Hoomayoon accordingly marched with a hundred thousand horse, and crossing the Ganges, near Ku-nowj, encamped for a whole month in view of Sheer Khan's army, which consisted of only fifty thousand men. Meanwhile, Mahomed Sooltan Mirza and his sons, who were alike distinguished for their treachery and ingratitude, went over to the enemy with all their adherents. Many others were in­duced also to follow them; an event which again plunged the King into distress; for his army, thus dispirited, began to desert by thousands. To complete his misfortunes, too, the rainy season commenced; his camp became quite overflowed, insomuch that he was obliged to abandon his po­sition, and move to a more exposed one on higher

Mohurrum 10.
A. H. 947.
May 17.
A. D. 1540.

ground. On the 10th of Mohurrum, 947, while his army was in motion, he was attacked by Sheer Khan, and sustained a signal defeat. Having unfortunately, as in the former action, the river close on his rear, some thousands of his soldiers, in avoiding the swords of the enemy, suffered a more ignominious fate in the stream. A few only escaped with the King across the river, with whom he fled to Agra. Sheer Khan lost no time in pursuing Hoomayoon, who was forced

Rubbee-ool-
Awul,
A. H. 907.
July,
A. D. 1540.

to retreat to Lahore. In the month of Rubbee-ool-Awul, of that year, he was joined in Punjab by many of his Mogul officers, who had been dispersed on the day of the battle of Kunowj. Sheer Khan, still continuing the pursuit, crossed the river Beea near Sooltanpoor, and compelled

Rujub.
November.

Hoomayoon, in the month of Rujub to pass down the river of Lahore, * and to retreat towards Tutta and Bhukkur on the Indus. Kamran Mirza at length became sensible of his ungenerous conduct towards his brother, and was compelled to fly towards Kabul. Hoomayoon having crossed the Indus on his way to Bhukkur, halted at Lory, and sent an ambassador with a horse and dress to Mirza Shah Hoossein Arghoon, governor of Tutta, to request his aid in recovering Guzerat; but Mirza Shah Hoossein detained Hoomayoon by various artifices and excuses for five or six months, till his small army, distressed for want of pay, daily dimi­nished in numbers. Hindal Mirza left Hoo-mayoon at this time, and went to Kandahar, having been invited thither by Kurrachar Khan, the governor of the province; Yadgar Nasir Mirza proposed also to quit the King, though the latter spared no pains to bind him firm to his interest by giving him the government of Bhukkur; but he was no sooner in possession, than he de­clared his independence.

Hoomayoon with his small army now laid siege to Sehwan for seven months, without produc­ing any effect; when Mirza Shah Hoossein, desirous of getting the place into his own hands, ad­vanced with a force from Tutta, and surrounding both the garrison and the besiegers, prevented supplies from being carried to either. Hoo-mayoon's army became greatly distressed, and was soon reduced to extremities. The King solicited Yadgar Nasir Mirza to join him with his forces from Bhukkur; but Yadgar was prevailed on to unite with his enemy, Mirza Shah Hoossein, who promised to give him his daughter in mar­riage, and to secure him in his government. Hoo-mayoon, thus deserted by all his relatives and friends, was obliged to retreat from before Sehwan to Bhukkur, where he could not even obtain a few boats to cross his army over the Indus. After a search of some days, and wandering along the banks, he discovered some craft that had been sunk, and having raised them, he transported his troops to the opposite bank.

Notwithstanding these accumulated misfortunes, Hoomayoon had strength enough left to inspire terror into Yadgar Nasir Mirza, who, to avoid his resentment, came and made his submis­sion. He obtained his pardon, but shortly after began to create sedition among the troops, and privately drew them over to his own interest. This plot being communicated to the King, Yadgar Nasir Mirza, instead of denying it, appeared at the head of his party in open rebellion; but the principal officers of his faction having re­fused to attack their King, an action was pre­vented at the very time when both armies were formed in order of battle. Hoomayoon, being in no condition to contest the point, thought only of providing for his safety, and accord­ingly marched by the way of Jesselmere to Na-goor and Ajmere, then ruled by Maldew, one of the most potent of the Hindoo rajas, from whom he had before received an invitation. While proceeding through the territory of Jesselmere, the Raja of that country opposed him; but being defeated, Hoomayoon passed on to the boundaries of Ajmere, where he halted, and sent a messenger to Maldew, who perceiving he had nothing to ap­prehend from Hoomayoon, and having no cause for attachment to him, resolved to seize and make him over to his enemy, Sheer Khan. One of Maldew's soldiers, who had formerly been in the service of Hoomayoon, obtaining intelligence of the design, communicated it to him. Hoomayoon, warned of his danger, mounted his horse at mid­night, and fled towards Amurkote, a place situated about a hundred coss (200 miles) from Tutta. His horse beginning to fail, he asked Tardy Beg Khan, * one of his chiefs, who was well mounted, to let him have his, but was refused. The troops of Maldew being close in pursuit, Hoomayoon was necessitated to mount a camel, till Nudeem Koka, his foster-brother, having caused his mother to dismount, gave her horse to the King, and placing her on the camel, ran on foot by her side.

The country through which they fled being an entire desert of sand, the Moguls were in the utmost distress for water. Some ran mad; others fell down dead. Nothing was witnessed but dread­ful screams and lamentations; while, to add to their misery, news arrived of the enemy's approach. Hoomayoon ordered all those who could fight to form the rearguard, and allowed the women and baggage to move forward: but the enemy did not make their appearance. The King rode on in front, to see how it fared with his family; and it was fortunate he did so, for night coming on, those in the rear lost their way, and in the morning the enemy were discovered in close pur­suit. The King was left with a few soldiers only, commanded by one Ameer Sheikh Ally, who, with about twenty brave men, resolved to sell their lives dearly, and having repeated the creed, turned upon their pursuers. The first arrow dis­charged reached the heart of the chief of the enemy, and the remainder fled. The Moguls, pur­suing in their turn, took many of the enemy's camels; after which, the King coming to a well, ordered the whole party to kneel down, and offer up prayers for their escape. During the day, those who had lost their way joined again.

On marching forward, the Moguls were more dis­tressed than before, there being no water for three whole days. On the fourth day they came to a well, which was so deep that a drum was beaten to give notice to the man driving the bullocks, that the bucket had reached the top.*

The unhappy followers were so impatient for water, that, as soon as the first bucket appeared, several of them threw themselves upon it, before it had quite reached the surface, and fell in. The next day they arrived at a brook, and the camels, who had not tasted water for several days, were allowed to quench their thirst; but having drank to excess, several of them died. The King, after enduring unheard-of miseries, at length reached Amurkote with only a few attendants. The Raja, who has the title of Rana, took compassion on his misfortunes, and spared nothing that could alleviate his sufferings, or tend to console him in his distress.

At Amurkote, on the 5th of Rujub in the year

Rujub 5.
A. H. 949.
October 14.
A. D. 1542.

949, the Prince Akbur was born of the Queen Banoo Begum. Hoomayoon, after returning thanks to God, left his family in the hands of the Rana of Amurkote, and with his assistance marched against Bhukkur. But a mutiny breaking out among the Rana's troops, they dispersed, and nothing could be effected. Some of the King's officers also de­serted him; while the gallant Ameer Sheikh Ally, one of his most faithful adherents, was killed in an action with Shah Hoossein Arghoon. Hoomayoon now retired towards Kandahar, having been joined by Beiram Khan * Toorkoman from Guzerat. Kamran Mirza, who had obtained possession of Kandahar from his brother, Hindal Mirza, had placed Askurry Mirza in the government; and Shah Hoossein Arghoon now wrote to him, that Hoomayoon being without followers, might easily be seized; so that Askurry Mirza, instead of affording his brother aid in his distress, attacked Hoomayoon as he approached Kandahar, and ob­liged him to leave his infant son Akbur behind in camp, and to fly to Khorassan with his mother, the Sooltana, and only twenty-two horsemen, one of whom was Beiram Khan. Askurry Mirza, being disappointed of his object, on coming into Hoo-mayoon's camp, carried off his nephew, the infant Akbur, to Kandahar.

Hoomayoon, finding he could place no reliance on his brothers, proceeded to Seestan, where he was hospitably received by Ahmud Sooltan Sham-loo, the governor, on the part of Shah Tamasp, King of Persia. This officer met and escorted Hoomayoon to the capital of Seestan, and treated him with the utmost consideration. From this ge­nerous chief Hoomayoon received not only a supply of money, but a number of attendants were furnished for his Queen. The King, having taken what ap­peared absolutely necessary, proceeded to Herat, where he was met by the Prince Mahomed Mirza, the King of Persia's eldest son. This prince omitted nothing of that generosity and politeness which so remarkably distinguished his character, and provided the unfortunate exile abundantly with every requisite for his journey to the Persian court. In his progress, Hoomayoon was met by all the governors of the provinces, who paid him their respects, and made magnificent entertainments for