Dara Shukoh in the Punjab
Holding the ferry
Guru Ji is said to have posted troops at a river crossing to slow down the pursuit of Dara Shukoh.
According to Sarup Das Bhalla's Mahima Prakash, Aurangzeb's soldiers were close behind Dara Shukoh when he reached the Beas. Sri Guru Har Rai Ji placed armed followers along the river and closed the ferry. The Encyclopaedia's entry on the prince, drawing on this account, says the crossing stayed shut for about six hours, long enough for him to get clear. His cause was already lost, and he soon left Lahore for Multan.
How do we know?
Only one account tells this story.
All three items go back to one work written over a century later, so this is labelled a single account. It would mean a real break with the record of no conflict with the state, so it deserves caution.
- Later traditionIdentifies the author as Sarup Das Bhalla, writing in 1776, and warns the work is not free from errors of fact.[EoS]
- Later traditionReports from Mahima Prakash that the crossing was blocked for about six hours.[EoS]
- Later traditionReports from the same work that troops were deployed at the ferry to delay the army.[EoS]
