55 
IT I N D O 
the affulant, and he fell dead to the ground. The prince 
Wailajah, who fupported. him, being 'driven back, took 
Iheiter with his brother Bedar Bukht. The left wing, 
commanded by Zoolfeccar Khan, was now attacked with 
incredible fury 5 but he quickly drove back the daring- 
enemy, and killed their leader. At this inftant Azeerrt 
Oolhaun came 1 tip with his'whole divilion to their relief; 
on which Zoolfeccar retreated, and, defcending from his 
elephant, mounted a horfe, and, deferring his prince, fled- 
from the field of battle, which determined the rout of the 
left wing. In the mean time Bedar Bukht, the heroic 
fon of Azqm, had for a time dealt death and deftruCtion 
around him, and cut off a party headed by Ruftum dil 
Khan, who now changed tides, and declared for the em¬ 
peror. But the valiant prince, being overpowered by frefh 
aflailants, was obliged to retreat to the centre, while the 
greater part of his wing were killed or difperfed. 
The principal followers and perfonal attendants of 
Azem Shah at length gathered round him, determined 
to preferve his perfon, or fell their lives in his defence. 
The valiant and truly brave on both tides, thus meeting 
at the head of their refpeclive princes, defcended from 
their elephants, and prepared to engage on foot. The 
battle now raged hand to hand; the chieftains and prime 
of the nobility fought with fibres, till the dead lay on 
heaps, and obitru&ed the advances of frefli aflailants. At 
length a mulket-ball, and .feveral arrows, flruck the va¬ 
liant prince Bedar Bukht, and he funk down dead on the 
fpot. The three fons of Shah Aulum, as if determined 
at once to end the conflict, now gathered round the ele¬ 
phant of their defeated uncle, and inftantly difpatched 
him ; they then turned towards the party of his youngeft 
fon, the prince-Wallajah, wdio unfortunately partook of 
the fame fate with his father and brother Bedar Bukht. 
Thus perifhed Azem Shah and his two fons, after a reign 
of only three months and twenty days. 
Ruftum dil Khan, who, as noticed above, had early in 
the day changed tides, contrived to place hiinfeif near 
Azem Shah during the refldue of the battle ; and, on fee¬ 
ing him left dead in his amaury, he afcended the elephant, 
and cutting off the head of the corpfe, remounted his 
h-orfe, and galloped with it in triumph to the viCtor. 
With exulting 1 hope-of great reward, he laid his prize at 
the prince’s feet; but Shah Aulum, having heard of his 
defection, loaded him with the reproaches- he fo juftly 
merited; ordering the head to be buried with proper 
refpect, and forbidding the trumpet of victory to be 
founded. In the mean time Monauim Khan took charge 
of the bodies of the unfortunate young princes ; and 
treated the ladies of their harems with refpeft and tender- 
nefs; for in the eaftern countries the women always fol¬ 
low the camp, at leaft where Mohammedanifm prevails. 
Shah Aulum paffed the night on the field of battle, and 
the next day encamped his army round the gardens of 
Dhera, about fix miles from Agra; to which capital he 
next repaired, and afcended the throne of his fathe.r Au- 
rungzebe, without further'oppotition; taking on that oc- 
cation the name of Bahadur Shah. 
After repofing from the fatigues of the campaign, the 
new emperor concerted meafures for reducing his younger 
brother Kambukfh, who had affumed the uncontrouled 
fovereignty in the Deccan. With a princely forbearance, 
Shah Aulum, now Bahadur, neither perfecuted nor pu- 
nillied any of the adherents of Azem Shah ; but on the 
contrary conciliated the regard of the unfortunate nobi¬ 
lity who had efcaped from the late battle, by condefcend- 
ing manners, and a fits of perfonal kindnefs. By thefe 
means his ftandard was joined by almoft: all the great om- 
rahs ; and he marched towards the Deccan with an army 
fuperior by at leaft a hundred thoufand men to any which 
had ever before entered that rich and fertile diltriCl. He 
now appointed his confummate general Monauim Khan, 
his vizier; and Zoolfeccar Khan, the late general of Azem, 
he named as the future governor of the Deccan; bellow¬ 
ing upon him at the fame time the title or office of emir 
O S T A N. 
ul omrah, or treafufer of the empire. The four royal 
princes, fons of Shah Aulum, held principal commands 
in the army; and almoft all the nobility of the Rate join¬ 
ed in the fplendcur of this memorable expedition. 
Shah Aulum began his march into the Deccan early 
in the Muffulman year or hegira 1120, A. D. 1708; 
and, by the prudent management of the vizier, though 
the army was immenfe, the greateft fupply of forage and 
provisions was - found ready prepared at every halting- 
place of the troops, whereby the - higheft order and dif- 
ciplins was maintained in the army! When the emperor 
arrived at a fmall diftance from Hyderabad, where Kam- 
buldh had fortified himfelf, he. difpatched a meffenger to 
him with a letter written in his own hand, to the follow¬ 
ing effect:—“ Our ever-honoured father retigned to .you 
only Beejapour; bnt.we give you, in addition, Hyderabad. 
Thefe two extenfive countries, long famous for their great 
kings, producing a revenue more than half of Hindooftan, 
we leave to you, without interference or relufiance, and 
fhall efteem you dearer than our own, children. Think 
not then of contention, nor. confent to filed the blood of 
the faithful, nor difturb the repole of our government. 
If you give the ear of acceptance to this advice, we will 
farther confer upon you the nizamut of the Deccan, if 
agreeable to you ; and, after vifiting the facred tomb of 
our father, we will return to Hindooftan.” 
There was no treachery in this generous offer ;Tor Shah 
Aulum always ft owed liberality and affefticn in his con- 
dufl to his brothers. Kambukfh, weak and felf-conceit- 
ed, paid not the fmalleft attention to the pacific offer of 
his brother, but added affronts and infults to his autho¬ 
rity; In confequence of this obftinacy he was deferted 
by his principal officers, and molt of the zemindars of the 
Deccan retired to their homes ; while the troops mutinied 
for arrears, and hourly threatened to plunder his eftefls. 
Will it be believed, that he yet determined to refill, and 
expedited viftory ? He even quitted the afylum of the city- 
walls, and encamped upon a plain about the diftance of 
three cofs, with iris fmall force, within fight of the empe¬ 
ror’s army. Shah Aulum, from compaliion to his brother, 
and the hope of yet reducing him by gentle means, would 
not permit his troops to attack; but Kambuklh inter¬ 
preted the inactivity of the imperial army into fear, and 
founded the trumpet of defiayce. At length the emir 
ul.omrah Zoolfeccar Khan, wdio had a keen enmity againll 
the mifguided prince, refolved to feize him. He accord¬ 
ingly obtained leave to march, under the pretence of re¬ 
connoitring the enemy, and moved towards him with his 
own followers, a divilion from the troops of Monauim 
Khan, and a body of Mahrattas under the chief Neema 
Scindia. The infatuated Kambuklh let up a contemptuous 
laugh at this fmall detached force; but, bpng charged at 
once on all tides, was inftantly deferted by his followers, 
except a few perfonal attendants. Notwithstanding.this, 
Ire fought as long as he had Strength to ufe his bow and 
arrows, from his elephant, till at length he lunk down on 
his feat through lofs of blood from feveral wmunds. He 
w'ds then taken by Daood Khan, and carried to the prince, 
his nephew, Jehan Shah, who, with his brothers, had ftcod 
at fome diftance during this extraordinary Ikirmilh. The 
captive prince was conveyed to the ^imperial tents, and 
vilited by his brother the emperor, who endeavoured to 
comfort him by every exprelfion of affectionate concern. 
But his wounds were mortal. He replied to the emperor, 
“ There are, in a calket -upon my elephant, fome jewels 
of our father and my own, of which I beg your majelty’s 
acceptance.” He then languilhed till nine at night, when, 
without a groan, he refigned his breath. 
The emperor Bahadur Shah Aulum held now the un- 
difputed fovereignty over all Hindooftan ; and it might 
have been expeCted that years of peace, and relaxation 
from the toils of war, would naturally have followed: but 
fuch was not the ordination of Providence. Only a lliort 
time elapfed, before intelligence arrived-that the Seiks, a 
tribe of Hindoos ever hoitile to the Mohammedans, had 
rifen 
