Victories in the Siwálik hills.

On Tuesday I marched six kos, and the heavy baggage was now four kos distant. I now learned that an immense number of infidels had collected in the Siwálik hills. Upon inquiring into the nature of these hills, I was informed that the people of Hindustán compute this mountain region at one lac and the fourth part of a lac.* It has narrow and strong valleys (darra), in which the infidels had assembled. When I received this in­formation I immediately ordered the troops, with the baggage, to march towards the Siwálik hills, and I, myself, proceeded in that direction. Marching in the evening and into the night, I accomplished five kos, and then encamped in the hills. At this halt Prince Khalíl Sultán and Amir Shaikh Núru-d dín, who had been with the baggage, and to whom I had issued my order, came up. When I was seated on my cushion of royalty, with all the princes and amírs around me, Amír Sulaimán Sháh, Amír Sháh Malik, Amír Shaikh Núru-d dín, and other amírs, rose from their places, and, coming forward, bowed their knees before me and said: “So long as we, your servants, are able to move hand and foot, we will execute your orders, but what necessity is there for our great amír to take all this toil and hardship upon himself, and that he should now order us to march against the infidels of the Siwálik, and to rout and destroy them?” I replied: “My principal object in coming to Hindus-tán, and in undergoing all this toil and hardship, has been to accomplish two things. The first was to war with the infidels, the enemies of the Muhammadan religion; and by this religious warfare to acquire some claim to reward in the life to come. The other was a worldly object; that the army of Islám might gain something by plundering the wealth and valuables of the infidels: plunder in war is as lawful as their mothers' milk to Musulmáns who war for their faith, and the consuming of that which is lawful is a means of grace.” When the amírs received this answer, they maintained silence. I now despatched some horsemen with all speed to Amír Jahán Sháh, whom I had sent off a week before to plunder the forts and towns on the Jumna, ordering him to rejoin me with all speed, that he and his men might also share in the merit of fighting against the infidels. The amír came in directly and joined me. Then, placing my trust in God, I mounted my charger, and, on the 10th of the month, marched towards the Siwálik hills.

In a valley (darra) of these hills there was a ráí named Bahrúz, the number of whose forces, and whose lofty, rugged, narrow, and strong position, made him superior to all the chiefs of the hills, and, indeed, of most of Hindustán. At the present time es­pecially, he, having heard of my approach, had done his best to strengthen his position, and all the malignant ráís of the country had gathered round him. Proud of the number of his men and soldiers, the height of his darra and abode, he stood firm, resolved upon fighting. On the other hand, I resolved upon attacking Bahrúz and conquering the Siwálik hills.

Conquest of the Siwàlik.

On the 10th Jumáda-l awwal I mounted my horse and drew my sword, determined on fighting the infidels of the Siwálik. First I attended to the disposition of my forces. I gave the command of the right wing to Prince Pír Muhammad Jahángír and Amír Sulaimán Sháh; and I placed the left wing under Prince Sultán Husain and Amír Jahán Sháh. I sent forward Shaikh Núru-d dín and Amír Sháh Malik in command of the advance-guard of the centre. When my arrangements were complete, we marched, and on approaching the valley, I ordered the drums to be beaten, the instruments to be sounded, and the war-cry to be raised, until the hills and valleys echoed with their sounds. I proceeded to the mouth of the darra, where I alighted from my horse, and sent forward my amírs and soldiers. They all dismounted, and, girding up their loins, marched forward to the conflict, full of resolution and courage. The demon-like Hindus were lurking in places of ambush, and attacked my sol­diers, but these retaliated with showers of arrows, and falling upon them with the sword forced their way into the valley. There they closed with them, and fighting most bravely they slaughtered the enemy with sword, knife, and dagger. So many fell that the blood ran down in streams. The infidel gabrs were dismayed at the sight, and took to flight. The holy warriors pursued them, and made heaps of slain. A few Hindus, in a wretched plight, wounded and half dead, escaped, and hid them­selves in holes and caves. An immense spoil, beyond all com­pute, in money, goods and articles, cows and buffalos, fell into the hands of my soldiers. All the Hindu women and children in the valley were made prisoners. When I was fully satisfied with the defeat of the insolent infidels of the Siwálik, and with the victory I had gained, I returned triumphant, and encamped in the same place. This night I passed as a guest in the tents of Prince Pír Muhammad Jahángír.

When morning came I ordered all the plunder that had fallen into the hands of my men to be collected, for I understood that some had obtained much and others little, and I had it all fairly divided. On that day, the 11th of the month, I marched and joined the heavy baggage. I encamped at the village of Bahrah, in the country of Miyápúr. Next day I again marched, and accomplishing four kos, halted at the village of Shikk Sár. An enormous quantity of plunder, goods and articles, prisoners and cattle, was now collected together with the heavy baggage, and the people of the army were very heavily laden; consequently it was difficult to march more than four or five kos in a day. On the 13th I encamped at the village of Kandar.

On the following day, the 14th Jumáda-l awwal, I crossed the river Jumna with the baggage, and encamped in another part of the Siwálik hills. Here I learned that in this part of the Siwálik there was a rájah of great rank and power, by name Ratan Sen. His valley (darra) was more lofty and more narrow, and his forces more numerous than those of Rája Bahrúz. The mountains around are exceedingly lofty, and the jungles and woods remarkably thick, so that access to the valley was im­possible, except by cutting through the jungle. When I under­stood these facts about Ratan Sen, I felt my responsibilities as a warrior of the Faith, and I was unwilling that the night should pass in ease; so I issued a summons for the attendance of the amírs and other officers. When they were all present, I directed them to prepare their men for battle, and that they should carry hatchets and bills, etc., for clearing away the jungle. I directed some thousands of torches to be lighted, and the drums of de­parture to be sounded. So at night I mounted my horse, and when I reached the jungle, I ordered my warriors to cut away the jungle, and make a way through. They proceeded to execute my order, and all night long they were occupied in clearing a passage. I went on to the front, and as morning broke I had traversed twelve kos by the way that had been pierced through the jungle. When I emerged from the jungle, the dawn ap­peared, and I alighted from my horse and said my morning prayers. Then I again mounted, and on the morning of the 15th, I found myself between two mountains, one the Siwálik mountain, the other the Kúka mountain. This was the valley (darra), and it was exceedingly strong. The hills on both sides raised their heads to the clouds. In the front of this valley Rája Ratan Sen had drawn out his forces, as numerous as ants or locusts. There he had taken his stand, prepared for battle with an advance-guard, a right wing and left wing, in regular martial array.