On the 8th of the month I marched from Ahrúní, through the jungle to a village called Tohána. In answer to the inquiries I made about the inhabitants, I learned that they were a robust race, and were called Jats. They were Musulmáns only in name and had not their equals in theft and highway robbery. They plundered caravans upon the road, and were a terror to Musul-máns and travellers. They had now abandoned the village and had fled to the sugar-cane fields, the valleys, and the jungles.* When these facts reached my ears I prepared a force which I placed under the direction of Tokal Bahádur, son of the Hindu Karkarra,* and sent it against the Jats. They accordingly marched into the sugar-canes and jungles. I also sent Mauláná Násiru-d dín in pursuit of them. When these forces overtook the Jats they put 200 to the sword and made the rest prisoners. A large stock of cattle was captured, and my soldiers returned to camp.

It was again brought to my knowledge that these turbulent Jats were as numerous as ants or locusts, and that no traveler or merchant passed unscathed from their hands. They had now taken flight, and had gone into jungles and deserts hard to penetrate. A few of them had been killed, but it was my fixed determination to clear from thieves and robbers every country that I subdued, so that the servants of God, and Musulmáns and travelers might be secure from their violence. My great object in invading Hindustán had been to wage a religious war against the infidel Hindus, and it now appeared to me that it was necessary for me to put down these Jats and to deliver travelers from their hands. I consequently placed the care of the baggage and of all the plunder which had been gained in my victories in the charge of Amír Sulaimán Sháh, to convey it with the heavy baggage to the town of Sámána.

On the 9th of the month I despatched the baggage from Tohána, and on the same day I marched into the jungles and wilds, and slew 2,000 demon-like Jats. I made their wives and children captives, and plundered their cattle and property. Thus I delivered the country from the terror it had long suffered at the hands of the marauding Jats. On the same day a party of saiyids, who dwelt in the vicinity, came with courtesy and humility to wait upon me, and were very graciously received. In my reverence for the race of the prophet, I treated their chiefs with great honour. I gave them all valuable robes, and I appointed an officer to go to their abodes and protect them, so that none of my soldiers should do them any injury.

I marched from this place to the banks of the river Khagar, where I halted, and Amír Sulaimán Sháh arrived there also with the baggage on the 11th of the month. Sámána was near to this place, and as the heavy baggage had not yet come up, I halted several days. On the 13th I marched again, and halted near the bridge of Kotila,* an ancient structure over the river Khagar. At this stage Sultán Mahmúd Khán, Prince Rustam and other commanders of regiments of the left wing, whom I had directed to march to India by way of Kábul, rejoined me. I re­ceived them graciously and enquired about the incidents which had happened on the march, and they informed me that wher­ever the people of any city, or village, or fort, made their submission and offered tribute, they gave them quarter; but whenever any city or fort offered resistance they conquered it, put the inhabitants to death, plundered the goods and property, and divided the spoil among the soldiers. I approved and ap­plauded them.

Next day I crossed over the bridge and halted. Here I was joined by Amír Sháh Malik, who brought up the heavy baggage safe by way of Díbálpúr. The following day I remained in the same position, but on the 18th I marched from the bridge of Kotila and the river Khagar and encamped at the end of a march of five kos. Next day I reached the town of Kaithal, which is seventeen kos distant from Sámána. I had now come near to Dehlí, the capital of Hindustán, and began to prepare for its conquest.

Preparations for the Conquest of Dehlí.

For my intended attack upon Dehlí I arranged my forces in the following manner: The right wing I placed under the com­mand of Prince Pír Muhammad Jahángír, Prince Rustam, Amír Sulaimán Sháh, and * * *; the left I gave to Sultán Mahmúd Khán, Prince Khalíl Sultán, Prince Sultán Husain, Amír Jahán Sháh and * * *. Under my own direction I kept the great túmáns, the túmáns of San-sír (?)* of Amír Alláh-dád, and

* * * the army, as thus distributed, extended over a distance of twenty kos. Being satisfied as to my disposition of the forces, I began my march to Dehlí. On the 22nd of Rabi'u-l awwal I arrived and encamped at the fort of the village of Aspandí. In answer to my enquiries about this place I found that Sámána was distant seven kos. The people of Sámána, and Kaithal, and Aspandí are all heretics, idolaters, infidels, and misbelievers.* They had now set fire to their houses and had fled with their children, and property, and effects, towards Dehlí, so that the whole country was deserted. Next day, the 23rd of the month, I started from the fort of Aspandí, and after marching six kos arrived at the village of Tughlik-púr. I encamped opposite the fort bearing that name. The people of the fort on hearing of the approach of my army, had abandoned it, and had dispersed over the country. From the information supplied to me I learned that these people were called sanawí (fire-worshipers). Many of this perverse creed believe that there are two gods. One is called Yazdán, and whatever they have of good they believe to proceed from him. The other god they call Ahriman, and what­ever sin and wickedness they are guilty of they consider Ahriman to be the author of. These misbelievers do not know that what­soever there is of good or evil comes from God, and that man is the mere instrument of its execution. I ordered the houses of these heretics to be fired, and their fort and buildings to be razed to the ground.

On the following day, the 24th of the month, I marched to Pánipat, where I encamped. I there found that in obedience to orders received from the ruler of Dehlí the people had deserted all their dwellings and had taken flight. When the soldiers entered the fort they reported to me that they had found a large store of wheat amounting to some thousand mans. I ordered it to be weighed to ascertain the real weight, and then to be distributed among the soldiers. When it was weighed it was found to amount to 10,000 mans of the great weight (sang-i kalán), or 160,000 of the legal standard (sang-i shara'). On the fol­lowing day I marched from Pánipat six kos, and encamped on the banks of a river which is on the road. I marched from this place on Friday, the 26th of the month, and I gave orders that the officers and soldiers of my army should put on their armour, and that every man should keep in his proper regiment and place in perfect readiness. We reached a village called Kánhí-gazín and there encamped. I issued my commands that on the morrow, the 28th of the month, a force of cavalry should proceed on a plundering excursion against the palace of Jahán-numá, a fine building erected by Sultán Fíroz Sháh on the top of a hill by the banks of the Jumna, which is one of the large rivers of Hindustán. Their orders were to plunder and destroy and to kill every one whom they met. Next day, in obedience to my commands, the division marched and proceeded to the palace of Jahán-numá, which is situated five miles from Dehlí. They plundered every village and place they came to, killed the men, and carried off all the valuables and cattle, se­curing a great booty. They then returned, bringing with them a number of Hindu prisoners, both male and female.