When* an order was given for the conquest of this country, the Prince made preparations for the expedition. The Khān-khānān was delayed by men's not having assembled. Before he joined, there arose some dust of dissension. The Prince's idea was that the lead­ers of the troops should join him (in Gujarāt) and proceed from there to the Deccan. The Commander-in-chief's idea was that he should march by himself by the route of Mālwa. When* they had settled their plans, the Prince left Aḥmadābād on 20th Ābān of the previous year (about 30th Oct. 1594), and stayed for some time in Broach, waiting for troops.* On 22nd Khirdād (beginning of June ⁶⁹⁹ 1595), he left that place. The Khān-khānān, after collecting his men, spent some time in Bhilsa (in Gwāliyār), which was his fief, and on 9th Amardād (19 July, 1595), proceeded towards Ujjain. The Prince was angry at this and sent him an indignant letter. The Khān-khānān represented that the ruler of Khāndesh was using the lan­guage of concord, and that, apparently he would join the imperial army. His (the Rājah's) mind was somewhat disturbed, and it would be proper (for the prince) to spend some time in Gujarāt in the enjoyment of hunting. The Prince from anxiety about the expedi­tion, became somewhat angry, and tale-bearers and interested persons widened the breach. He proceeded to Aḥmadnagar with the Gujarāt army. While the imperial servants and Rājah 'Alī K. were marching to join the Prince, news (of his departure) came and filled them with sorrow. The Khān-khānān left his army, his artillery, and his elephants with Shāhrukh and the other officers, and went off rapidly with Rājah 'Alī. On 19th Aẕar (29th Nov. 1595), he joined the Prince near the fortress of Cāndor* 30 kos from Aḥmadnagar. From want of experience, and evil teaching, the Prince did not admit them to pay their respects. He went off* to a distance and only after much discussion granted an audience. When the army came up afterwards it was not treated in a soothing way. The Khān-khānān and many of the auxiliary troops (kumakī) became disgusted and he withdrew his hand from the work. Ṣādiq K. quarrelled with* Shahbāz K. on account of the old grudge and he (Shahbāz), out of apprehension, seldom went to the darbār. On 7th Dai the troops assembled half a kos from the city. Many soldiers and peasants received comforting messages (i.e. safe-conducts). On that day the K.K. and Shahbāz went to the city, and owing to their neglect some soldiers committed plunder.* With great difficulty they were restrained, but the citizens lost heart on beholding the breach of promises. On the 8th (18 December 1595), the fort was invested, and Cānd Bībi, the sister of Burhān, undertook the defence. When Aḥmad was raised to the sovereignty, Ikhlās came to Aḥmadnagar to support Motī. He was defeated and fled to Pattan.* When the victorious troops joined* together, Manjū took Aḥmad and proceeded with some money and elephants to Bījāpūr. He was nearly being made prisoner, but escaped owing to the neglect of the generals. The siege of the fort, which from that day commenced, became a tedious affair. Cānd Bībī, who was afraid of the fort's being taken, resolved, on hearing of the news (of the dissensions?), upon resisting. On the 9th Shāh 'Alī and Abhang K. with a large body of men made a night attack on the Khān-khānān's entrenchments. There was a great fight, and many of the enemy were killed. They returned to the fort, unsuccessful. If the success had been a little prose­cuted, they would have been taken, or active men would have entered the fort along with them. Things became difficult on account of the dissensions in the army, the closing of the roads, and the want of food. Though ingenious and right-thinking persons represented that three great armies had assembled, and that each ⁷⁰⁰ should take upon itself one of three things: 1st, to take the fort; 2nd, to conquer the country; 3rd, to guard the roads, not one was done. On the 13th a party of scoundrels did injury to the camp and the ani­mals, but retreated without accomplishing their object. Saiyīd* Rājah and several of his brethren died bravely and H.M. left his fief to his sons. On the 16th Sa'ādat K.* plundered a Gujarāt caravan which had almost arrived, and Sayyid 'Ālam and some others were killed. Shaikh M'arūf and a party moved quickly and made their escape, and Ṣādiq K. took Rājah 'Alī K. and others with him and set about chastising him (i.e. Sa'ādat K.), but was not successful. He only made himself and the ruler of Khāndesh too trivial. The thread of proper appreciation should not be cast aside and a tiger should not be sent to fight a jackal. On the 19th Sher Khwāja, Sh. Daulat, Kāmrān Beg, Daulat K. and some other brave men were sent to Pattan. After a severe engagement they defeated Ikhlāṣ K., and obtained much plunder. As there was no leader to stop oppres­sion, the inhabitants of Pattan— who held writings guarding their quarters—were plundered to the uttermost,* and high and low were terrified by seeing the bad faith. On the 11th Isfandārmaẕ (21 February, 1596), the wall of the fort was somewhat broken. In the prince's entrenchment the foundations of the fort were made empty by extensive excavations. These were filled with gunpowder and set on fire. Thirty yards of wall were thrown down. Active men were ready to enter, but as the mine in Ṣādiq's battery had been discovered,* and emptied, the besiegers delayed till it should explode, being appre­hensive that what had happened at Chitor might occur. So long did they delay that the garrison replaced the wall. Next* day some brave men ran to that quarter, but gained nothing except their own loss. The end of the day shone upon failure, and the darkness of the night prevented success. The garrison who—seeing the dissensions among the besiegers—had recovered their courage, became somewhat bewildered and proposed a peace. They represented that they would take Bahādur, Burhān's grandson, out of prison and give this child the title of Niām-ul-mulkī and would make him a servant of the sublime court, that the territory of Aḥmadnagar should be made his fief, and that as a thankoffering the country of Berār would be made over to the victorious army, and that jewels, choice elephants, and other varieties, would be given as presents. A party of men, owing to ignorance, and some, from interested motives, accepted these improper proposals. Though able men represented the want of food, the dismay and the trickery of the garrison, it was of no avail. Owing to the influence of bribes, and the listening to idle tales, the peace-proposals were accepted on 13 Isfandārmaẕ (23 Feb­ruary, 1596), and fighting was laid* aside.

⁷⁰¹ On the 15th the lunar weighment of H.M. took place and there was a great feast. The holy frame was weighed against eight articles, and the wishful had their desires gratified.