Advancing five marches from the Sind, the sixth brought us close by the hill of Júd, below the hill of Balinát-jogi, on the banks of a river, at the station of Bakiálán, where we encamped. ^{* * *} Marching thence we halted, after passing the river Behat, below Jilam, by the ford. ^{* * *} From this encampment I sent forward Saiyid Tufán and Saiyid Lachín, giving each of them a spare horse, with directions to push on with all speed to Lahore, and to enjoin our troops in that city not to fight, but to form a junction with me at Siálkot or Parsarúr. The general report was, that Ghází Khán had collected an army of 30,000 or 40,000 men; that Daulat Khán, old as he was, had buckled on two swords; and that they would certainly try the fate of a battle. I recollected the proverb which says, “Ten friends are better than nine.” That no advantage might be lost, I judged it most advisable before fighting to form a junction with the detachment of my army that was in Lahore. I therefore sent on messen­gers with instructions to the amírs, and at the second march reached the banks of the river Chináb, where I encamped. ^{* * *}

On Friday, the 14th of the first Rabí', we arrived at Siálkot. Every time that I have entered Hindustán, the Jats* and Gújars have regularly poured down in prodigious numbers from their hills and wilds, in order to carry off oxen and buffaloes. These were the wretches that really inflicted the chief hardships, and were guilty of the severest oppression in the country. These districts, in former times, had been in a state of revolt, and yielded very little revenue that could be come at. On the present occasion, when I had reduced the whole of the neighbouring districts to subjection, they began to repeat their practices. As my poor people were on their way from Siálkot to the camp, hungry and naked, indigent and in distress, they were fallen upon by the road with loud shouts, and plundered.* I sought out the persons guilty of this outrage, discovered them, and ordered two or three of the number to be cut in pieces.*

At this same station a merchant arrived, who brought us the news of the defeat of 'Álim Khán* by Sultán Ibráhím. The particulars are as follows: 'Álim Khán, after taking leave of me, had marched forward in spite of the scorching heat of the weather, and had reached Lahore, having, without any consideration for those who accompanied him, gone two stages every march. At the very moment that 'Álim Khán took leave, the whole Sultáns and Kháns of the Uzbeks had advanced and blockaded Balkh; so that immediately on his departure for Hindustán, I was obliged to set out for that city. 'Álim Khán, on reaching Lahore, insisted with such of my Begs as were in Hindustán that the Emperor had ordered them to march to his assistance, and that it had been concerted that Ghází Khán should likewise join him, and that they were all in conjunction to march upon Delhí and Ágra. The Begs answered, that situated as things were, they could not accompany Ghází Khán with any kind of confidence; but that, if he sent to Court his younger brother Hájí Khán, with his son, or placed them in Lahore as hostages, their instructions would then leave them at liberty to march along with him; that otherwise they could not; that it was only the other day that 'Álim Khán had fought and been defeated by Ghází Khán, so that no mutual confidence was to be looked for between them; and that altogether it was by no means advisable for 'Álim Khán to let Ghází Khán accompany him in the expedition. Whatever expostulations of this nature they employed, in order to dissuade 'Álim Khán from prosecuting his plan, were all ineffectual. He sent his son Shír Khán to confer with Daulat Khán and Ghází Khán, and the parties themselves afterwards met. Diláwar Khán, who had been in confinement very recently, and who had escaped from custody and come to Lahore only two or three months before, was likewise associated with them. Mahmúd Khán Khán-Jahán, to whom the custody of Lahore had been intrusted, was also pressed into their measures. In a word, it was in the end definitively arranged among them, that Daulat Khán, and Ghází Khán should take under their orders all the Begs who had been left in Hindustán, and should, at the same time themselves assume the government of all the adjacent territories;* while Diláwar Khán and Hájí Khán were to accompany 'Álim Khán, and occupy the whole of the country about Dehlí and Ágra, and in that neighbourhood. Ismá'il Jilwání,* and a number of other amírs, waited on 'Álim Khán, and acknowledged him. He now proceeded towards Dehlí with­out delay by forced marches. On reaching Indarí, Sulaimán Shaikh-záda came and likewise joined him. The numbers of the confederate army now amounted to 30,000 or 40,000 men. They laid siege to Dehlí, but were unable either to take the place by storm or to reduce it by famine.

Sultán Ibráhím, as soon as he heard that they had collected an army, and invaded his dominions, led his troops to oppose them. Having notice of his march as he approached, they raised the siege and advanced to meet him. The confederates concurred in opinion, that if the battle was fought in the daytime, the Afgháns, from regard to their reputation with their countrymen, would not flee; but that if the attack was made by night, the night is dark, and no one seeing another, each chief would shift for himself. Resolving, therefore, to attempt a night surprise, they mounted to proceed against the enemy, who were six kos off. Twice did they mount their horses at noon, and continue mounted till the second or third watch of the night, without going either back or forward, not being able to come to a reso­lution, or agree among themselves. The third time they set out for their surprise, when only one watch of the night remained. Their plan was merely for the party to set fire to the tents and pavilions, and to attempt nothing further. They accordingly advanced and set fire to the tents during the last watch of the night, at the same time shouting the war-cry. Jalál Khán Jaghat, and several other amírs, came over and acknowledged 'Álim Khán. Sultán Ibráhím, attended by a body of men, composed of his own tribe and family, did not move from the royal pavilion, but continued steady in the same place till morning. By this time, the troops who accompanied 'Álim Khán were dispersed, being busy plundering and pillaging. Sultán Ibráhím's troops perceived that the enemy were not in great force, and immediately moved forward from the station which they had kept, though very few in number, and having only a single elephant; but no sooner had the elephant come up than 'Álim Khán's men took to flight, without attempting to keep their ground. In the course of his flight 'Álim Khán crossed over to the Doáb side of the river, and again recrossed it towards Pánipat, on reaching which place he contrived by a stratagem to get three or four lacs* from Mián Sulaimán,* and went on his way. Ismá'il Jilwání, Bábin, and Jalál Khán, the eldest son of 'Álim Khán, separating from him, betook them­selves to the Doáb. A small part of the army which 'Álim Khán had collected, such as Saifu-d dín, Daryá Khán, Mahmúd Khán Khán-Jahán, Shaikh Jamál Farmúli, and some others, deserted before the battle and joined Ibráhím. 'Álim Khán and Diláwar Khán, with Hájí Khán, after passing Sirhind,* heard of my approach, and that I had taken Milwat; whereupon Diláwar Khán, who had always been attached to my interests, and had been detained three or four months in prison on my account, separated from the others, came on by way of Sultánpúr and Kochí, and waited upon me in the neighbourhood of Milwat, three or four days after the taking of that town. 'Álim Khán and Hájí Khán having passed the river Satlet,* at length reached Kinkúta, the name of a strong castle in the hills between Dún and the plain, and threw themselves into it. One of my de­tachments, consisting of Afgháns and Hazáras, happening to come up, blockaded them, and had nearly succeeded in taking the castle, strong as it was, being only prevented by the approach of night. These noblemen then made an attempt to leave it, but some of their horses having fallen in the gateway, they could not get out. Some elephants that were along with them were pushed forward, and trampled upon and killed a number of the horses. Although unable to escape on horseback, they left the place during a dark night on foot, and after incredible sufferings, joined Ghází Khán, who, in the course of his flight, finding that he could not get refuge in Milwat, had directed his course towards the hills, where they met. Ghází Khán did not give 'Álim Khán a very friendly reception, which induced him to wait on me, below Dún in the neighbourhood of Palhúr,* where he came and tendered me his allegiance. While I was at Siálkot, some of the troops whom I had left in Lahore arrived to inform me that they would all be up by the morning.