An order was given that if from being overpowered by sleep he should order them to drive slowly they were to regard such an order as unheard and go on as fast as before. The servants obeyed this order and drove on. At last at breakfast time on Tuesday they reached the bounteous spot of Ajmīr.* H.M. visited the glorious shrine and paid reverence to his God. He sought aid from the holy spirit of the Khwāja and distributed gifts to the attendants on the shrine. Thereafter he alighted at the palace which he had erected in that city and took repose there. At the close of that day he mounted on horseback* and went on rapidly, and on the morning of Wednesday he was joined* in the district of Mirtha* by Shāh Qulī Khān Muḥram, Saiyid Maḥmud Khān Bārha, Muḥammad Qulī Khān Toqbāī, who belonged to the advance-army but had halted. He halted for a while and then moved on. A watch of the day had passed when the town of Jītāran was illuminated by the Shāhinshāh's advent, and a watch of the day remained when he again went on. At the end of the day his joyous spirit was inclined to hunt. Just then a black buck showed itself, and H.M. said, “If a swift cīta catch this deer it will be ⁴⁵ a sign that Muḥammad Ḥusain M. will come into our hands.” With this idea he loosed the cīta, and the deer was caught, and the prey of joy came into the net. At midnight Sojat (in Jodhpūr) was reached, and he rested till the dawn of Thursday. When it became light he got upon the saddle, and at the time of mounting it was told him that the holy harem and the advance-army were in the town of Pālī (Jodh­pūr). He ordered that his attendants should pursue their journey while he with a few of his special intimates proceeded to Pālī. When he had gone a little way he learned that the report was false. He turned back from there and resumed his proper course. At the end of the day when the attendants had halted in the vicinity of the town of Bhagwānpūr, and were much distressed at being excluded from service and the delay in the arrival of the loyal standards, the Khe­dive of the world appeared and shed his light upon them. They were all cheered and there were general rejoicings. H.M. wished to go on to Gujrat by way of Sirohī, as that was somewhat the shorter route, but his well-wishers begged that he would go by Jālaur. Their motive was that there were many evil characters on the former and that H.M. had few men with him. Perhaps their commotion might hinder his advance. H.M. did not accept this advice, as his foot was firmly fixed in reliance upon God, and his heart linked to secret favours. The scout Shugūna was ordered to conduct the cor­tège by the route of Sirohī. The well-meaning ones when they saw that the following of their suggestion was hopeless, intrigued with Shugūna and arranged that he should give out the road as leading to Sirohī, but should really go to Jālaur. With this intent they set out in the beginning of the night. The guide made a mistake and they came into a forest full of mud. The loyalists were some­what distressed and many of the retinue got separated. Apparently this was a punishment for their opposition. At the end of the night they came to a village, and learnt that it was one of the dependen­cies of Jālaur, and that they were on their way to Jālaur. H.M. grew angry and halted there for a time. In the morning of Friday he pushed on. A tiger appeared on the left hand, and Saif Khān Koka and Mīrzāda 'Alī Khān prepared to hunt it. H.M. said, “Friends, swear by the dust of the holy feet that you will not go after this, seeing that we have another object in view. It is no gain to our work that we should knowingly and intentionally undertake such an affair as this. Perchance some injury might ensue. More- ⁴⁶ over the experienced men of India have settled that it is a good omen if a tiger or such-like appear on the left, and they do not kill it.” By these kind words he restrained those tiger-hearts from tiger-hunting and went on. When they had gone on a little way, they learned that the army of fortune which had been previously despatched had gone by this road. Shāhbāz Khān was ordered to bring on the retinue slowly, while H.M. went ahead with a few fol­lowers.

When the standards of fortune reached the district of Jālaur there arose a sound of drums, and it appeared that this came from the advance-army. Two watches of the day had passed when they reached Jālaur. The great officers were exalted by making the pros­tration. An order was given that the commanders of the camp should take each one of H.M.'s companions to their quarters and show them hospitality. He himself entered for a while the harem. Then he came out and gave an opportunity for kornish (salutation). He ordered the horse-dealers who had come with the camp to be pro­duced with their stables. They received suitable prices, and swift-coursers were distributed to many persons. An order was given that Shāhbāz Khān and Kamāl Khān of Jālaur should accompany the camp and that the other officers should proceed along with H.M. When half of the night had passed, he mounted a swift horse and went on rapidly till midday on Saturday. After that he halted in Pattanwāl.* He saw the moon* of Jamāda-al-awwal in that pleasant spot and enjoyed himself for a while and then went on. And so rapidly did he proceed that till the end of Sunday he did not repose (lit., saw repose in unrepose). On the eve of Monday he reached the town of Dīsa which is twenty kos from Pattan. Shāh 'Alī Langā,* who gov­erned there on the behalf of the Khān Kilān, from misunderstanding thought it was a foreign army and shut the fort-gate. When he learned the truth, he became fortunate by doing homage. The opinion of all the officers was that H.M. should hasten to Pattan, and stay there one day so that the brave men who had fallen behind might come up. H.M.'s opinion was that there was no necessity to go to Pattan, or even to inform the Khān Kilān and others who were ⁴⁷ there. Possibly they might on account of the length of their service put obstacles in the way of the rapid movement of the imperial reti­nue, and the report of its arrival might reach the enemy, and he might in consequence retire. Many encouraging words fell from his lips. By the efforts and importunities of the intimate courtiers it was determined that H.M. should leave Pattan on one side and go on towards Gujrat, (i.e., apparently Aḥmadabad the capital), while one of the swift goers should go and bring the Pattan army. Khwāja Ghīāu-d-dīn 'Alī Āṣaf Khān was sent off for this purpose. The world's lord went on with the army of fortune at midnight. At breakfast time on Monday he reached the territory of Bālīsāna* which is five kos from Pattan. Just then the Khān Kilān with his army and Wazīr Khān, Shāh Fakhru-d-dīn, aiyib Khān, Khangār* and other officers were exalted by doing homage. They had been appointed out of foresight before the commotion had occurred, and as the road was dangerous they had out of precaution halted in Pattan.

At this stage the conquering troops were arranged in order. Mīrzā Khān, Shujā'at Khān, Saiyid Maḥmūd Khān Bārha, Ṣādiq Khān, and a number of heroes were in the centre, which is the station of the special qūr,* the right wing was held by the Khān Kilān and other brave men; Wazīr Khān and a number of courageous men of note were appointed to the left wing; Muḥammad Qulī Khān Toqbāī, Tarkhān Dīwāna, and others were in the vanguard. The far-seeing mind of the Shāhinshāh arranged that he himself and a band of devoted loyalists should form the reserve. There were about one hundred horsemen in attendance on him, each of whom was a match for thousands.