The next day the Emperor mounted the Panj-pahárí to get a com­prehensive view of the fortress of Patna, and he reconnoitred it on all sides. And the Afgháns, making a last stand determined to fight to the death, kept firing great gun shots, which from a distance of 3 cosses fell into the camp (!). And one shot passed over the head of the author, who was in the tent of Sayyid 'Abd-ulláh Khán Jokán Bégí, governor of Biyánah and Bajúnah, and God (He is exalted!) protected me, and gave me some days respite; but I do not know how long this respite will last:—

(P. 181)

“However much I have wandered about the world of form, Adam was sorrowful, and his descendants helpless, Every one in his own degree is a victim to sorrow, To none is given a passport [of exemption].”

After the fall of Ḥájípúr, Dáúd, although he had 20,000 horsemen and fierce war-elephants without number, and powerful artillery, fled shaking with terror, and on the night of the 21st of this month he got into a boat, and making a free choice of flight set the road to Gour as the goal of his cowardice. And Sarhor* Hindí Bengálí, who had been the instigator of the death of Lodí, and had received the title of Bikramajít,* placed his treasures in a boat, and followed him. And Gújar Khán Kararání (who had the title of Rakn-ud-doulah) sent the elephants forward, and himself made precipitately for the plain. Great numbers through fear cast themselves into the river, and were drowned in the deluge of death. Another body, like mad­men, threw themselves to the ground from the tower and walls of the fortress, and filled up the deep moat with their corpses. Another section were crushed under foot by the elephants in the narrow parts of the streets. When the fugitives arrived at the river Panpan, Gújar Khán sent the elephants over by the bridge which they had con­structed over it, and proceeded on his way. But through the crush of people the bridge broke down, and many renowned leaders of the Afgháns throwing away their baggage and arms cast themselves naked into the river, and never lifted again their heads from the whirl­pool of death. Later on in the evening the Emperor heard of the flight of Dáúd, and entered the city of Patna, and took 56 elephants in the city as spoil. The following hemistich gives the date:—

“The kingdom of Sulaimán passed from Dáúd.”*

He left the Khán Khánán in charge of the place, and himself went off in pursuit of Gújar Khán, who had all the elephants of Dáúd with him. He swam over the river Panpan on horseback, and ar­rived at Daryápúr on the bank of the Ganges distant 26 cosses from Patna. (P. 182) He hastened on by forced marches, and about 400 elephants fell into his hands, but Gújar Khán escaped. Shahbáz Khán Mír Bakhshí, and Majnún Khán, who had followed him, went 7 cosses beyond Daryápúr, and brought word that Gújar Khán had crossed a small river called Balbhúnd, and that many of his men had been drowned.

On the 21st of the afore-mentioned month the Khán Khánán came by water to Daryápúr, and brought all the shipping with him. The Emperor remained 6 days at this place. He gave him 10,000 horse­men as an additional reinforcement to the Amírs who were with him, and all the boats which had come with him from Ágrah, and having increased the allowance of the army in the proportion of 10:30 or 10:40, and committed the whole management of the province of Bengál to him, the Emperor left that place and returned to Ghiyáspúr, which is on the banks of the Ganges.

On the second of the month Jamáda'l-avval* of the afore-men­tioned year the Emperor appointed Mirzá Yúsuf Khán to the com­mand of the world-traversing camp, and sent Muzaffar Khán with Farḥat Khán to reduce the fort of Rohtás, with orders that after he had taken it, he should leave the post of guarding it to Farḥat Khán, and himself return to the Court.

On the 3rd of this month the Emperor came to Patna, and ar ranged the affairs of the place, and took a general view of the build­ings of Dáúd. And one of the remarkable things is, that in that king­dom there are some houses called chappar-band, fetching 30,000 or 40,000 rupees each, although they are only covered with wood. And on the 6th of this month he went to Jounpúr, where he remained one month. He placed that place and Banáras directly under the royal exchequer, and gave the management of them to Mírzá Mírak Razwí, and Shaikh Ibráhím Síkrí Wál. On the 9th of Jamáda's­sání * he set out for Dihlí the capital. (P. 183.) He encamped at Khánpúr, and while staying there Qází Nizám Badakhshí (who was the wisest of the wise of Badakhshán and Transoxiana, and from the world of purity and the path of Çúfíism had attained many high degrees, and has left behind him a description of a portion of it, by the intervention of Fírúzah Kábúlí (who was one of those born in the house of Mírzá Muḥammad Ḥakím, and has great experience as a student of all kinds of knowledge, and writing, and musical inter­vals, and whose mental stature is wanting in nothing) came and did homage. And “The learned Badakhshí”* gives the date. Qází Nizám was presented with a jewelled sword-belt, and 5,000 rupees in ready money. And on account of his lofty understanding and readi­ness of wit he by degrees attained the title of Qází Khán, and after­wards that of Ghází Khán; and then he rose to the command of 3,000 men, while Fírúzah, who was originally in more honour than himself, and was a jewel by birth, having beat a disgraceful retreat declined from what he was, and his business became reversed.

While encamped at this place a message came from the Khán Khánán to the effect, that when Dáúd fled from Patna he went to Garhí, and having strengthened that fortress and committed it to honoured persons devoted to himself, hastened towards Tándah. Immediately on the arrival of the Imperial army fear overcame the garrison, and without striking a blow, they evacuated it and fled.

In the month Jamada'l-ákhir, while the camp was at Shérgaṛh (otherwise called Qannouj) a book called Singh-ásan Battísi, which is a series of thirty-two tales about Rájah Bikramájít king of Málwa, and resembles the Ṭuṭí-námah, was placed in my hands; and I re­ceived his Majesty's instructions to make a translation of it in prose and verse. I was to begin the work at once, and present a sheet of my work on that very day. A learned Bráhman was appointed to interpret the book for me. On the first day I completed a sheet (P. 184), containing the beginning of the first story, and when I presented it, His Majesty expressed his approbation. When the translation was finished, I called it Námah-e Khirad-afzá,* a name which contains the date of its composition. It was graciously accepted, and placed in the Library.

At this time while at Karáúlí his reverence Khwájah 'Abd-ul-shahíd (God sanctify his spirit!) arrived on his way to Samaqand with a view to taking leave. He said:* “I wish to carry this handful of bones to that spot.” He bound a sword round the Emperor's waist, and again* prayed for the release of Mírzá Sharaf-ud-dín Ḥusain, but was refused. He was very much vexed and said: “What more can I say! He has lost his Justice and Mercy, I pray God that he may lose also the gift of Faith.”* As soon as he arrived at Samar-qand he was gathered, as he said he should be, to his honoured father (God sanctify their souls!)

On the 20th of Jamáda's-sání* while halting at the town of Is-kandarpúr news was brought, that Dáúd having left Tándah (which is situate on the other side of the river Ganges opposite to Gour), without striking a single blow had gone towards the extreme desert and had arrived at Orissa, and that the Khán Khánán had taken possession of Tándah. When the Emperor was 3 cosses distant from Ágrah he turned towards Dihlí the Metropolis, and at the beginning of the month Rajab* that mighty city having become the tent of his prosperity, he spent some days in visiting the blessed shrines. At this time Ḥusain Khán, who had come near to Patyálí and Bhongoun with the express purpose of paying homage, was not admitted to the presence, and his Majesty ordered Shahbáz Khán, Mír Bakhshí, not to allow him to come within the rope which was stretched round the Emperor's tent. So he determined to become a Kalandar, and gave away to students and worthy people, and those who waited at the shrine of the late Emperor, and the people of the monasteries and schools, whatever he possessed in the way of elephants and camels and horses and other military stores. And “Alif! what hast thou?”* came true in his case:—

(P. 185)

“For all this magnificence of the created world* Is as nothing in the opinion of religious enthusiasts.”

When this matter was reported to the Emperor, he becoming anxious to show him respect, sent him a present of a shawl from his own wardrobe, and one of his own quivers and arrows, and gave orders, that he should keep for one season more the pargannas of Kánt o Golah, Patyálí &c., (which was a jágír worth 1 kror, 20 lacs of rupees), and that the tax-gatherers should not interfere with him, and that after he had put his troop on the footing required by the dágh omaḥallah, he should receive a suitable jágír. So he, who through his extreme liberality and boundless extravagance, and though exceeding all limits of reasonable power and the exhibition of it, was not able to muster 10 horsemen, procrastinating through force of circumstances, at length arrived at his jágír, and kept close to the northern mountains, and so left the Court, that his return is still in nubibus:—