1870.] The Capture and Death of Bar a Shikoh. 275 



went into rebellion, instead of mutely looking, as had been their 

 custom, on the atrocities which they called " decrees of fate." 



The principal events of his capture and death are known from 

 the European Histories ; but the following particulars may assist 

 future Historians in giving a more correct desci'iption of Dara's fate. 



Aurangzib defeated Dara Shikoh in two battles. The first was 

 fought on the 6th Ramazan 1068, or 28th May, 1658, A. D., at 

 Samogar (Jj^o), 9 miles east of Agrah in the perganah of Fatha- 

 bad ; and the second, on the 27th and 28th Jumada II, 1069, or 

 12th and 13th March, 1659, A. D., at Deora ( IjjJ^ ), which lies 3 kos 

 south of Ajmir. Dara fled on the evening of the second day, ac- 

 companied by his son, Sipihr Shikoh, and a courtier of the name 

 of Firiiz i Mewati. Dara's wife and daughter, under the charge 

 Khwajah Ma' qui, waited, far from the scene of the battle, at Ana- 

 sagar Talao, in the neighbourhood of Ajmir. As soon as the result 

 of the battle was known, their Rajput guards dispersed ; but some 

 came back and plundered the elephants and the mules that were 

 laden with treasure. Dara. met his wife next day. 



After a flight of eight or nine days, Dara arrived at Ahmadabad 

 in Ghijrat. Finding no support, he fled to Kari, whence Kanji 

 Koli (^j^ 'cH^) guided him to Kachh. Here Grul Muhammad, 

 whom Dara had made Faujdar of Surat, joined the Prince with 50 

 horse and 200 footmen. But as the Bajah of Kachh would not take 

 up his cause, Dara fled towards Bhakkar on the Indus, with the 

 view of passing over Qandahar into Persia. 



From here the^details of Dara's flight and capture, as given in 

 European Histories, differ materially from the Muhammadan sources 

 from which they profess to be taken. Elphinstone says (fifth edi- 

 tion, p. 609) — Bard pursued his way [from Kachh] towards Qanda- 

 har, and reached the small territory of Jun or Juin, on the eastern 

 frontier of Sindh. *** Dara's wife died at this place, .... and when 

 the period of mourning permitted, he set out on prosecution of his jour- 

 ney to the Indus. So also Marshman, who, however, adds that the 

 chief of Jun was a Rajah, whilst Elphinstone correctly supposes 

 that he was an Afghan. 



But the fact is that Dara crossed the Indus at Bhakkar, passed 

 through the district inhabited by the Chandi tribe, where he and 



