HIND O 
the fugitive prince in Mongeer ; but the critical Situation of 
his father and grandfather at Agra imperiously required 
■his aid, and lie was compelled fuddenly to raife the fiege, 
making it a condition on the part of Sujali, that he lhould 
310 longer oppol'e the claim of Para to the throne. 
In t^e mean time, when intelligence of the defeat of 
Para at the Nerbudda had reached' Agra, the whole court 
was thrown into the greateft confternation. Shah Jehan 
himfeif.was indeed furprifingly recovered; but now he 
found himfelf'a prifoner at the difpofal of his fon Dara, 
and began to view the diftraftions in his family with the 
agonizing feelings of a dethroned'king and a defpifed fa¬ 
ther. To whoinfoever victory inclined, he was convinced 
that no benefit would ref'ult to himfelf; he was a prifoner 
of date, and the fceptre was gone from him. Dara had 
got firm hold, and he determined to keep it. Elated alfo 
with the fuccefs of his fon Soliman in Bengal, he new 
meditated a more fignal triumph over Aurungzebe and 
Morad. For this purpofe he put himfelf at the head of 
an army which confided of one hundred thou f ind liorfe, 
and one thouSand pieces of ordnance. He advanced to 
the banks of the Chambul, about' twenty miles from 
Agra; and there, occupying a polition ftrong by nature, 
and made doubly fo by art, he waited with impatience the 
approach of the enemy. The confederate prince^ moved 
from Ujein, and encamped on an eminence directly oppo¬ 
site to Dara’s army, from whence the extent and Strength 
of his lines coufd be discerned ; and they appeared to Au¬ 
rungzebe, who the, following morning more clofely re¬ 
connoitred them, too formidable to be forced by an army 
of fuch inferior magnitude as theirs, fcarcely amounting 
to forty thouiand men. The depth of the river too at 
that place was an additional obitacle; and, though Morad 
was for defpifing every difficulty; the wary .prudence of 
his brother again restrained his natural iiiipetuofity; while 
lie accomplished by perfidy what force could not Safely ef¬ 
fect. Prevailed on by, large bribes, a rajah in Dara’s in- 
tereil tindertook to conduct the confederated army by fe- 
cret paths over the mountains that Stretch between that 
fpot and Agra. Leaving, therefore, their tents, baggage, 
and part of their artillery, under a ftrong guard, to amuie 
the enemy, that very night they decamped, and the next 
morning were discovered by the enemy’s Scouts in full 
march towards Agra. Dara, equally confounded and af- 
tonillied, with precipitation mounted his cavalry, and 
puShed at once between the enemy and the capital. He 
presented himfelf in front of his confederated brothers, 
and immediatley began to form in battle array. Both ar¬ 
mies having paufed with a look of gloomy dread on each 
other for a whole day, the firing of Dara’s artillery along 
the whole line the next morning announced the battle 
commenced. It was anfwered by volleys of Shot, and a 
Shower of arrows, from the confederates. At this moment 
Dara was feen aloft on his elephant, refolutely advancing 
with his cavalry in the very face of the enemy’s cannon. 
Aurungzebe’s artillery, being well fe.rved,did infinite ex¬ 
ecution among the great bodies of liorfe, and they were 
foon thrown into confufion. But Dara, wholly undaunt¬ 
ed, continued to advance, animating his troops both by 
his voice and his example. Repulfed by repeated volleys, 
•they again and again rallied, and at length, milling for¬ 
ward in one impetuous phalanx, forced the enemy’s ar¬ 
tillery, broke the chains that linked them together, and, 
corning up with the centre commanded by Morad, a mu¬ 
tual and dreadful Slaughter took place. Morad, from his 
elephant, dealt the arrows of death thick around him, and 
his troops, though out-numbered three to one, for a long 
time fought like lions by his fide. At length, overpower¬ 
ed by multitudes, they were broken, and put into great 
disorder. The young prince, however, though covered 
with wounds, difdained to retreat; and ordered his ele¬ 
phant to be urged forward among the thickeft of the foe, 
in hopes of animating his troops to renew the combat, and 
rally round the ftandard of their leader. This bold mea¬ 
sure had the defired effeCt, His cavalry, feeing the enemy 
Vox. X. No. 640, 
OSTA N. 49 
furroundihg their prince, collected in. I115 defence, and 
fought, with renewed vigour. A daring Indian chief, lea¬ 
den - of the rajapouts, unable from the height of the ele¬ 
phant to reach Morad with his'fword, cut the pillars that 
Supported the roof of the amari, or caftle, in which he fat, 
and that falling upon him encumbered him for a time; 
but, on recovering himfelf, lie instantly transfixed the bold 
aflailant with an arrow, and the dreadful work of death 
was renewed, till the rajahpouts gave way. 
Dara, heated by the ardour of battle, and defirous of 
fparing the further eft'uiion of blood, was advancing.'with 
an offer of terminating the contest by Single combat with 
Aurungzebe; but, on hearing of the retreat. of his troops 
before Morad, he returned, accompanied by a ftrong body 
of cavalry, to the Support of his -refilled battalions, and 
re-conducted them againft the enemy with fuch decided 
fuccels, as appeared to promife certain victory. ‘ At this 
inftant, Shaifta, the general oS his right wing, wfio had 
not long before received a perional iiifult from Dara, Se¬ 
cretly favoured the cauSe of Aurungzebe, and was^now 
relblved to have his revenge. He rode liaftiiy up to Dara, 
congratulated him upon his fuccefs, a flu red him that the 
conteft was decided, that the day was his, and-ridvitsd 
him to deicend from liis elephant, and, mount a horie in 
purfuit of the routed foe. Dara, not fufpefting treachery,' 
incautiously followed this advice. Hit troops, no longer 
feeing him on his elephant, but iuppoiing he was Slain, 
were. Struck with a Sudden panic, and fled tumultuously 
from the battle. Aurungzebe inffantly coming up; and 
joining his forces to thofe of Morad, fell with fury on the 
aftoniShed foe; and a victory was thus obtained over an 
enemy which was on the very point of being triumphant. 
Shaifta Khan, (called alfo Khalil Khan,) by whole artful 
manoeuvre the battle had been won, now joined the army of 
Aurungzebe. No purfuit was attempted by the victors ; 
but near the field of battle they encamped ; while Dara„ 
continuing his flight towards Agra, reached that capital 
in fafety. ; 
Shah Jehan, on hearing of the event of this Sanguinary 
battle, whi<jhl was fought on the 5th of June 1658, was 
overwhelmed with_ the deepeft affliction; while Dara, 
ashamed to fee his injured father, and-afraid of being be¬ 
trayed into the hands of his brothers, flew, to Delhi j 
where, with the hioney found in that metropolis, he let 
about railing a new army, and forwarded meflengers.to 
his Son Soliman, to meet him with all his troops on the 
banks of the Ganges. But Soliman had been too formi¬ 
dable an objeCt to be negleCted by Aurungzebe; and, in 
confequence, foon after the engagement, lie had dis¬ 
patched confidential meifengers to the two generals be¬ 
longing to that prince. Rajah- JeSfing, and Delil Khan, 
with the information that Dara was utterly defeated ; that 
molt of the omrahs had joined the victorious army ; that 
Shah Jehan, from age and infirmities, was no longer quali¬ 
fied to govern a great empire; that a fucceffor nruft be 
appointed, and that Morad was the moft proper perlon ; 
that to prolong the conteft would be a fruitlefs wafte of 
blood; and he concluded by adding, that if they would 
feize on Soliman, and bring him a prisoner to the allied 
army, they Should not only keep their commands, but be 
rewarded with the higheft honours of the empire. The 
two generals, on consultation, were not averfe to joining 
the confederate princes ; but the meaiure of Seizing Soli- 
man feemed to them, though not too wicked, yet too dan¬ 
gerous an enterprize for them to rifque. They, however, 
reprefented to Soliman the defperate Slate of his affairs ; 
difplayed the unconquerable power of his uncles; that 
opposition would, under the prefent circumftances, prove 
fruitlefs ; and they recommended him to retire to Serina- 
gur, the rajah of which country was his friend, and 
among the mountains of which he would be fafe, till an 
opportunity Should offer for commencing hostilities with 
a better profpeft of fuccefs. The weak prince followed 
their advice ; and, ordering his baggage to be packed up, 
commenced his march for the mountains; upon which 
0 thole 
