery, that the Abdali-king betook himself to an alliance of his family with that of Babr. He married his son, Timur-Shah, to a daughter of Yz-eddin, brother to the reigning Emperor. But after having leisurely plundered that rich city for thirty days together, he sent Djehan-qhan, a Commander of character, to chastise S8r8dj-mull, the Djatt, and he followed himself the next day. This was the fifth time the Abdali-king had come into Hindostan. The Vezir Umad-el-mulk, having of his own motion accompanied Djehan-qhan, and proved of very great service to that General, received the Abdali-king’s approbation and applause; but mention having been made by his Ministers of a present which that Monarch expected, Umad-el-mulk answered, that if they would give him one of the Timurian Princes, with an army of Abdalies, and full power to carry it wherever he should think proper, especially in the country of Anter-bid, (that is, the tract betwixt the two rivers of Djumna and Ganga) he would undertake to bring an immense sum into the Royal Treasury. The proposal being agreed to, two Imperial Princes were sent for from the Capital, and put into his hands. The one was Hedaïet-baqhsh, son to Alemghir the second; and the other, his son-in-law, Mirza-babr, son to his brotner, Yz-eddin; and to these was joined a body of Abdalies, under the command of Djan-baz-qhan.

We have already observed that Umad-el-mulk had conceived a violent aversion against Ab8l-mans8r-qhan and his family, which last he had resolved to tear up by the root. Availing him­self of the Abdali-king’s covetousness, he, under pretence of raising immense contributions in the country of Anter-bid, or Dö-ab*, marched westward with an army of D8rrani-Abdalies, but with not one of the necessaries for making a campaign. Being arrived in the neighbourhood of Feroh-abad, he was met by Ahmed-qhan-bangash, who after paying his respects to both the Imperial Princes and the Vezir, presented them all three with a complete equipage, consisting of tents, elephants, horses, camels, and every other necessary, and moreover added a body of Afghans to the Vezir’s army. The latter being now at his ease, and reinforced by a good body of troops, crossed the Ganga, and took the road of A8d. This invasion, however, did not dis­may or intimidate Shudjah-ed-döwlah, who came out of his Capital with a well appointed army, and encamped at Sandi­pai, the last place of his dominions; where some skirmishes took place betwixt the runners of the two vanguards. Saad-ollah-qhan, who was son to the late Aaly-mahmed-qhan-Rohillah, having offered his mediation, an agreement took place, under stipulation of a sum of five lacs of rupees, partly in hand, and partly payable by instalments. This negotiation, in which Saad-ollah-qhan exerted himself zealously for his friend, Shudjah-ed-döwlah, and proved of great service to both parties, totally dis­appointed Umad-el-mulk, who hoped for great broils and a battle, and was obliged to repass the Ganga, and to encamp at Feroh-abad again, in expectation of what the Abdali-king would do with the Djatts. It was the seventh of Shevval, in the year 1170.