188 W. Irvine— Later Mughals (1707-1803). [No. 2, 
From Roshanabad, on the 25th Shawwal 1124 H. (24th November 
1712), ‘Abdu-llah Khan and Husain ‘Ali Khan were sent on in advance 
to reconnoitre. If they found a convenient point they were to deliver 
an assault. The entrenchment was to be surrounded on all sides and a 
heavy fire of artillery directed-on it. Farrukhsiyar was in favour of 
an immediate attack, ‘Abdu-llah Khan counselled prudence while, as 
yet, the respective strength of the two sides had not been tested. The 
two Sayyads rode on, intending to take note of the position, until they 
were close to the ditch. No sally was made; they were not even fired 
upon; and they examined the position at leisure. During the night a 
disposition of the attacking force was made under the orders of Sayyad 
‘Abdu-llah Khan, Sayyad Husain ‘Ali Khan, Amir Khan, Fath ‘Ali 
Khan and Bahadur Khan (Zainu-d-din). Their cannon were placed in 
readiness behind the shelter of the mud walls in the neighbouring 
villages. On the left of Farrukhsiyar’s army, positions were allotted to 
Ashraf Khan (Khwajah A‘sim), Mahta Chabélah Ram, Afrasyab Khan, 
and other leaders of the Wala Shahi (or household) troops. Four 
hundred camels belonging to the other side were captured at the 
outposts and brought in. ! 
On the 26th Shawwal (25th November 1712), Farrukhsiyar’s main 
camp moved on half a mile to ‘Aqilabad. During the day the position 
of A‘zzu-d-din was assailed by matchlock and rocket-fire, to which his 
cannon replied. On the 27th another short move was made and 
the same distant fight was maintained. Again on the 28th (27th Nov. ) 
there was a march to Bindki, and on this date one Haiya Khan, grand- 
son of Hamid Khan, Quréshi, deserted from the other side, and was 
rewarded with his great-grandfather’s title of Daad Khan. 4 
During the 28th Shawwal the distant atttack was kept up and even 
rendered more severe. Harly the next morning, the 29th, was fixed for 
the final assault. But during the night between the 28th and the 29th 
Shawwal (28th Nov. 1712), Khwajah Husain, Khan Dauran, and Lutfu- 
llah Khan took counsel together, and to their timid minds no other 
idea presented itself, except flight, That seemed to them the only way 
out of the difficulty. The prince refused to move, and remonstrated in 
these terms: ‘O Nawab! thou art like an uncle to me, and yet givest me 
advice to flee! How strange this is; for I have never heard until now 
that any one of Taimir’s House has fled without a battle. We are in 
sight of the enemy: we ought not to retreat without a fight.’ Khan 
Dauran, finding that his proposal was rejected, prepared forged letters, 
bearing the seals of Imtiyaz Mahal (7.e., Lal Kunwar) and Kokaltash 
1 jad, 78 b, 79 a; Khafi Khan, II, 699, 716. 
% Ijad, 80 a. For Da,ud Khan Quréshi, see W.-ul-u. II, 32, and for Hamid Khan, 
‘his son, id LI, 37. 
