illness became public. The Bijapuris shrewdly
guessed the situation. They knew that Aurangzib, with his depleted force and distraction about
the succession, was not prepared to renew the
war with them, and so they delayed yielding
their forts and paying the promised indemnity.
Mir Jumla, still hoping against hope, lingered
near Parenda, trusting that his envoy at the
Bijapur Court would influence the Sultan and
his Ministers and secure the peaceful surrender
of Parenda. Though every moment was precious for "the most important business of all" and
Aurangzib was impatient to get Mir Jumla back
at his side to make the necessary preparations
for war with Dara, yet he permitted the Mir to
continue in that quarter with M. Sultan for
weeks longer, if by so doing he expected to get Parenda. About 6th December Sultan was
recalled to his father's side and Prince Muazzam was sent in his place to Mir Jumla's camp near Bir.[1]
But the hope of getting Parenda and the war-indemnity grew fainter and fainter, and, as the complexion of affairs at Delhi grew more and
- ↑ Adab, 93b-94a, 94b.