oy 
1896. | W. Irvine— Later Mughals (1707-1803). 147 
arrows on their foe within. They had almost succeeded in making their 
way into the entrenchment, when Sulaiman Khan, Panni, followed by five 
hundred Afghans and two hundred of Shah Nawaz Khan’s men, with 
Gul Khan at their head, arrived to reinforce the half-defeated defenders. 
Their arrows flew so thick and straight that the attacking party could 
not stand up against them but withdrew again from the top of the 
wall. Thereupon Sulaiman Khan followed in pursuit. |! 
On issuing from the entrenchment, Sulaiman Khan advanced 
against the centre of Rafi‘u-sh-shan’s division. The fighting became 
general and both sides struggled bravely for victory. Zi-l-fiqar Khan, 
at the head of 2,000 men belonging to Kékaltash Khan and Jani Khan, 
speeded to reinforce his own side, and without distinguishing friend 
from foe, ordered his bowmen to shoot off their arrows. If this help 
had not arrived, a disaster would have occurred to Rafi‘u-sh-shan. The 
men who had dispersed re-assembled and resumed the offensive. Seven 
to eight thousand men, horse and foot, bore down on Sulaiman Khan 
and encircled him. Sulaiman Khan withstood the flood undismayed, 
and the fight waxed hot. In the thickest of the fray, an arrow hit Gul 
han in the throat and killed him, after which his men fell into disorder. 
Pressed back by repeated charges of Jahandar Shah’s troops, Sulaiman 
Khan felt the day was lost, and turning his horse’s head, he retreated 
into the entrenchment, where he resumed his fire from the shelter of the 
wall. The sky grew black with smoke. Many on both sides were 
killed or wounded. However, on Jahandar Shah’s side no one of any 
note was injured, and when the sun had set, Rafi‘u-sh-shan and Zu-l-figar 
han returned in safety to their quarters.? 
After the first day’s fighting, m which ‘Abdu-s-samad Khan had 
penetrated into the entrenchment, but retreated without effecting his 
purpose, Shah Nawaz Khan hired several deft-handed Qalmaq slaves 
and sent them to assassinate Jahandar Shah. NMvading the out-posts, 
these men succeeded in penetrating at night as far as the tent occupied 
by the prince. The eunuch on watch called out, ‘Who is there, what 
do you want?’ Their only reply was to cut him down and attempt to 
enter the tent. Buta groan came from the dying eunuch and his fall- 
ing body shook the ropes and sides of the tent. This untimely noise 
roused a Qalmaq woman servant of the harem, called Raeman, who was 
possessed of considerable strength. She ran out to see what was the 
matter. Observing the strangers she gave the alarm. The men re- 
treated, pursued by Raeman, and one of them caught his foot in a tent- 
vope and fell. Raeman slew him with a dagger and was herself wound- 
ed slightly on the arm. Hearing the noise, sentinels ran from all 
L Nuru-d-din, 33. % Nuru-d-din, 33, 36. 
