3S H I N D O 
carpets. No pillows or feats were left us but the bare 
ground, and no apparel but that drenched in water on 
our backs; neverthelefs, I gave grateful thanks to the 
Almighty for the prefervation’bf my life and honour, with 
a fincere fervour. With the approach^ of night the con- 
fulion flackened, and about nine o'clock all was over, and 
quiet reftored. I then faid to myfelf, ‘What is gone, is 
gone!’ and, with a calm mind, recited one hundred and 
twenty verfes of the Mefnavi, applicable to the prefent 
ffate of affairs.” 
Jehan Shah, after gaining the victory over Azeem 
Oofhaun, judging, from the purity of his own intentions, 
that thole of his two brothers and the emir ul omrah were 
equally juft towards him, though fortune had placed all 
the treasures of the vanquiihed in his power, fccrned to 
ufe this advantange contrary to his oath of alliance. He 
fent the body of Azeem Ooofhaun to Jehander Shah, his 
eldeft brother; and, when all the plunder of his camp was 
collected, he delivered the whole into the hands of the 
•emir ul omrah, or chief treafurer, who was to make an 
impartial divifion of the provinces and treafures between 
the brothers. This llriftnefs to his word was the caufe 
of his ruin. The emir ul omrah had privately refolved to 
feat Jehander Shah on the throne without a rival; for, 
being a weak prince, fond of his^pleafures, and averfe from 
bufinefs, he belt fuited the purpofe of a minifter who was 
ambitious of uncontrouled power. With this view, he 
delayed making a divifion of the treafure, knowing that 
the troops of Jehan Shah and Rufl’eh Oofhaun -would 
loon become clamorous for the payment of their arrears, 
and would defert in great numbers; and Jehan Shah, 
plainly perceiving the wavering of his followers, thought 
it moll advifable to prevent worfe confequences, by put¬ 
ting all to the hazard of an immediate engagement. The 
next morning, being Monday, in the year of the hegira 
1124, of Chrift 1712, he formed his line, and began a 
cannonade ; which was anfwered by the enemy, and kept 
up on both fxdes till mid-day with equal fuccefs. At 
length the fire of Jehan Shah began to flacken, and his 
troops to feparate on various pretences; fo that near half 
the army deferted, in lpite of the prince’s repeated orders 
to maintain the line. Obl'erving this, he raifed a report 
that the emir ul omrah was killed; in confequence of 
which he founded the trumpet of victory, and his troops 
believed him, returning molt of them to their polls. It 
was now about four o’clock, when Jehan Shah, without 
looking behind him, advanced on the enemy’s centre 
with a furious fpeed, where the emir ul omrah was Ra¬ 
tioned with a few followers. Jehander Shah had before 
retired to repofe in his tents. The chiefs of Jehan Shah 
rulhed through all oppofition to that quarter, gained the 
tents, and plundered even the ladies of the harem, who 
made a violent outcry. Jehander Shah, roufed from his 
deep, without attending to their fafety, fled to feek his 
own, undreffed as he was, with the emir ul omrah, who 
was engaged againft Jehan Shah in unequal combat, as he 
had only with him three or four hundred horfe. At this 
inftant Ruffeh Oolhaun, who feemingly fupported Jehander 
Shah, but was waiting for an opportunity to deftroy both 
him and Jehan Shah, appeared in the rear of the latter 
with his whole force. A numerous corps of infantry alfo 
now oppofed him in front, not only flopping his charge, 
but confufing his troops; who, feeing themfelves likely 
to be liirrounded, loll all fpirit, and fled to a man on the 
right and left, leaving him expofed alone upon his ele¬ 
phant : and he was foon killed by a mufquet-lhot. His 
Ion, Ferkhundeh Akhter, a prince of moll promifing ac- 
complilhments, who fat behind him, defcended, and fought 
with his fcymetar, till he fell dead, covered with wounds. 
Both the bodies were carried to the emir ul omrah, who 
ordered the vidlory to be founded. 
There new- remained no other competitors for the’, 
crown than Jehander Shah and Ruffeh Oofhaun. The 
latter had the firmed: reliance on the attachment and oaths 
of the emir ul oinrali, who, during the Ufe of the late 
O 8 T A N. 
emperor, had been fupported by him in the ftrongeft man¬ 
ner againft the khan khanan. On this account, he had 
refolved to wait as a lpeftator of the ftrugglc, till the fall 
of one of his rivals, and then to rufh upon the furvivor, 
while fiulhed with viftory, and unguarded againft a new 
enemy. This delign he now communicated to his fol¬ 
lowers, and defired them to l'upport him in an immediate 
attack on Jehander Shah ; but they would not confent* 
pretending that the dawn of morning was more favour¬ 
able for the purpofe; fo that the prince was obliged to 
flop, and wait their pleafure. Fie fpent the night under 
arms, with fleeplels impatience for the return of day; 
while fome of lus treacherous advifers communicated his 
plan to the emir ul omrah, and promifed to aflill in the 
deftruclion of their patron. Juft as the morning twilight 
appeared, Ruffeh Oofhaun advanced filently towards the 
enemy, hoping to furprife them; but, before he had 
reached their camp, the commanding officer of his artil¬ 
lery, either through treachery or ignorance, fired a gun 
towards the quarter of Jehander Shah, which roufed his 
troops. The alarm was immediately founded; and, the 
enemy marching rapidly to battle with a train of artillery 
in front, none would now Hand to l'upport Ruffeh Oolhaun. 
His followers fled in confufion to the right and left; and 
the unhappy prince was in a ftiort time left alone, lur- 
rounded by enemies on every fide; but, truly brave, and 
regarding the honour of the family of Timour, he threw 
himfelf from his elephant, and, drawing his fabre, fought 
fingly on foot againft thoufands of affailants. But what 
could he-effect, more than fell one life at the 'expence of 
many? Fie was foon hewed down with repeated wounds, 
and refigned his breath to him who gave it. “ Such courage, 
(fays Eradut Khan,) I mult with juftice remark, never 
appeared among the defeendants of Timour, as was fliown 
by the offspring of Aurungzebe ; nor do the various hil- 
tories record the like gallant oppofition of a prince fingly 
againft numbers. True valour is proved in the extremity 
of danger ; but it is eafy to aflume the appearance of cou¬ 
rage in the day of fafety.” 
Jehander Shah, now unrivalled in the empire, ordered 
the mangled bodies of his martyred brothers to be kept 
three days on the field of battle, expofed to public view. 
They were afterwards conveyed to Delhi, and interred 
’ without ceremony or pomp, in the mauloleum of the em¬ 
peror Humaioon, the general receptacle of the murdered 
princes of the imperial family. Thus Jehander Shah, by 
the intrigues and treachery of the emir ul omrah Zool- 
feccar Khan, triumphed over his three brothers, and af- 
cended the throne of Hindooftan, wholly unqualified for 
the arts of government, and acidified to low vices un¬ 
worthy of his name, and unknown among his illultrious' 
anceftors. He made the vaft empire of Hindooftan bend 
to the foolifh whims of a public courtezan, named Lall 
Koor; fo that the highefl offices, great titles, and un- 
reafonabie grants, were fhowered profufely on her illite¬ 
rate relations and friends. The emperor frequently rode 
with her in a chariot through the markets, where file pur- 
chafed, according to her whim, fometimes jewels, gold, 
filks, and fine linen ; at others, greens, fruits, and the 
mod trifling articles. A woman named Zohera, keeper of 
a green-flail, one of her particular friends, was promoted 
to a high rank,'with a fuitable jaghire, or revenue, for the 
pompous maintenance of herfelf and family : a circum- 
itance almoft incredible : while the emir ul omrah Zool- 
feccar Khan aflumed to himfelf the direction of the go¬ 
vernment, and the authority of the fovereign. Fie ftudied 
to ruin the molt ancient families, inventing pretences to 
put them to death, that he might plunder their pofleffions. 
Unhappy was the perfon he fuipefled to be rich ; for wealth 
and vexatious accufations always accompanied each other. 
He took enormous emoluments and revenues for himfelf, 
while he difpofed of money to others with a hand fo lpa- 
ring, that even his own creatures, whom he rewarded with 
empty titles, were reduced to the feverell penury. The 
minds of kigh and low, rich and poor, near or diftant, 
friends 
