On account of these occurrences, Sikandar himself marched on Friday, the 6th Ramazán, 906 (March, 1501), upon Dhúlpúr; but Rájá Mánik-deo, placing a garrison in the castle, retreated to Gwálior. This detachment, however, being unable to defend it, and abandoning the fort by night, it fell into the hands of the Muhammadan army. Sikandar, on entering the fort, fell down on his knees, and returned thanks to God, and cele­brated his victory. The whole army was employed in plunder­ing, and all the groves which spread their shade for seven kos around Bayána were torn up from the roots. After a residence of one month in Dhúlpúr, the Sultán marched to Gwálior. There he left Ádam Lodí, with most of the nobles, and passing the Chambal, encamped for two months on the banks of the Ásí or Mendhí, where his people fell sick, owing to the badness of the water. Rájá Mán not only delegated ambassadors for peace, but expelled from the fort Sa'íd Khán, Bábú Khán, and Ráí Ganesh, who had formerly deserted the Sultán, and taken refuge with him. Besides that, he sent his eldest son, Bikramájít, to wait upon the Sultán, who bestowed upon him a robe of honour and a horse, and then allowed him to depart. From thence the Sultán returned towards Ágra; and when he reached Dhúlpúr, he bestowed that district upon Ráí Bináik-deo, Afterwards, he set out for Bayána, the seat of the empire, which he honoured with his presence, and spent there the rainy season.

In Ramazán of the year 910 (1504 A.D.), after the rising of Canopus, he raised the standard of war for the reduction of the fort of Mandráil; but the garrison capitulating, and delivering up the citadel, the Sultán ordered the temples of idols to be demol­ished, and mosques to be constructed. After leaving Míán Makan and Mujáhid Khán to protect the fort, he himself moved out on a plundering expedition into the surrounding country, where he butchered many people, took many prisoners, and devoted to utter destruction all the groves and habitations; and after gratifying and honouring himself by this exhibition of holy zeal, he returned to his capital Bayána.

In the same year the heat of the air became so intense, that almost all the people fell grievously sick of fevers. It had for a long time occurred to the Sultán to found a town on the banks of the Jumna, which was to be the residence of the Sultán, and the head-quarters of the army, and to serve to keep the rebels of that quarter in awe, and deprive them of further opportunity of growing refractory, for frequently the jágír­dárs and government servants and the peasantry in general in sarkár Bayána had complained of the violence to which they were subject. With this view, he commissioned, in the year 911 (1505 A.D.), some judicious and intelligent men to explore the banks of the river, and report upon any locality which they might consider the most eligible. Accordingly, the exploring party left Dehlí in boats, and, as they proceeded, examined carefully both sides of the river, until they arrived at the spot where Ágra now stands; and having approved of it, communicated their selection to the Sultán. Upon this, he left Dehlí and marched to Mathura, where he took boat, amusing himself by the way with various kinds of sport. When he approached the site indicated, he observed two elevated spots which seemed suitable for building; and inquired of Mihtar Mullá Khán, who was called ‘Náik,’ and commanded the royal barge, which of those two mounds appeared to him the most suitable. He replied, “That which is Ágra, or in advance, is the preferable one.” The Sultán smiled, and said, “The name of this city then shall be called Ágra.” He then repeated the fátiha, and in an auspicious moment issued orders for founding the city, when portions of mauza' Pashí and mauza' Poya, pargana Dúlí, sarkár Bayána, were occupied for that purpose; and the pargana of Ágra was henceforward added to the fifty-two parganas which comprised the sarkár of Bayána. From that period this city continued to advance in population, and became the seat of government of the Sultáns of Hind.

The Sultán, after giving orders for the construction of a fort, went towards Dhúlpúr; and on entering the fort, transferred the charge of it from Ráí Bináik-deo to Malik Mu'izzu-d dín, and himself returned to Ágra, giving his nobles leave to retire to their respective jágírs.

On Sunday, the 3rd of Safar, 911 (July, 1505 A.D.), a violent earthquake occurred at Ágra, and even the very hills quaked, and lofty buildings were thrown down. The living thought the day of judgment had arrived; the dead, the day of resurrection. No such earthquake had been known in Hindústán since the days of Adam, nor is any such recorded in the page of history. One of the able scholars of Hind has traced its date in the word “Kází.” Many people say, that on the self-same day an earthquake was felt throughout most of the provinces of Hindústán.*

When the rains had passed, and some time even after the rising of Canopus, towards the close of the year 911, the Sultán went towards Gwálior. He remained a month and a half at Dhúlpúr, and then went to the Chambal, where he remained several months encamped near the ferry of Gaur. Having left Prince Jalál Khán and other Kháns there, he himself advanced to wage the holy war and to plunder the country of the infidels. He butchered most of the people who had fled for refuge to the hills and forests, and the rest he pillaged and put in fetters. As scarcity was felt in his camp, in consequence of the non­arrival of the Banjáras,* he despatched 'Azam Humáyún for the purpose of bringing in supplies; but when he was on his march, he was attacked by the Rájá of Gwálior in an ambus­cade at Chatáwar, about ten kos from that place. A bloody action followed, when Dáúd Khán and Ahmad Khán, the sons of Khán Jahán, displayed signal bravery; and as the Sultán's army came up from the rear to render assistance, the Rájpúts were put to flight, and many were either slain or taken captive. The Sultán bestowed the title of Malik Dád upon Dáúd, and treated him with the greatest kindness. Afterwards, in consequence of the approach of the rainy season, he bent his steps towards Ágra, after leaving some of his chief nobles at Dhúlpúr. At the capital he passed his time in pleasure and amusement.

In 912, after the rising of Canopus, the Sultán went towards the fort of Awantgar, and sent on 'Imád Khán Farmulí and Mujáhid Khán, with several thousand cavalry and 100 elephants, to reconnoitre the place, while he himself remained behind. He conferred the office of chamberlain on Kází 'Abdu-lla, the son of Táhir, of Kábul, a resident of the town of Thánesar, and on Shaikh 'Umar and Shaikh Ibráhím. Kálpí, after the death of Mahmúd Khán Lodí, had been bestowed upon his son Jalál Khán; but as quarrels arose between him and his brothers, they represented matters to the Sultán. Upon this, the Sultán sent Fíroz Aghwán to bring into his presence Bhíkan Khán and Ahmad Khán, the brothers of Jalál Khán, and on their arrival, they were received by him on the banks of the Chambal with royal favour and kindness.

On the 23rd of the month the Sultán invested the fort, and ordered the whole army to put forth their best energies to capture it. At the time which the astrologers had declared to be propitious, he himself advanced to the attack, and the contest raged on every side. The bloodthirsty soldiers hung on the walls like so many ants or locusts, and displayed the most daring courage. All of a sudden, by the favour of God, the gale of victory blew on the standards of the Sultán, and the gate was forced open by Malik 'Aláu-d dín. After making a stout resist­ance, the garrison begged for quarter, but no one listened to them. The Rájpúts, retiring within their own houses, continued the contest, and slew their families after the custom of jauhar. Meanwhile, an arrow pierced the eye of Malik 'Aláu-d dín, and blinded him. After due thanksgivings for his victory, the Sultán gave over charge of the fort to Makan and Mujáhid Khán, with directions that they should destroy the idol-temples, and raise mosques in their places; but on its being represented that Mujáhid Khán had received a bribe from the Rájá of Awantgar, on the understanding that he was to induce the Sultán to retire from that country, the Sultán, on the 16th Muharram, 913 (28th May, 1507), seized Mauláná Juman, who was in the special con­fidence of Mujáhid Khán, and made over the fort to Malik Táju-d dín, and directed the Kháns who were at Dhúlpúr to imprison Mujáhid Khán. The Sultán returned towards Ágra at the close of Muharram, 913. During this march he made a halt one day, in consequence of the narrowness and unevenness of the road, in order that the people might pass through without any scramble or precipitation; but here the whole camp was greatly distressed for want of water, and a large number of men perished from that cause, as well as from being trampled and crushed by the beasts of burden, which were all huddled together in a confused mass. A jar of water could not be procured under fifteen Sikandarí tankas. Some men died from exhaustion, and some, who had found water, quenched their thirst with such avidity that they also fell victims to their excess. When an account was rendered, it was found that 800 men had perished.*