1896. ] W. Irvine— Later Mughals (1707-1803). 157 
followed him in person at the head of his own troops. The movements 
of so many men had created so much dust that it was impossible to 
keep the right direction, nor could the one army know the exact 
position of the other. The battle resolved itself into a number of 
separate skirmishes, the men attacking any one that they found in front 
of them, without regard to their own stipports or any attempt at com- 
bined effort. Rustam Dil Khan’s charge had been so far successful 
that Jahandar Shah’s troops were shaken, and most of them took to 
flight and sought shelter wherever they could find it. One body of 
matchlockmen succeeded in reaching a deserted village, and there 
they hid themselves behind the ruined walls of the houses. In the 
confusion, and blinded by the clouds of dust, the wings and centre 
of Jahan Shah’s force quitted the direction in which their vanguard 
had advanced, atid losing their way, arrived at the village within 
which the matchlockmen were hiding. As Jahan Shah’s men came 
into sight, the fugitives supposed that their retreat had been discovered, 
and resolved on selling their lives dearly. Jahan Shah was amazed 
by the sudden delivery of their fire, and his men hesitated. Embol- 
dened by this first success, the matchlockmen renewed their fire and 
continued their defence.! 
When informed of the unexpected attack on Jahandar Shah, Zi-l- 
fiqar Khan left his tents in great perturbation to search for his master. 
On his way spies brought him word that a few matchlockmen had 
engaged Jahan Shah, when separated from the main body of his army 
and followed by no more than one thousand horsemen. Ziu-l-fiqar 
Khan hastened to the spot thus indicated. His arrival encouraged 
the matchlockmen to redouble their exertions. Jahan Shah, noticing 
the slackness of his men, drove his elephant to the front. The musket- 
fire now began to tell so severely that Jahan Shah’s side relaxed all 
further effort, and most of them rode off. Hxcepting the few men 
round his elephant, the prince was left alone. The other side now 
assumed the offensive, and the prince’s son, Farkhanda Akhtar, who had 
claimed command of the vanguard, was shot through the head at the 
first discharge. A moment afterwards Jahan Shah followed his son 
into the realms of Death. By one of those sudden reversals of fortune, 
so frequent in Hastern story, just as Jahandar Shah was about to flee in 
despair from the battle field, Zu-l-fiqar Khan appeared with his rival’s 
head and laid it before him with his congratulations. . As Shékh Sa‘di, 
Shirazi, says, ‘A man wept all night at the bedside of a sick friend ; 
when morning came, he was dead and the friend was living.’ @ 
1 Warid, 67. 
@ Shakhsé hamah shab bar sar-i-bimar garist: Cun roz shud, % ba-murd, bimar 
ba-zist, 
