CHAPTER XLVI.
 
Remainder of the history of the Author.— His removal from Lâhôr and arrival at Sarhind.— Nâdir Shah arrives at Lâhôr.— The governor of Lâhôr is overthrown.— Nâdir Shah pro­ceeds towards Dehli.— The Author sets out from Sarhind and arrives at Dehli.

IN the province of Panjâb, especially in the city of Lâhôr, a terror like that of the resurrection arose. Seized with a violent illness I was confined to my bed in that town; and as I well knew the people of India, and, disgusted with their demeanour, was in utter hopelessness of any intel­lect or discretion in them, I burnt with grief at the condition of the weak and depressed subjects. During that whole space of time I had not found an opportunity of setting out in the direction of Khorâsân; and as I knew with certainty, that the situation of affairs must induce the coming of Nâdir Shâh into Hindôstân, and he had already entered the district of Kâbol, my journey, should its performance be facilitated, would necessarily be directed by the same route as his. And as the disposition and peculiar views of the people of this country would, as by fate, determine them to believe that, without the least doubt, my going was the instigator of his coming; an opinion odious to my heart, and of itself a sufficient obstacle to my journey; whereas also, without regarding the hindrances produced by disturbance, the passage on that side was attended with extreme difficulty; for these reasons I had remained till then in Lâhôr. But now that so much tumult prevailed; that in the appearance and complexion of their affairs there was no hope for this people of any amendment, I found no patience in myself to behold the posture of their circumstances and property; and as by reason of the alteration in my own I was not in a condition on the other hand to associate with the army of the Kizil Bâsh, I was compelled in a state of languid convalescence and the most reduced weakness to remove from Lâhôr in the direction of Soltânpôr. That whole province was in complete revolution. Every per­son put forth his hand to plunder and pillage, and some thousands of highway robbers beset the public roads. I was detained some days in the villages of those parts; afterwards I came to Sar­hind . The whole of that time, whether on the road or at the stations, passed in fighting and contention and resistance for self defence.

Nâdir Shâh now arrived in the skirts of the city of Lâhôr. Zakariah, the governor of that town, with fourteen or fifteen thousand regular horse and his own militia, having taken up a strong position on the bank of the river which passes close by the city, had formed his lines for battle. Both the peace and war of the Indians are of a strange cast. However, Nâdir Shâh with a division of his army drove his horse into the water and crossed over; and some of the cavalry of the Kizil Bâsh rode to the attack of the Lâhôr troops, of which those entitled with bravery and valour,* who were the most skilful in the management of their horses, instantly took to flight, and the rest, being thrown into dis­order, were annihilated and confounded. At last the Governor with his followers retired into the fort, and Nâdir Shâh pitched his camp adjoining the town. The Governor of Lâhôr sending a sup­pliant petition and apology begged for pardon; and having come into the presence of Nâdir Shâh, he was treated with respect, obtained a robe of honour, and remained fixed in his former office.

Nâdir Shâh, leaving a body of troops in the castle of Lâhôr, moved forward on the route to Shâh Jehân Abâd. Mohammed Shâh, accompa­nied by all his Omarâs and his whole army, had for some time sallied forth from the city, and was coming to the encounter in full pomp and splen­dour.

For my part, leaving Sarhind, which was in utter ruin and was invested by an army of rob­bers, I set out towards Dehli, with a troop of foot­men and musketeers, whom I had brought together and kept with me. Having passed through the midst of the army of Mohammed Shâh, which in the course of near two months had performed only four stages on the road, and was crowded together in the closest throng, I entered the city. Some days afterwards I took up a corner in that tumultuous town.