Simultaneously, Sultán Mahmúd, with Mallú Khán and the army of the centre, with its officers and soldiers more numerous than ants or locusts, and with its strong war elephants, made its attack upon (my centre). Prince Rustam, Amír Shaikh Núru-d dín, etc., met it with a brave and resolute resistance. While they were thus engaged, Daulat Tímúr Tawáchí, Mangalí Khwája, and other amírs came up with their respective forces and assaulted the enemy. I now gave the order to a party of brave fellows who were in attendance upon me, and they cut their way to the sides of the amírs, who were fighting in the front of the battle. They brought the elephant drivers to the ground with their arrows and killed them. Then they attacked and wounded the elephants with their swords. The soldiers of Sultán Mahmúd and Mallú Khán showed no lack of courage, but bore themselves manfully in the fight, still they could not withstand the successive assaults of my soldiers. Seeing their own plight and that of the soldiers and elephants around them, their courage fell, and they took to flight. Sultán Mahmúd and Mallú Khán reached the city with a thousand difficulties, and shut themselves up close in the fortifications.

Prince Khalíl Sultán captured one of the famous elephants of Sultán Mahmúd, having brought down its driver with an arrow. He brought the animal to me, and I embraced the lad, and gave him some fine presents, for he was only fifteen years old though he had exhibited such courage and manliness.

The whole of Sultán Mahmúd's army was defeated; part was slain, and part had found refuge in the fort, and I, exalted with victory, marched towards the fort. When I reached its gates I carefully reconnoitred its towers and walls, and then returned to the side of the Hauz-i kháss. This is a reservoir, which was constructed by Sultán Fíroz Sháh, and is faced all round with stone and cement (gach). Each side of that reservoir is more than a bow-shot long, and there are buildings placed around it. This tank is filled by the rains in the rainy season, and it sup­plies the people of the city with water throughout the year. The tomb of Sultán Fíroz Sháh stands on its bank. When I had pitched my camp here, the princes and amírs and nuyáns, and all the generals and officers, came to wait upon me to pay their respects and offer their congratulations on this great victory. I embraced the princes and amírs, and I praised them all for their exertions and courage which I myself had seen. When I re­counted the favours and mercies I had received from the Al­mighty, my excellent sons, the brave and renowned amírs, who served under me, and the great and glorious victories I had achieved, my heart melted, and the tears burst from eyes. I cast myself upon the ground and poured forth my thanksgivings to the All-beneficent. All who were present raised their voices in prayer, and in wishes for the continuance of my prosperity and the prolongation of my reign.

I called up the heavy baggage and here formed my camp, and I issued orders for my soldiers* to be very cautious and watch­ful. Sultán Mahmúd and Mallú Khán, after their defeat, had taken refuge in the fort in a wretched state. They now repented of the course they had taken, and regretted that they had not made submission to me, and so avoided the evil which had be­fallen them. They saw that if they stayed in the fort they would be captured and made prisoners, so in the middle of that night, 7th Rabí'u-l ákhir, Sultán Mahmúd and Mallú Khán left the fort of Jahán-panáh and fled towards the mountains and jungles. When I heard of this I immediately sent Amír Sa'id and * * * other officers in pursuit. They followed with all speed, and, coming up with the fugitives, they killed many of them, and obtained great spoil. Malik Sharfu-d dín and Malik Khudáí-dád, sons of Rashíd Mallú Khán, were taken prisoners, with many others, and brought back to my camp. On the same night that I heard of the flight of the Sultán and his generals from Dehlí, I sent Amír Alláh-dád and other officers to watch the gate of Hauz-rání, through which Mahmúd had escaped; and that of Baraka, by which Mallú Khan had gone out. I also sent men to all the other gates, with orders not to let the people escape.

I mounted my horse and rode towards the gate of the maidán. I alighted at the 'íd-gáh, a lofty and extensive building, and I gave orders for my quarters to be moved there, and for my throne to be set up in the 'íd-gáh. I took my seat upon the throne and held a Court. The saiyids, the kázís, the 'ulamá (learned Musul-máns), the shaikhs, and the great men and chiefs of the (Muham-madans of the) city assembled and came out to attend my Court. I had them introduced one by one, and they made their obeisances, and were admitted to the honour of kissing my throne. I re­ceived every one of them with respect and kindness, and directed them to be seated. Fazlu-llah Balkhí was vakil and náib of Mallú Khán, and he came out to wait upon me and do homage, accompanied by a party of the officials and clerks of the govern­ment of Sultán Mahmúd and Mallú Khán. Hereupon all the saiyids, 'ulamá, shaikhs, and other leading Musulmáns arose, and, making the princes their mediators, they begged that quarter might be given to the people of Dehlí, and that their lives might be spared. Out of respect to the saiyids and 'ulamá, whom I had always held in great esteem and honour, I granted quarter to the inhabitants of the city. I then ordered my ensign (tauk) and royal standard to be raised, and the drums to be beaten and music played on the tops of the gates of Dehlí. Rejoicings for the victory followed. Some of the clever men and poets that accompanied me worked the date of the victory into a verse, which they presented to me. Of all these memorial verses I have introduced (only) this one into my memoirs—

“On Wednesday, the eighth of Rabi' the second (17th Dec., 1398),*
The Emperor Sáhib-Kirán took the city of Dehlí,” etc., etc.

I rewarded and honourably distinguished the literary men and poets who presented these verses to me.

I sent a party of men into the city to bring out the elephants which Sultán Mahmúd had abandoned when he fled. They found 120 enormous elephants and several rhinoceroses, which they brought out to my Court. As the elephants passed by me I was greatly amused to see the tricks which their drivers had taught them. Every elephant, at the sign of the driver, bowed his head to the ground, made his obeisance, and uttered a cry. At the direction of their drivers they picked up any object from the ground with their trunks and placed it in their driver's hands, or put it into their mouths and kept it. When I saw these mighty animals, so well trained and so obedient to weak man, I was greatly astonished, and I ordered that they should be sent to Túrán and Írán, to Fárs, and Ázur, and Rúm, so that the princes and nobles throughout my dominions might see these animals. Accordingly I sent five to Samarkand, two to Tabríz, one to Shíráz, five to Hirát, one to Sharwán, and one to Ázurbaiján.

When Friday came, I sent Mauláná Násiru-d dín 'Umar, with some other holy and learned men that accompanied my camp to the Masjid-i jámi', with directions to say the prayers for the Sabbath, and to repeat the khutba of my reign in the metropolis of Dehlí. Accordingly, the khutba, with my name, was repeated in the pulpits of the mosques in the city of Dehlí, and I rewarded the preachers with costly robes and presents.