I and Khwája Abú-l Hasan had crossed one (branch of the) river, and were standing on the brink of the second, beholding the working of destiny. Horsemen and footmen, horses, camels, and carriages, were in the midst of the river, jostling each other, and pressing to the opposite shore. At this time a eunuch of Núr Jahán's, whose name was Nadím, came to us, and said, “The Begam wants to know if this is the time for delay and irresolu­tion; strike boldly forward, so that by your advance the enemy may be repulsed, and take to flight.” I and the Khwája did not wait to give an answer, but plunged into the water. Seven or eight hundred Rájpúts, with a number of war-elephants in their front, occupied the opposite shore in firm array. Some of our men, horse and foot, approached the bank, in a broken and dis­ordered condition. The enemy pushed forward their elephants, and the horsemen came from the rear, dashed into the water, and plied their swords. Our handful of men, being without leaders, turned and fled, and the swords of the enemy tinged the water with their blood. The Begam Núr Jahán had in her litter the daughter of Shahriyár, whose anka* or nurse was the daughter of Sháh Nawáz Khán. The anka received an arrow in her arm, and the Begam herself pulled it out, staining her garments with blood. The elephant on which the Begam was riding received two sword-cuts on the trunk; and when he turned round, he was wounded two or three times behind with spears. The Rájpúts pushed after him with their drawn swords, and his drivers urged him on into the deep water. The horsemen then had to swim, and becoming afraid of being drowned, they turned back. The elephant swam to shore, and the Begam proceeded to the royal abode. Khwája Abú-l Hasan and I were together. He left me and made haste to the Begam's abode, and I remained with forty of my men by the side of the river. They kept up a discharge of arrows, and the Rájpúts made no attempt to cross to our side. Ásaf Khán now came in sight; his companions were scattered, and his plan had failed, so he departed. I sought and shouted for his followers, but could not find them or any trace of them.

When Khwája Abú-l Hasan left me, he went off at a sharp pace, and in his distraction and alarm, he rode into the river. The water was deep, and the stream was running strong. While the horse was swimming, he fell off; but he clutched the saddle-bow with both hands. The horse went under several times, and was drowned; but the Khwája never let go the saddle-bow. A Kashmírí boatman made his way to him, and saved his life.

Fidáí Khán, with a party of the Emperor's servants, and some of his own men who had been long attached to him, passed the river, and attacked the force which he found opposed to him. He drove back the enemy, and reached the house of Shahriyár, where the Emperor then was. The interior of the residence was full of men, both horse and foot; so Fidáí Khán stopped at the entrance, and sent a discharge of arrows inside. Some of the arrows fell in the courtyard of the private apartments near His Majesty, when Mukhlis Khán placed himself before the throne, and made his body a shield for the protection of the Emperor. Fidáí Khán persevered for some time in his efforts, but several of his followers were killed, others were severely wounded, and the Khán's own horse received four wounds. When he found that he could not succeed, and that there was no chance of reach­ing the Emperor, he passed through the camp, and went up the river. Next day he crossed the river, and repaired to his sons, who were in Rohtás. * * Ásaf Khán, who was the cause of this disaster, and whose folly and rashness had brought matters to this pass, when he found that he could no longer make any resistance to Mahábat Khán, fled with his son Abú Tálib, and 200 or 300 horse, bárgírs, and servants, to the fort of Átak, which was in his jágír, and closed the fortress. * * Mahábat sent a large party of the royal ahadís (guards), with some of his own followers, and the zamíndárs of the neighbourhood, under the command of his son Bihroz and a Rájpút, to invest Átak. They reduced the fort, and Ásaf Khán bowed to Fate, and bound him­self by promise and oath to uphold Mahábat. When the Em­peror crossed the river at Átak, Mahábat Khán, having received the royal permission, went into the fort, brought out Ásaf Khán and his son Abú Tálib, and gave it into the charge of his own adherents. [Several of A'saf Khán's followers executed.] The royal camp rested for a while at Jalálábád, * * and on the 21st Sha'bán arrived at Kábul, and the Emperor visited the tombs of his ancestors. * * A party of Rájpúts turned out their horses to graze in the hunting ground near Kábul, and a contention arose with the keepers, in which an ahadí was killed. * * The ahadís sought redress, * * and, dissatisfied with the answer they received, * * attacked the Rájpúts, and killed 600 or 700 of them.]