1 i
2 ; SHAHAB-UD-DIN SHAH JAHAN. 169
3 the liberation of Father Antonio Da Cristo, the prior of Hughli, who was
4 in confinement.* s
5 .. On the 10th November, 1641 (17th Shabdén 1051 a..), Asif Khan
6 died at Ldhore, in his seventy-second year, the same age at which, four
7 years after, his celebrated: sister, Nur Jahzn died at the same place, and was
8 buried north of Jahdngir’s tomb. He was the father of Mumtaz Mahal, the
9 favourite wife of Shah Jahdn, and received from him the title of Yamin-
10 ud-dowla Khan-i-Khanan Sipah Salar. He was commander of 9,000.
11 Besides his magnificent palace at Lahore, where Manrique, the Jesuit Father,
12 Visited him, he left a colossal fortune.t
13 In 1644, Ali Mardan Khan carried the Moghal arms into Balkh and Badak-
14 shan, and ravaged the country far and wide; but the severity of the wiuter
15 eventually compelled him to retreat. Fourteen thousand Rajputs under Jagat
16 Singh, eldest son of R4jé Mén Singh, were sent to reinforce the general, and
17 it is interesting to read how these brave Hindu warriors, sympathising
18 with a tolerant Mahomedan government, and disregarding their prejudices,
19 stormed the stupendous mountain passes, covered with snow, and exerted
20 themselves in constructing redoubts, the rajé himself wielding an axe, like
21 others, and encouraging his men to deeds of valour against the fierce Uzbaks
22 in those frozen regions. Never did the chivalry of that ancient martial
23 race shine more conspicuously than in this remote enterprise. Despite the
24 severity of the climate many splendid victories were achieved. The emperor
25 himself moved to Kabul in support of his generals, but, perceiving the waste of
26 life and substance which these fruitless campaigns in distant regions involved,
27 was constrained to make over the province to Nazar Muhammad, at whose
28 inducement he was originally tempted to undertake the expedition. The
29 retreat of Aurangzeb from Balkh to Kabul was very disastrous, and a great
30 portion of the Indian army perished in the snow. :
31 About the end of 1649 a.p., Kandahar was retaken by the Persians, after
32 a, siege of two months and a-half. Aurangzeb and the wazir, Allami Saddullah,
33 hastened from the Panjdéb to drive out the invaders, but arrived too late to
34 save the city, owing to the severity of the climate and to the mountain passes
35 being covered with snow. Shah Jahdn followed Aurangzeb to Kabul. The
36 prince and the wazir invested the place for four months at the head of
37 60,000 horse and 10,000 infantry, but were foiled in their attempt to recover
38 the city After the siege had been raised, Shah Jahdu marched from Kébul
39 to Lahore.
40 In 1650, the court remained at Léhore, and, a fresh campaign having been
41 undertaken in Thibet, Skardo was captured. In 1651, the court returned to
42 Kabul, and, the following year, Prince Aurangzeb and Wazir Allami Saddullah,
43 renewed the siege of Kandahar with a numerous and well-equipped army,
44 supported by a siege train. After exhausting every resource, the prince was
45 again compelled to return to Kdbul unsuccessful, and was sent as viceroy to
46 the Dekkan. Dara, the eldest son of the emperor, now volunteered to under-
47 take a fresh expedition to Kandahar, and.a splendid army, far exceeding that
48 previously employed, with a fresh train of ordnance, was placed under his
49 * Keene.
50 + The real name of Asif Khan was Mirza Abul Hassan. As commander of 9,000, he was in
51 reccipt of a salary of sixteen karors, twenty lakhs of dams, or 40,50,000 rupees. He had besides
52 jagirs yielding a revenue of five millions of rupees. His property at his death was valued at
53 twenty-five millions of rupees consisting of jewels worth thirty lakhs, gold mohars of the value of
54 forty-two lacks, silver valued at twenty-five lakhs, silver utensils worth thirty lakhs, and other
55 property valued at twenty-five lakhs. His palace at Lahore, which had been built ata cost of
56 twenty Jakhs of rupees, was,on his death, given to Prince Dara Shakoh, and twenty lakhs of
57 rupees in cash and valuables were distributed among his three sons and five daughters, The
58 rest was egche ted to the Cr.
59 rr Satguru jag
60 Death of the Wazir
61 Asif Khin, 1641,
62 Invasion of Balkh,
63 1644.
64 The disastrons re-
65 treat of Aurangzeb.
66 Kandahar lost to the
67 Indian empire, 1649.
68 The expedition to
69 Thibet, 1650.
70 Second attempt on
71 Kandahar, 1652.
72 Its failure.
73 Great expedition mn-
74 der Dara Shakoh.
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