The son returned to his father and told him all that he had seen and heard. Ráo Dúl Chain had no resource left, so on Friday, the 28th Safar, at breakfast time, he came out of his fort and approached my tent. He brought with him Shaikh S'ad Ajodhaní, and, being introduced by the amírs, he was ad­mitted to the honour of kissing my feet. He presented me with twenty-seven Arab horses with gold-mounted harness, and several sporting hawks. I comforted him, and bestowed on him a robe of gold brocade, a cap and girdle of gold work, and a gold-mounted sword.

A number of the zamíndárs and chiefs of the surrounding country had put to death the governors, especially the men of Díbálpúr, who had slain Musáfir Kábulí with a thousand other persons. These men had fled, and had now taken refuge in Bhatnír. I accordingly ordered Amír Sulaimán and Amír Allah-dád to take their regiments into the town and to bring out all the strangers they could find, with their property and goods. In execution of the order, they went into the town, and, driving out all the refugees, they brought them, with their pro­perty and goods, to my tent. On the 29th Safar I distributed these people in lots among my amírs, and I confiscated all the money and valuables of these daring men for royal uses. Three hundred Arab horses, which had been taken in the fight, I dis­tributed among my soldiers. In retaliation for the murder of Musáfir Kábulí and his thousand followers, I ordered 500 men of Díbálpúr to be brought to punishment (yásák), and their wives and children to be made slaves, that this might be a warn­ing to other daring men. The men of Ajodhan and other places I punished according to their offences. Some received chastise­ment (yásák), and their wives and children were enslaved, others were set free.

When I had inflicted this chastisement on the malefactors, Kamálu-d dín,* brother of Ráo Dúl Chain, and the Ráo's son were stricken with dismay. Although Dúl Chain was in my camp, they fled into the fort and closed the gates. As soon as I heard of their proceedings, I ordered the Ráo to be placed in confinement, and the flames of my wrath blazed high. I com­manded my officers and men to direct their efforts to the reduc­tion of the fort by breaching and scaling. When the garrison perceived my men advancing bravely to assault the fort, the Ráo's brother and son again raised the cry of alarm and distress, and begged for mercy. They put their swords upon their necks, came into my camp to make excuses for their folly, and presented the keys of the fort to my officers. I spared their lives.

On the 1st Rabi'u-l awwal I gave instructions to Amír Shaikh Núru-d dín and Amír Alláh-dád for realizing the ransom money, and sent them into the city. The ráís and Rájpúts and chiefs of the city did not act fairly in paying the ransom money, al­though it was a matter in which honourable dealing was neces­sary. Contention and fighting arose between the collectors and the evil-minded ráís. When intelligence of this reached my ears, I directed my brave fellows to punish the infidels. In obedience to the order, the soldiers pressed towards the fort, and, fixing their scaling ladders and ropes to the battlements, they carried the fort by escalade. The infidels and Musulmáns in the fort now found their case desperate. The infidels shut up their wives and children in their houses, to which they set fire, and they and their families were burned altogether; those who called themselves Musulmáns, but who had strayed from the Muham­madan fold, killed their wives and children with the sword, and then boldly facing death rushed together into the fight. My men entered the fort on all sides, and plying their swords and daggers fell upon the foe. The men of the garrison were young and vigorous, active and daring. They fought manfully and a desperate conflict ensued. Some of my renowned and brave men performed prodigies of valour, and received most frightful wounds. The amírs maintained their character with their swords, and fought and strove with manly vigour. Amír Shaikh Núru-d din maintained, on foot, a fierce conflict with the infidels, and many fell under the blows of his sword. Several of them then joined and made a simultaneous assault upon him. The amír was alone and they were many, so these demons in looks and demons in temper seized him and were endeavouring to take him prisoner. Just at the critical moment Fíroz Sístání and Auzán Mazíd Baghdádí cut their way to the side of Núru-d dín, and after charging the infidels once and again, they forced them to fall back, and thus they rescued their comrades from the hands of the gabrs. So in all directions the brave warriors of Islám at­tacked the infidels with lion-like fury, until at length by the grace of God, victory beamed upon the efforts of my soldiers. In a short space of time all the people in the fort were put to the sword, and in the course of one hour the heads of ten thousand infidels were cut off. The sword of Islám was washed in the blood of the infidels, and all the goods and effects, the treasure and the grain which for many a long year had been stored in the fort became the spoil of my soldiers. They set fire to the houses and reduced them to ashes, and they razed the buildings and the fort to the ground. When this victory had been accomplished I returned to my tent. All the princes and amírs waited upon me to congratulate me upon the conquest and upon the enormous booty which had fallen into my hands. It was all brought out and I distributed it among my brave amírs and soldiers; I bestowed great gifts and rewards on Mazíd Baghdádí and on Fíroz Sístání who had rescued Amír Núru-d dín, and I promoted them to a high rank.

When my heart was satisfied with the overthrow of the ráís and rájás and turbulent dwellers of these parts, on the 3rd Rabi'u-l awwal the drums of departure sounded; I mounted my horse, and, after marching fourteen kos, encamped on the borders of a tank, near which was a jungle full of grass. Next day I again marched, and passing by the fort of Fíroz I arrived at a town called Sarsutí.

Conquest of the Town of Sarsutí.

When I made inquiries about the city of Sarsutí, I was in­formed that the people of the place were strangers to the religion of Islám, and that they kept hogs in their houses and ate the flesh of those animals. When they heard of my arrival, they abandoned their city. I sent my cavalry in pursuit of them, and a great fight ensued. All these infidel Hindus were slain, their wives and children were made prisoners, and their property and goods became the spoil of the victors. The soldiers then returned, bringing with them several thousand Hindu women and children who became Muhammadans, and repeated the creed. Of all the braves who took part in this action, 'Ádil Bahádur Farrásh was the only one who fell.

The following day I rested in the town of Sarsutí, and on the next day, the 6th of the month, I marched eighteen kos, and came near to the fort of Fath-ábád, where I encamped. The people of Fath-ábád also, by the suggestion of Satan, had fled from the town and taken refuge in the deserts and jungles. I despatched some commanders of regiments after them who over­took them and slew great numbers of them. They took all their property and goods, horses and cattle, and returned to camp laden with spoil. Next day I marched from Fath-ábád, and passing by the fort of Rajab-púr, I halted in the vicinity of the fort of Ahrúní. The people of this town and fort did not come out to meet me and make their submission so as to escape from the rigour of the army of Islám; so some savage Turks entered the town and began plundering. Some of the inhabitants who resisted they put to death; the others were made prisoners. The soldiers brought away great quantities of grain, and set fire to the houses and buildings of the town.