In 1703, Dost Mohammad Khan enlisted with Mir Fazlullah, Aurangzeb's Keeper of Arms.
Around 1704, he was ordered to quell a rebellion by the governor Tardi Beg, who commanded a sizable force in the Bundelkhand region.
Khan led the Mughal regiment of Gwalior in a battle with the Tardi Beg's forces headed by General Kashko Khan.
Although injured by the swords of Kashko Khan's guards and a mahawat (elephant rider), Khan managed to kill Kashko Khan in the battle.
He delivered Kashko's severed head to Mir Fazlullah in Delhi.

In 1705, Mir Fazlullah presented Dost Mohammad Khan's regiment to the emperor Aurangzeb.
According to the Khan's rozanmacha (daily diary), Aurangzeb was impressed by him, presented him with two fistful of gold coins, and asked Fazlullah to treat him well and give him an appropriate command.
In return, Khan conveyed his loyalty to the Emperor.
Following this, Khan rose rapidly through the ranks, and was assigned to the Malwa province in central India.
Malwa was politically unstable at the time, and Aurangzeb had been replacing the governors in rapid succession.
The Marathas, the Rajput chieftains and Muslim feudal chiefs were agitating for power in and around the region, and the Mughals were facing several revolts.

News of the death of Emperor Aurangzeb on 20 February 1707 reached Khan, when he was at Bhilsa.
A war of succession broke out between Aurangzeb's sons, two of whom approached Khan for allegiance.
However, Khan refused to side with either of them, saying that he could not raise his sword against any of his sons since he had taken an oath of being loyal to the late Emperor.
In 1703, Dost Mohammad Khan enlisted with Mir Fazlullah, Aurangzeb's Keeper of Arms. Around 1704, he was ordered to quell a rebellion by the governor Tardi Beg, who commanded a sizable force in the Bundelkhand region. Khan led the Mughal regiment of Gwalior in a battle with the Tardi Beg's forces headed by General Kashko Khan. Although injured by the swords of Kashko Khan's guards and a mahawat (elephant rider), Khan managed to kill Kashko Khan in the battle. He delivered Kashko's severed head to Mir Fazlullah in Delhi.
In 1705, Mir Fazlullah presented Dost Mohammad Khan's regiment to the emperor Aurangzeb. According to the Khan's rozanmacha (daily diary), Aurangzeb was impressed by him, presented him with two fistful of gold coins, and asked Fazlullah to treat him well and give him an appropriate command. In return, Khan conveyed his loyalty to the Emperor. Following this, Khan rose rapidly through the ranks, and was assigned to the Malwa province in central India. Malwa was politically unstable at the time, and Aurangzeb had been replacing the governors in rapid succession. The Marathas, the Rajput chieftains and Muslim feudal chiefs were agitating for power in and around the region, and the Mughals were facing several revolts.
News of the death of Emperor Aurangzeb on 20 February 1707 reached Khan, when he was at Bhilsa. A war of succession broke out between Aurangzeb's sons, two of whom approached Khan for allegiance. However, Khan refused to side with either of them, saying that he could not raise his sword against any of his sons since he had taken an oath of being loyal to the late Emperor.
Dost Mohammad of Bhopal