On the 1st Jumáda-l awwal I placed the left wing of the army under the command of Amír Jahán Sháh, with orders to march up the Jumna, to take every fort and town and village he came to, and to put all the infidels of the country to the sword. The amír led off his army to execute my commands. I ordered Amír Shaikh Núru-d dín to take charge of the heavy baggage, and convey it to the banks of the river Kará-sú.* I, myself, determined upon directing my arms against the infidels on the Ganges. I accordingly marched towards that river, which is fourteen kos from Mírat. Amír Sulaímán Sháh, whom I had left with the baggage, came up according to order, and joined me on the march with his division. The first day I marched six kos, and halted for the night at the village of Mansúra. Next day, the 2nd of the month, I arrived early in the morning at Píroz-púr, and then I proceeded for two or three kos along the bank of the river in search of a ford. At breakfast time I reached the place of transit, but found no ford. A party of my men entered the river on their horses and crossed by swimming. I also was about to guide my horse into the water to cross in the same way, when the amírs and núyáns cast themselves upon their knees, and represented that Prince Pír Muhammad and Amír Jahán Sháh, with the right wing of the army, had crossed the river near Píroz-púr, and that it was advisable for me not to cross over that day. I assented to their representation, and encamped on the bank of the river, but I ordered Amír Jahán Malik, and others belonging to the division of Prince Sháh Rukh, to cross over and pass the night there. On the following day, the 3rd of the month, I marched up the river for a distance of fifteen kos, towards Tughlikpúr, and that place was five kos distant, when I heard that a large body of infidel Hindus had collected at the fords of the river. I immediately ordered Mubáshar Bahádur and 'Alí Sultán Tawáchí to proceed with 5,000 horse to chastise these infidels, and I proceeded on my way to Tughlikpúr. As I went on, the air and the wind affected me, and I felt a pain in my right arm, which every moment increased. It caused me much suffering, and sundry hot applications* were applied. I was now informed that there was a force of Hindus coming down the river in forty-eight boats with the intention of fighting. This intelligence acted as a cure for my pain, and eagerness for the fight made me forget my suffering. I mounted my horse, and, taking with me 1,000 troopers, who were at hand, we struck our heels into the flanks of our horses and hastened to the side of the river. As soon as my braves saw the boats, some of them rode their horses into the river and swam to the vessels; then, seizing fast hold of the sides, they defeated all the efforts of the Hindus to shake them off. They forced their way into some of the boats, put the infidels to the sword, and threw their bodies into the river; thus sending them through water to the fires of hell. Some of my men dismounted, and, proceeding to the ford, assailed the enemy with arrows. The occupants of the boats returned the arrows, but the vessels were at length wrested from their possession, and were brought with their contents to my presence. The enemy had lashed ten of their boats together with chains and strong ropes, and these vessels maintained the fight. My men plied them with arrows till they slew many of them; they then swam off, and, boarding the boats, put every living soul to the sword, sending them through water to the fires of hell.*
When I was at leisure, after this affair with the boats, I, on the same day, marched on to Tughlikpúr, and there encamped. I sent on Amír Alláh-dád, Báyazíd Kuchín, and Áltún Bakhshí with a force as an advance-guard to cross the river and to obtain information for me of the whereabouts of the enemy. After their departure, when three watches of the night had passed, two horsemen came in from Alláh-dád to report that the reconnoitring party had discovered a ford by which they had passed the river, and had found on the other side a large body of infidel Hindus, with a great amount of property and goods, under the command of a man named Mubárak Khán. Confident in their numbers, they were ready to fight. As soon as I learned this, I ordered my forces to be drawn out, and I mounted my horse and started off greatly incensed. Before morning broke I passed the Ganges with 1,000 horsemen fully equipped for service. After proceeding a kos, the time for morning prayer arrived, so I alighted from my horse in the plain, paid my devotions, and offered my praises. I then again mounted, in full assurance of the favour of the Almighty, and went on towards the enemy. Mubárak Khán was informed of my approach, and stood, with 10,000 fighting men, in battle array, prepared to fight.
Attended by my escort, I was carefully examining and scrutinising the enemy, and the whole of my 1,000 horsemen had not come up. The great bulk of the army was engaged in plundering expeditions at a distance. I had but 1,000 men, and the enemy numbered 10,000, still I put my trust in God and prayed to Him for victory. By a wonderful coincidence, just at this juncture, Saiyid Khwája and Jahán Malik with 5,000 horse, whom I had sent on a plundering excursion, having made a sweep, came up in my rear just in the nick of time. If it had not been so I might here have said farewell, for I could hardly have escaped. I deemed their arrival a most fortunate omen, offered my thanks to God and faced the foe. I ordered Amír Alláh-dád and Amír Sháh Malik to make a charge upon the enemy with the thousand horsemen of my escort, and not to be dismayed by the numbers of their antagonists. When, in obedience to my command, they dashed forward, the enemy did not await their charge, but wavered and turned and fled. My brave fellows pursued and killed many of them, made their wives and children prisoners, plundered their property and goods, and secured a vast number of cows and buffalos. When, by the favour of God, I had secured this victory, I got off my horse and prostrated myself on the ground to pay my thanks.
While the soldiers were occupied in securing the spoil, I sat down to take a little rest, but some of the reconnoitring party came in with the information that there was a large number of Hindus assembled in the valley of Kútila,* on the side of the Ganges, having made that valley a place of refuge. I instantly mounted, and leaving the greater part (tamámí) of my force to secure the spoil, I started off for the valley of Kútila with only five hundred horsemen. When I reached the place I found an immense number of gabrs assembled in the darra. Instantly I ordered Amír Sháh Malik and 'Alí Sultán Tawáchí to charge the enemy without paying the slightest heed to their numbers, although they were twenty to one. Spurring their horses, shouting their war-cry, and brandishing their swords, they fell upon the forces (afwáj) of the enemy like hungry lions upon a flock of sheep. At the first charge the ranks of the enemy were broken, and many of their men fell under the blows of the sword. God thus gave me victory with such a small band of followers over such a numerous host of the enemy. After many of them had been slain, those who escaped kept in the thickets and defiles (darrahá), skulking like foxes and jackals. An immense booty was left, and my braves were busy in securing it. Only one hundred men remained with me as a guard, the other four hundred were engaged in collecting the plunder. At this conjuncture Malik Shaikha, commander of the infidels, with five hundred horse and a large force of foot, knitting their brows with hatred, advanced against me. I perceived this force coming to attack me, and my warlike spirit was roused, so, with the hundred men who supported me, I spurred on to meet the foe. When about the distance of a bow-shot remained between us, one of the horsemen, who was in advance of me, turned round and told me that it was a force belonging to Shaikh Kúkar, one of my dependents and servants, who was coming to join my camp. These words, so far from the truth, reached my ears, and I was satisfied and turned back. But Malik Shaikha drew his sword, and came dashing on with his men against my followers, of whom several received wounds. When I ascertained the fact that these were foes, and not the people of Shaikh Kúkar, I turned rein, and charging the enemy despatched many of them at the first attack. Malik Shaikha received a spear thrust in his stomach, and a sword cut on the head. He fell from his horse, and my men made him prisoner. They bound his hands to his neck and brought him to my presence. Many of the gabrs were killed and wounded; a few escaped half dead (with fright). Malik Shaikha, a very large and powerful man, was brought before me, wounded as he was. The awe of my presence added to his wounds, took such an effect upon him that when I asked him a question, he surrendered his soul to the Lord of Hell before he could answer me. God thus granted me two great victories in one day, and I offered my thanksgivings for his favour.