In the year of the Hijra 920, A.D. 1514, it was
represented that Rái-Mal, brother of Bhím Ráo,
Rájá of Ídur, having expelled his brother's son,
Bhára Mal, from Ídur, was assisted by Ráná
Sanka, Rájá of Chitore, and had obtained power
there. At this the Sultán was displeased; saying,
“that Bhím Ráo ruled Ídur by his authority,
and what power could Ráná Sanka have
to appoint Rái-Mal to Ídur?” Wherefore, Nizámu-l-Mulk,
the Jágírdár of Ahmadnagar, received
orders to expel Rái Mal from Ídur, and
deliver over the country to Bhára-Mal. Rái
Mal continued a warfare with the Sultán's
troops, to the year of the Hijra 923, A.D. 1517,
having been alternately victorious and defeated.
In the mean time, the nobles of Málwa, such as
Habíb Khán, dreading Mídání Ráo, fled from
thence; and, waiting on the Sultán, represented
to him the then state of Mandú, saying, “the
Mohammedan religion had been banished from
thence; that Mídání Ráo had caused many of
the faithful to be slain, and would soon put to
death or imprison Mahmúd, the king of Málwa.”
In consequence of this, the Sultán of Gujarát
said, “that at the end of the rainy season he
would advance into Málwa, in order to punish
Mídání Ráo.” At this time, Sultán Mahmúd of
Málwa, perceiving the whole resources of this
country were at the disposal of Mídání Ráo,
and that he himself was strictly watched, found
opportunity, one night, of mounting on one horse,
whilst he placed his wife on another; and having
escaped to Gujarát, was on his arrival there
congratulated by Sultán Muzaffir;*
who, after
furnishing him with a tent, elephants, horses,
and whatsoever else was proper for a king, advanced
18th November,
A.D. 1517.
29th November.
On Tuesday the 15th of the same
month, Sultán Muzaffir met Sultán Mahmúd of
Málwa at the town of Deoláh; and marching
from thence by regular stages, the Sultán encamped
with his army in the neighbourhood of
7th December.
The Ráná, being bribed by means of several jewels and fine elephants, which Mídání Ráo had taken from Sultán Mahmúd of Málwa, was induced to send a large army as far as Sarangpúr. The Sultán, being made acquainted with this, and having discovered the treachery of the besieged, sent Ádil Khán Asírí Kawámu-l-Mulk, and Malik Sarang, with several other brave and intelligent men, in order to keep in check the Ráná; whilst he himself, ordering the assault to be made on the fort, captured it on Monday the 2d of Safar of A. Hij. 924, A.D. 1518. On this occasion, nineteen thousand Rájpúts, and fifty-seven officers of rank, whose names are detailed in the histories called Mirát Sikandarí and Muzaffir Sháhí, were slain. The departure of the Sultán, the entertainment given to him by the king of Málwa, and his visit to the fort, are also detailed in the above-mentioned histories.
In the following year of the Hijra 925, A.D. 1519, intelligence was received that a great battle had been fought between Ráná Sanka and the king of Málwa, and that the latter, after being wounded, had fallen into the hands of his enemies. The Sultán was much astonished on receiving the news of these events, and sent an army for the protection of Mandú. Ráná Sanka permitted Sultán Mahmúd of Málwa to return to Mandú, after his wounds were healed, and retained his son as a pledge.
Moreover, Ráná Sanka, hastening towards Ídur, in A. Hij. 926, A.D. 1520, made war on the Jágírdárs of Ahmadnagar and other places. The Sultán's troops, then opposed to him, being defeated, the Ráná was enabled to advance as far as Barnagar and Bísalnagar, which he plundered; but, after hearing that the royal army had left Patan and Ahmadábád, in order to bring him to order, he returned to Chitore.
In the year of the Hijra 927, A.D. 1520-21,
1st Muharram,
12th December,
A.D. 1520.
In the same year, a peace was patched up with the Ráná, in consequence of the hypocritical conduct of the officers commanding the troops, who now returned to Ahmadábád. The Sultán, in consequence of this, showed his displeasure with Malik Ayáz, by saying that he would go himself after the rains, and complete the business: whilst Malik Ayáz received permission to proceed to Sorath.
In A. Hij. 928, A.D. 1521-22, having prepared for an expedition, in order to punish the Ráná, he came to Ahmadábád; but the Ráná's son having, in the mean time, waited on the Sultán, with the promised elephants and tribute, the expedition was stopped.
In A. Hij. 931, A.D. 1524-25, the prince, Bahádur Khán, who was displeased with the smallness of his jágír, went to Dehlí, by way of Dúngarpúr, Chitore, and Mewat, in order that he might have a meeting with Sultán Ibrahím Sháh Lódí of Dehlí. At this time, the latter, who had opposed Zahíru-d-dín Bábar Pádsháh, on the plains of Pánipat, sent for Bahádur Khán, and received him with much honour and respect. When Sultán Ibrahím Lódí, and other people of Dehlí, became acquainted with the bravery and intrepidity of Bahádur, they were filled with jealousy. Bahádur Khán, aware of this circumstance, went towards Júnpúr, where, on his arrival, he heard Muzaffir was dead; and immediately set out on his journey for Gujarát.
Sultán Muzaffir was much vexed when he
heard that Bahádur Khán had gone towards
Bágarh in disgust; and indicated his anxiety to
pacify him, and make him return; but the prince
had previously abandoned the country. At this
time, the Sultán fell sick; when, at length, in
the year of the Hijra 932, A.D. 1525-26, having
come on account of this very sickness from
Mahmúdábád Chámpánír to Baroda, he proceeded
by easy stages to Ahmadábád, and took
up his residence there, in the palace which is
called Ghattámandal. Men nowbegan to despair
of his life; and the prince, Latíf Khán,
through fear that his brother Sikandar Khán,
heir to the throne, would not leave him alive,
1st Jumádá-s-sání,
15th March,
A.D. 1526.
On the second of the same month, Sultán Muzaffir ordered that Sikandar Khán should be called to him, when he exhorted him to study the interests of his kingdom; and, after asking a blessing for great and poor, he departed this life on Friday the 22d of Jumádá-s-sání, of A. Hij. 932. He was buried in the mausoleum of Mahmúd Bígarrah, which stands at Sirkej, after he had reigned fourteen years and nine months.
This king was a follower of Sayyid Táhir, who is buried at Baroda. For piety and learning, clemency and intelligence, liberality and bravery, he had no equal of his time: and he is known by the name of the clement Muzaffir, on account of his many merciful acts. The author of the Mirát Sikandarí tells us that there were no drunkards in his time, and that good manners were agreeable to him. On account of his clemency, he was careless of punishing many things that required it; and such conduct was on the whole the cause of disturbances. As universally known, the Sultán once ordered part of the lands in the Parganah of Jhaláwár should not be sown, but left as waste, because the people in that part complained that in consequence of the many cultivated fields they had no pasturage for their cattle.