“Lo! see all this in my day, but ask no questions.”

And this bazaar became much frequented, but the shop of real military-service* was deserted. But notwithstanding all this His Majesty's good luck overcame all enemies, so that large numbers of soldiers were not very necessary, and the Amírs had no longer to suffer from the inconvenient reluctance of their followers.*

In this year Mun'im Khán, Khán Khánán, sent Rájah Todar Mal with orders to go in pursuit of Dáúd towards Orissa, and Majnún Khán Qáqshál to go towards (P. 192) G'horág'hát, and went him­self to Katak Banáras, in which strong fortress Dáúd was endeavour­ing to shut himself up, and commenced operations against him. Majnún Khán at G'horág'hát fought first of all against Sulaimán Manklí the jágír-dár of that district, who was distinguished for the number of his forces, the greatness of his pomp, and his excessive valour. Him he cast into the dust of death; and the Qáqshál party took so many of the enemy that they were unable to carry them off; and the wives and families of the Afgháns fell into their hands. Then Majnún Khán asked the daughter of Sulaimán Manklí in marriage for his son, who at the present time in the service of the Emperor ranks among the Amírs. Next making war in the neighbourhood of G'horág'hát with the sons of Jalál-ud-dín Súr (who once on a time had had the khuṭbah read, and coin struck in that district) they with the assistance of the zamíndárs of that district defeated him, and pursuing him to Tándah took possession of Gaur. Mu'in-ud-dín Aḥmad Khán Farankhúdí and Majnún Khán kept guard over Tándah, and awaited the news of the Khán Khánan's victory, until after the defeat of Dáúd, [and] the publication of the news of the Khán Khánán's return, the Afgháns retired into the jungles and effectually hid themselves.

Rájah Todar Mal, who had been sent in pursuit of of Dáúd, in conjunction with Muḥammad Qulí Khán Barlás, and Muḥammad Qulí Khán, and Muḥammad Qulí Khán Toqyáí,* and Muzaffar Moghúl reached Gwályár* a dependency of Bengál by continuous marches from Madáran. Dáúd went 10 cosses forward from that place and gathered a large force together [at] a place called Darínkasárí,* and fortified Rohírpúr.* Meanwhile Junaid, uncle's son of (P. 193) Dáúd (who was renowned for valour and bravery, and had formerly served under the Emperor, but had fled from Ágrah to Gujrát, and from Gujrát came to Bengál), arrived at the confines of Rínkasárí* and wished to form a junction with Dáúd. Rájah Todar Mal sent Mírzá Abu-l-Qásim, who is surnamed Tamkúr,* together with Nazar Bahádur to attack him. But these two were defeated by him and returned with broken reins to the Rájah. Then the Rájah went in person to oppose him, and he being unable to withstand him took refuge in the jungle. Thence the Rájah went to Medinípúr, where he remained some days. At that place Muḥammad Qulí Khán Barlás fell sick, and passed to the world of eternity. His loss was a great cause of weakness to the Imperial forces. Then he returned from Medinípúr to Madáran.* At this place Qiyá Khán Gang, being offended with the Amírs without any just cause, retired to the jungle Rájah Todar Mal wrote an account of his doings to the Khán Khánán, and remained at Madáran. The Khán Khánán sent Sháhim Khán Jaláír, and Lashkar Khán, Bakhshí (who was once called 'Askar Khán, and afterwards Astar Khán), with others to the assistance of the Rájah. They join the Rájah at Bardwán. Then he went off alone, and pacified Qiyá Khán, and brought him back. Afterwards he marched by way of Madáran and came to Bajhórah.* While at Borchín news arrived that Dáúd had left his wives and family at Katak Banáras, and was busy making preparations for war. The Khán Khánán came in haste to oppose him, and formed a junction with the Rájah. The Afgháns surrounded their camps with a moat, and fortified it.

(P. 194) On the 20th of Zí-l-qa'dah of the year nine hundred and eighty-two (982) the armies were drawn up in the neighbourhood of Bajhórah, and Mangalúsí* elephants were arranged on both sides. Such a tremendous battle took place, that the tongue of the pen is unable to do justice to the description of it. When the elephants of Dáúd (all of which were fed on good grass and were madder than can be imagined) were put into motion, the Khán Khánán ordered the swivel guns, and cannon which were mounted on carriages in front of the line, to open fire upon them. Upon this some of the re­nowned elephants, which were advancing, turned tail, and some of the veteran leaders of the Afgháns were mown down by the canno­nade. At this juncture Gújar Khán, who was leader of the advance guard of Dáúd, made a sharp attack on Khán-i-'Álam, and Khwájah 'Abd-ulláh, and Kanjak* Khwájah, and Sayyid 'Abd-ulláh Chogán Bégí, and Mírzá 'Alí 'Álam Sháhí, who composed the vanguard, and in the first charge put them to flight and drove them in on the Altamsh* -corps, of which Qiyá Khán Gang was the leader Khán-i 'Álam, leader of the vanguard bravely held his ground, and was killed. The Altamsh-corps was thrown into confusion, and driven back on the main-body,* where the Khán Khánán with the other mountain-like Amírs had stationed himself, and the main-body was thrown into utter confusion and rout. However much the Khán Khánán exerted himself to stay the panic, and restore order, it was all in vam. At this moment Gújar Khán came up, and showered blow upon blow on the Khán Khánán, who being without a sword was obliged to parry the cuts of Gujar Khán's sword with his whip (P. 195), till at last the horse of the Khán Khánán being frightened by the elephants became unmanageble and bolted with him. He went at full speed for 3 or 4 cosses on the pretext of collecting the fugitives, and the Afgháns pursued him part of the way. Then Qiyá Khán Gang and some others of the archers* surrounded the Afgháns on every side, and pouring showers of arrows upon them, riddled their ranks like a sieve. The affair had reached such a pitch that neither friends nor foes had any longer strength left in them to move, when suddenly from the bow of destiny an arrow reached a mortal part of Gújar Khán, who was riding at full speed, and brought him to the ground. His soldiery seeing themselves without a leader fell into utter confusion, and turned their backs on the field, and many of them were slain. At this moment the standard-bearer of Khán-i 'Álam* brought his standard to the Khán Khánán. Soon after this event news of the death of Gújar Khán reached Mun'im Khán,* and he turning his horse rallied some of his men and poured a shower of arrows on the enemy, whose souls like moths began to flit from their emptied bodies. Rájah Todar Mal, and Lashkar Khán, and the other Amírs, who had taken their stand on the right of the Imperial army attacked the left of the enemy, of which Ismá'íl Khán Ábdár, surnamed Khán Khánán, was leader. At the same time Sháhim Khán Jaláír, and Páyandah Muḥammad Khán Moghúl and other leaders of the Imperial left attacked the right wing of the Afgháns, where Khán Jahán, commandant of Orissa, was stationed. On both wings they drove the enemy back on the main-body, where Dáúd was stationed with the other chief Amírs of the Afgháns. His elephants were so irritated by the arrows that they turned round on his own ranks and threw the whole line into confusion. At this moment the standard of the Khán Khánán shone from afar as a sign of victory, and news of the death (P. 196) of Gújar Khán reached Dáúd, and his resolution was shaken, so that:—

“To save what he could he gave his body to flight,
He was content to receive his soul as spoil.”*