‘Then why didn’t the emperor appoint him?’
‘As you and all the court know, some while ago he and Aurangzeb had a … disagreement. That was why my father terminated Aurangzeb’s appointment in the Deccan so suddenly. I believe he gave Murad command of the Uzbek campaign partly to teach Aurangzeb a lesson — put him in his place, you might say. To be truthful, I’m worried about Aurangzeb too — that his relationship with Dara and my father is broken beyond any but the most superficial repair.’
Jahanara paused, tears forming in her eyes as she watched Nicholas sip the rose-flavoured sherbet from the jade cup, his unruly fair hair flopping over his sunburnt face. Why couldn’t life be as it had been in the past when her mother lived and their family was united against the world by their difficulties? Suddenly she was a child again, peeping through the curtains of her litter and seeing Nicholas, a reassuring presence, riding close when she and her family were in flight from Jahangir in the swamps of Bengal. With those recollections came lighter ones — Nicholas playing with her and Dara in the Portuguese compound at Hooghly, distracting them from the worry of their mother lying ill, of his teaching Aurangzeb swordplay and carving a toy soldier for Murad.
Straightening her back, Jahanara began again. ‘You were always kind to me and my brothers and sister when we were children. That is why I’m appealing to you now to help me allay at least one of my worries by keeping watch over Murad and advising and restraining him if you can. As a foreigner and commander of his elite mercenaries as well as someone he has known since childhood you can be more blunt with him than the other commanders, who will feel they must treat him with the deference due to an imperial prince, however foolish or unconsidered his actions.’
‘I am not one of his most senior commanders, and though you think being a foreigner may give me an advantage it may equally exclude me from his inner circle.’
‘Even so — and strange as my request may sound — please do your best. And write to me by the imperial post riders when you can.’ Jahanara glanced at her three waiting women, standing impassive. If only she could be alone with Nicholas … but such a thing was unthinkable. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her attendants, but the temptation to gossip could be irresistible to even the loyallest.
Rising, Jahanara went to Nicholas and bending for a moment laid her small henna-painted hand on his sleeve. ‘Please, Nicholas … You know enough of our customs to realise I wouldn’t have invited you here if I wasn’t really concerned about the future of my family. You move in the world of men, whereas I …’
‘Majesty, a further despatch has come for you.’
As he took the folded paper from his steward, Shah Jahan saw from the seal that it was from Ashok Singh and opened it with impatient fingers. It was nearly a month since he had last had news of Murad’s campaign and that had been merely a brief report that the army was making progress towards Balkh.
Majesty, as we advanced towards Balkh the local rulers harassed us hard, making darting raids to plunder our baggage and killing any who straggled. However, we were not dismayed. When ten days ago Uzbeks under a prince descended from your ancestor Babur’s great enemy Shaibani Khan attacked us at dusk as we made camp, we fought them off, maintaining our discipline as we fired from behind our wagons. The next morning with your son’s permission I led our horsemen in pursuit of the retreating enemy. We caught up with their main body and scattered it to the winds, killing many and suffering few losses ourselves. The Uzbek prince sold himself dear when surrounded with his bodyguard but I am proud to report a Rajput lance put an end to his life and to his men’s resistance. Our victory cleared the way to Balkh which we reached three days later.
At first the city’s commander rejected our offer of terms with bellicose and abusive defiance. However, after a day’s cannonade from our largest weapons had damaged his walls he changed his mind and in most abject and humble terms craved our pardon and promised to surrender if only we would renew our offer. To save time — one of the most precious commodities in regions such as this which have only a limited campaigning season — as well as to spare human life, your son on my advice agreed. We entered Balkh in triumph, green banners high and trumpets sounding to the heavens.
Since then we have despatched an advance force to the Oxus to locate a suitable crossing place — the river is broad and its currents treacherous — and then to assemble vessels from which they can construct a bridge of boats and to find sufficient wood — not plentiful in this area — to make enough rafts to float our cannon and heavy baggage across. God willing, in a few days’ time we will be over the river and advancing on glorious and golden Samarkand. The Uzbeks know we are coming and the news of our success and our strength may unite their warring factions, but nevertheless if we move quickly — as I am advising most strongly — they will still be no match for us and we will ride in triumph into Samarkand as we did into Balkh.
Your son asks me to send you his deepest respects, to tell you he rejoices in the conquests he has made on your behalf and to assure you he will spare no effort not only to take Timur’s great capital but to achieve an absolute and lasting victory and the permanent expansion of your dominions.
Forgetful of those around him, as he finished reading Shah Jahan let out a great shout of joy and raised his clenched fist in a victory salute. Samarkand with its great palaces and madrasas, its orchards and gold-bearing river, would be his — the fulfilment of his long-nurtured ambition. Not even his grandfather the great Akbar had thought of such an audacious plan. After one and a half centuries the Moghuls were reclaiming their ancestral lands. That would be something for his chroniclers to write about and for his descendants to glory in when they sat on his peacock throne. What’s more, Murad was proving his worth. Neither Aurangzeb nor even Dara could have done better.
Soon he would summon his council, but first he wanted to share the good news with his family. A few minutes later eunuchs flung open the great gilded wooden doors of the haram and his Rajput guards bowed low as Shah Jahan entered. Dara, he knew, was out hunting but he hoped to find Jahanara there — she often visited her younger sisters. But as he came into Roshanara’s apartments, to his disappointment he saw she was alone. She looked up and smiled.
‘I’ve received great news from Murad’s army. They have taken Balkh and will shortly be across the Oxus and in a few more days in Samarkand.’
‘That’s wonderful! Our empire will know no rivals! Will you give a feast to celebrate?’
‘No … not yet. Let’s wait for news of Samarkand and then I will give the greatest celebrations Hindustan and the Moghuls have ever seen.’
‘Aurangzeb will be glad to hear of the success of our armies. Should I write to him in Gujarat — and also to Shah Shuja in Bengal — so they can both share in our happiness?’
‘No. Let me have that pleasure. But where is Jahanara? I must tell her.’
‘In her own house. Satti al-Nisa has taken Gauharara there today.’
‘After I’ve told my council the news, I will ride there.’
He was already turning to leave when he heard Roshanara say, ‘Father, I’m not sure if this is a good time, but there’s something you should perhaps know.’
There was an edge to Roshanara’s voice that did not bode well and Shah Jahan turned back. ‘What’s that?’