1 Azim-ush-shan
2 routed.
3 He ts drowned in
4 the Ravi.
5 Defeat und death of
6 Khajasta Akhtar.
7 Conflict between
8 Moz-ud-din and Rafi-
9 ush-shan,
10 Artifices of Zulfikar
11 Khan, tho premier
12 nobic.
13 Azim-ush-shan de-
14 feated and killed.
15 Accession of Moz-ud-
16 dfn under the title of
17 Jahandar Shah, 1712,
18 Murder of the prin-
19 ces royal at Lahore,
20 184 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
21 ground, Jald] Khan Lodi, who sat behind the prince, slid down the ropes
22 and fled. Amin-ud-doula and several other nobles made an attempt to stop -
23 the animal, but it rushed into the river with the wounded prince, Azim-ush-
24 shan, and sank never to rise again. His son, Muhammad Karim, descending
25 from his elephant, mounted a horse and took to flight, but he was pursued
26 by the victors and slain.
27 Dissensions now arose amony the three confederate brothers, and
28 confusion and bloodshed ensued. Khajasta Akhtar, in accordance with the
29 terms of the treaty, wished to divide the imperial treasures, consisting of
30 eighty cart-loads of gold coin (ashrafis) and a hundred cart-loads of rupees,
31 into three equal parts, of which Jahdndar Shah was to receive one, but,
32 through the machinations of Zulfikar Khan, only two-fifths were allotted to
33 the two brothers, while three-fifths were appropriated by Jahéndar Shah, This
34 very much exasperated Khajasta Akhtar, who forthwith proclaimed himself
35 king by the title of Jahan Shah. He was joined by several officers of rank,
36 and, collecting a large army, gave Jahdndar Shah battlé, but was defeated
37 and slain. His son, Farkhunda Akhtar, a prince of most promising attain-
38 ments, who sat behind his father on the same elephant, descended and fought
39 sword in hand, but fell dead covered with wounds.
40 There now remained only two rivals for the throne, Moz-ud-din and Rafi-
41 ush-shan. The latter placed implicit reliance on the fidelity and oaths of
42 Amir-ul-omerah Zulfikar Khan, who, during the lifetime of the late emperor,
43 had supported that prince against Khan-i-Khdndn. The prince and the Amir-
44 ul-omerah had also exchanged turbans, and the latter had been called ‘uncle’ -
45 by the former. Placing the most implicit reliance on the friendship of the
46 Amfr-ul-omerah, Rafi-ush-shan had resolved to remain a spectator till one of
47 his rivals should fall, when, with the assistance of his supporter, he would
48 rush on the survivor and dispose of him. He communicated his design to
49 his followers, and, ordering the great kettledrum to be beaten, made an
50 immediate advance against Moz-ud-din. Nor was Rafi-ush-shan ill prepared
51 for action, but, much to his surprise, he saw his sworn friend, the Amir-ul-
52 omerah, ranging the army of his rival in battle array and conducting the
53 whole of the operations. The prince advanced at full gallop and charged the
54 enemy with heroic valour; but in the midst of the action he was betrayed
55 by his badakhshi, who, in pursuance of a private arrangement with the
56 Aimfr-ul-omerah, turned his arms against his master. Seeing this, the spirited
57 prince threw himself from his elephant, and, drawing his sword, penetrated
58 singly into the thickest of the fight. He performed great feats of valour,
59 but fell covered with wounds. Three of his sons, Muhammad Ibrahim,
60 Rafi-ud-doula and Rafi-ud-darajat, were wounded, but escaped with their lives,
61 Elated with his triumph over his only rival, Moz-ud-din ordered the march
62 of victory to be sounded. He permitted the mangled bodies of his brothers
63 to lie on the field of battle for three days, exposed to the view of the public,
64 They were afterwards conveyed to Delhi ana interred, without ceremony or
65 pomp, in the mausoleum of the Emperor Himéyin, the general receptacle
66 of murdered princes of the race.
67 Moz-ud-din, now in undisputed possession of the crown, ascended the
68 throne by the title of Jahdndar Shah. The first act of the new emperor,
69 after coming to power, was to pollute his hands with the blood of the
70 princes royal, a crime which had become characteristic of the race of Tymir
71 on assuming the imperial diadem, from the times of the latitudinarian
72 Jahtngir. Sultan Karim-ud-din, the eldest son of Azim-ush-shan, was seized
73 FI Sa ae SD i
74 Sri Satguru|agjit Singh JieLibrary “2/9 of “wee AHtaHE library@ gmail.com