The Prince Sultan AHMED marches to
oppose AHMED SHAH DOORANY.

AS from the Emperor’s weak state of health, it would have been very inconvenient for him to have taken the field, the principal nobility advised him to send his son Sultan Ahmed to act against the Dooranees; and represented that provided the prince went with the army, not one of the Omrahs would ask any supplies of money, or grants of jageer; but that if he sent an army without the prince, there would be required immediately sixty lacks of rupees for the troops of the Omrahs, besides new grants of jageers. The Emperor, however, had such an affection for his son, that he could not be prevailed upon to part with him at that time: but rather consented to exhaust his treasury, by issuing sixty lacks of rupees amongst the troops of Kummereddeen Khan, Sefder Jung, Rulfecar Jung, Rajah Isseree Singh, son of Jysingh, Saadeddeen Khan, Bukht Singh, and other Omrahs: and after granting additional jageers, ordered the army to proceed against the enemy.

When they arrived at Suniput, intel­ligence was received, that Ahmed Shah was levying a large army at Lahoor, with design of marching to Dehly. The intel­ligence occasioned general consternation, from the dread that the same enormities which they had experienced from Nadir Shah, would be committed over again. Salabut Khan and Zulfecar Khan returned to the Emperor, and convinced him of the necessity of encouraging the troops, by the presence of the prince. Sultan Ahmed accordingly proceeded to Suniput, with a fourth part of the Imperial troops, and Zulfecar Jung was appointed his Ataleek or tutor. Rajah Isseree Singh, taking advantage of the posture of affairs, applied for the command of the castle of Rinthore, and in hopes of succeeding staid behind: but Kummereddeen Khan, and Sefder Jung, positively objected to the measure, from the persuasion that if such an important fortress got into the hands of the Rajpoots, it would be impossible again to dispossess them; they at the same time told the Rajah’s agent, that if his master did not choose to join the army, he might return to his own country. Isseree Singh being at enmity with his brother, who was married to a daughter of the Ranna, and as other Zemindars were also ill disposed towards him, he thought it most prudent not to displease the Emperor, and accordingly joined the army.

Amongst the Omrahs who accompanied the Shahzadeh*, were the following, Kummereddeen Khan, the Vizier, with his two sons, and the Turany Moghuls, his dependents, Janish Khan, Ahmed Zeman Khan, Mohammed Atta Khan, and Sefder Jung, with a few troops, and Isseree Singh, with a body of Rajpoots in saffron-coloured dresses. A person staining his cloaths with saffron before he goes to battle indicates that he is resolved to conquer or die; but this cow­ardly boaster fled in the beginning of the action. Under the prince’s standard marched also Nassir Khan, who had been formerly Soobahdar of Peishore; and Mohyeddeen Aly Khan. The fol­lowing great Omrahs remained with the Emperor: Ghazyeddeen Khan, Inte­zam ed-dowlah, son of Kummereddeen Khan, Jilaleddeen Hyder Khan*, son of Sefder Jung, Ishak Khan*, Dewan of the Kalseh, or exchequer, Saadeddeen Khan, Khansaman, or steward of the household, Abdulmejeed Khan Mejded­dowlah, and Rajah Bukht Sing Rathore