relations between them became strained to the utmost. Leaving a garrison to hold Ahivant, Mahabat spent three months at Nasik and then went to Parnir (20 miles west of Ahmadnagar) to pass the rainy season (June to September) there, while Daud Khan was recalled to Court(about June.)*[1]
There was excessive rainfall that year and many men and cattle perished of pestilence in the camp; at Parnir. But while his troops were dying, Mahabat Khan attended daily entertainments in the houses of the nobles by turns. There were 400 dancing- girls of Afghanistan and the Panjab in his camp, and they were patronised by the officers. (Dil. 106.)
§2. Campaign of Bahadur and Dilir, 1671-72. Battle of Salhir.
The Emperor was dissatisfied with Mahabat Khan for the poor result of his campaign in the first quarter of 1671 and his long spell of inactivity afterwards, and suspected him of havin g formed a secret understanding with Shivaji. So, he sent Bahadur Khan and Dilir Khan to the Deccan next winter. They marched from Gujrat into Baglana,
- ↑ *Dil. 102-104. 106; Sabh. 73. "Mahabat Khan is come as far as Nasik Trimbak and hath taken 4 castles; Huturnt ( = Ahivant) and Salhir are the names of two of them." (F. R. Surat, 105, Bomb, to Surat, 8 April 1671.) But the Mughals did not recover Salhir, though Sabh. 73 says so. They only captured Ravla-Javla and Markandagarh.
