‘We immediately dug our heels into our horses’ flanks and charged for the camp, levelling our lances and drawing our swords as we went. We were scarcely a hundred yards away from the nearest tents when a few ragged musket volleys crackled out and one of my qorchis tumbled from his horse. Then we were among the tents, slashing at the guy ropes with our swords to collapse them on to the occupants and thrusting into them with our lances. Soon the fabric of the tents was stained with blood and wounded men were struggling from beneath it to surrender. Within what could have been no more than a quarter of an hour, we had penetrated right into the centre of the camp. Then I saw a large phalanx of horsemen gallop away and disappear into a clump of woodland to the east. I shouted to Prince Suleiman that Shah Shuja must be among them but he replied to let them go … that we could deal with him later. For the moment it was better to concentrate on the rout of the remainder of Shah Shuja’s forces and the seizure of the camp with all the valuable equipment it contained, including the magnificent war elephants he had never been able to deploy.’
‘Was it my son who fled? If not, what happened to him?’
‘I believe it was Shah Shuja, Majesty, but I can’t be sure. The group escaped. We did not capture Shah Shuja anywhere else — nor was he among the dead or wounded,’ Jai Singh added hastily, seeing the look on Shah Jahan’s face.
‘But surely this is all good news? Under your guidance Suleiman has defeated Shah Shuja.’
‘Yes, Majesty, but what happened next is the bad news.’
‘Do you mean Shah Shuja’s forces regrouped and attacked you?’
‘No, Majesty, it’s not that — simply that your grandson insisted that our forces follow the remnants of Shah Shuja’s army, at least half of whom escaped one way or the other and were, we soon discovered, fleeing east towards Patna. Dilir Khan and I argued hard that Shah Shuja was already spent as a contender for your throne and that Aurangzeb and Murad who, as far as we knew, were undefeated, now posed a far greater threat. We wanted to lead our troops, whom we considered the very cream of your army, back west where they were most needed. Prince Suleiman just would not agree and as our commander we had to obey him. The most I could achieve was his permission to return to Agra with my personal retainers and bodyguard to report back to you while Dilir Khan stayed with him as his counsellor.’
‘Have you heard any more from Suleiman’s forces?’
‘Yes, only yesterday. A hard-riding cossid reached me from Dilir Khan. He and Suleiman are a hundred and twenty miles east of Varanasi, pursuing their adversaries into the jungles and marshes of Bengal.’
Shah Jahan frowned. Jai Singh was right: the news was mixed. Shah Shuja had been routed but Suleiman was behaving as if he were on a hunt rather than engaged in a deadly contest. All would be well if Jaswant Singh succeeded in defeating Aurangzeb and Murad, but if not Suleiman’s men would be needed. His reckless pursuit of Shah Shuja must stop. Shah Jahan would send orders at once recalling the prince to Agra.
The spring sunshine — warm but not overly fierce — felt good on his face. Shah Jahan was glad to be on horseback again as he urged his bay stallion into a gallop. It wasn’t long before the red sandstone gateway of Akbar’s great tomb at Sikandra loomed before him. Needing time and solitude to absorb the latest news, he had felt a sudden impulse to visit the final resting place of the grandfather who had taught him so much about the duties of an emperor. What would Akbar have said about the crisis now confronting his favourite grandson? Akbar himself had never faced such peril, perhaps because he had been a better ruler, more assiduous and astute in reading the mood of his empire …
As green-turbaned guards snapped to attention, Shah Jahan dismounted stiffly. Either through age or the aftermath of his illness — probably both — the ride had tested and tired his muscles and bones more than he had anticipated. Throwing his reins to a qorchi, he signalled his escort to remain outside and walked alone through the gateway. As he emerged into the gardens beyond, a monkey, taken by surprise, scampered off screeching and a trio of deer grazing beneath a plane tree raised their heads and looked towards him. But Shah Jahan’s eyes were on his grandfather’s tomb directly ahead at the end of a long raised sandstone path shaded by trees. The tomb was too solid for beauty but its bulk seemed to embody Akbar’s spirit. He had been a big and powerful man, physically and mentally, expanding his empire and placing it on foundations as firm and deep as those that supported his burial place. Slowly, Shah Jahan made his way down the path and reaching the end sat on one of two marble benches facing the tomb. He had come here to think but, exhausted by the ride and the shock of the day’s events, almost immediately his eyes began to close.
Footsteps on the sandstone paving woke him with a start. Standing, he turned to see someone walking quickly towards him but the shadows cast by the trees made it impossible to see who it was. Why had his bodyguards admitted anyone when he’d asked to be left alone? Instinctively his right hand went to the dagger at his belt. ‘Who are you? Who permitted you to intrude on my privacy?’ he called.
The newcomer paused. Shah Jahan saw golden hair — not as bright or as thick as it had once been but unmistakable all the same.
‘Approach.’ He waited as Nicholas Ballantyne came closer.
‘Majesty, forgive me for interrupting you. The captain of your guard knows me. When I told him I had urgent information for you, he allowed me to enter.’
Shah Jahan let his hand drop back to his side. Now that the Englishman was closer he could see that his face was gaunt and there were deep circles beneath his eyes. ‘My daughter wrote to you, I know, expressing my … regret at the … misunderstanding that caused you to leave Agra.’
‘Majesty, that’s not why I’ve ridden so hard to find you. I’ve something to tell you that cannot — must not — wait.’ Nicholas’s words tumbled out.
‘Speak, then.’
‘I was in Surat waiting to embark for England when the forces of your son Murad attacked the city. They smashed through the walls with their cannon and looted the East India Company’s treasury … From what I learned from those I met on the road from Surat, one of Murad’s generals led the assault. The prince himself was already riding south with an even larger force to rendezvous with Prince Aurangzeb … I knew I must bring you this news at once. I …’ Seeing Shah Jahan’s faint, sad smile, Nicholas tailed off.
‘I appreciate your coming, but I already knew about the attack on Surat. Even before the event I heard that Murad planned to seize the city and its treasuries but I had no troops to despatch who could arrive in time …’
‘I’m relieved you know, Majesty. My worry was that I’d be too late.’
‘And what action do you think I’ve taken?’
‘Sent an army to intercept Murad before he and his brother join forces?’
‘Quite right. In fact, I did it before I heard the definitive news about Surat. You look surprised, Nicholas. You don’t believe my rebellious sons’ claims that I’ve become too enfeebled to rule, do you?’
Seeing Nicholas’s hurt expression Shah Jahan softened his tone — after all, the Englishman had had no need to return to Agra rather than take ship for his homeland. ‘Matters have moved more quickly than you realise. You’ve come back to Agra in one of my darkest hours since the death of my empress. You thought you had important news to tell me — for which I thank you. But now let me tell you something … Only a few hours ago I learned that Aurangzeb and Murad had joined forces by the time Raja Jaswant Singh and the strong army I had sent to confront them caught up with them at Dharmat, not far from Ujjain. Jaswant Singh was misinformed — or perhaps deliberately misled — about the strength of his enemies’ artillery and ordered a frontal attack. As his Rajput horsemen galloped into battle over open ground, the rebel cannon cut them down. When the rebels followed their cannonade with a cavalry charge of their own, our troops broke under the impact and scattered, many — Jaswant Singh included — into the Rajasthani desert.’