On the 14th* Safar, 999 A.H. (Nov., 1590), I reached Bhakkar, where the Khán-i Khánán had arrived before me. The weather was hot and the river high, so he stayed some days there; but when the star Canopus appeared he dismissed me with Bahádur Khán, Mulla Mahmúdí, and some others. We went to Sihwán, and the Khán-i Khánán followed and overtook us there. The people of Sihwán closed the gates of their fort. The Khán-i Khánán then consulted with his nobles as to whether it was better to march against Mírza Jání Beg in Thatta at once, or to stop and take Sihwán before proceeding. They all agreed that as Sihwán was in the direct road, and their men and boats must pass that way, it was desirable to secure it before going further. Having so determined, the river was crossed, batteries (morcha) were raised, and we began to take measures for securing a passage over the river.* But intelligence came that Nawwáb Jání Beg had left Thatta with a powerful force and was advancing against us. So the siege was raised and our forces turned to oppose him. Jání Beg then threw up a sort of fort* on the bank of the river at the village of Loharí above Nasrpúr, and there strengthened his position. When the Khán-i Khánán came within about six kos from this fortified post Jání Beg sent 120 armed ghrábs and many boats under the command of Khusrú Khán and other officers, and also two armies, one on each bank of the river, to make a simultaneous attack on the camp of the Khán-i Khánán. To meet them our forces advanced a little on the bank of the river, where we raised some sand-works covering five or six jaríbs of ground. Muhammad Mukím Khán Bakhshí, 'Alí Mardán Khán, Muríd Khán Sarmadí, and the writer of this history, with several other noblemen, were appointed to that humble fortification.* Our instructions were, that when the ghrábs came up they must necessarily pass in front of our fortified position, because just in front of it there was a large sand-bank from which they must cross over to reach our camp,* In fact, when Muhammad Mukím was sent there he was told that his business was to prevent any danger to the camp on that side. In the afternoon the ghrábs came up, when they perceived that on one side there was water with a sandbank, and on the other side water with a fort, so they arrested their progress, and guns from both sides announced the opening of the fight. In the course of the night the Khán-i Khánán sent a party over to the opposite side. The force which Jání Beg had appointed for the purpose assaulted our gate, but it had been well secured, and their efforts were vain. In the morning, the ghrábs came up in front of the camp. The guns in our fortification were pointed too high, so that the balls passed over the ghrábs and fell among our friends on the other side, killing several of them. The muzzles of the guns were then depressed, so that the balls passed through the ghrábs on our side of the river, and then touching the water rose again and crushed eight or nine boats (kishtí) killing a number of men.* But they were prepared for this—for in each ghráb there were carpenters who quickly repaired the damages. The fight was carried on and the firing continued in this way for that day. On one side was the fort and army of the Khán-i Khánán, on the other the sandbank, and the ghrábs must pass between them against a strong current. The battle continued till after mid-day, and the enemy had many men killed by the guns. They then saw that they could not pass the fort, and that they were losing many men, so they were compelled to retreat. The Khán-i Khánan's boats followed in pursuit and the army harassed them from the shore. Khusrú Khán acted judiciously: keeping his own ghrábs in the rear he sent others in pursuit, and several of the enemy's vessels with soldiers and Firingí fighting men on board fell into his hands. The royal ghráb had accompanied the ghráb of Khusrú Khán and unfortunately some fire from the latter reached the magazine of the royal vessel, and all it contained was burnt. Some of the crew escaped into other vessels which happened to be near, but a large proportion was killed. Still a great victory was won.
Next day we marched against the fort of Jání Beg in which he
had fortified himself. There were some little sand-hills (chihla*)
around, and the place seemed difficult to take. When we tried to
invest the place, the Khán-i Khánán and his officers found the work
impracticable. One night we made a general assault upon the place
on every side, but it was too strong and we gained nothing. It
was then determined by the Khán-i Khánán that he would proceed
with a force to Síhwán and take possession of the country of
Thatta,—that another force should go to Badín and Fath-bágh, and
that Sháh Beg Khán should march to besiege Sháh-garh, a place that
had been built by Sháh Kásim Arghún. The Khán-i Khánán accordingly
proceeded to Thatta, another force went against Badín, Fath
Khán and Jún, and Sháh Beg besieged Sháh-garh. Saiyid Baháu-d
dín, the author, and several other attendants of the Khán-i Khánán,
went to Síwán, where many of the defenders were killed. When
the garrison found that matters were going hard with them they
wrote to Jání Beg that unless he came to their aid, the place must
be lost. Upon learning this the Mírzá marched with great
alacrity to Síwán. When he had reached a point about twenty
kos from us, we received intelligence of his advance. We held a
council, and determined to fight him; so we raised the siege and
marched to oppose his advance. When the Khán-i Khánán heard
this he sent Muhammad Khán Niyází and some other of his officers
with reinforcements for us. We were near the Lakkí hills when they
joined us, and our united force then amounted to 1200 horse. Jání Beg
was advancing through the hills with 10,000 horse, together with a
numerous body of infantry and archers, and he had ghrábs and
cannon coming up the river. When he was six or seven kos distant,
our leaders perceived that if we remained where we were, we might
be attacked on every side. Jání Beg might attack us from the hills,
the ghrábs from the river, and the men of Síhwán from the rear, so
that we should be in a critical position. We therefore resolved to
march on and meet him, and our forces were accordingly set in
motion. Jání Beg received intelligence of our movement through
his spies, but could not credit it, for he asked what our numbers
could be, and what must be our presumption to venture on such a
step. But the dust of our march then became visible to him, and
he instantly proceeded to set his army in array. It was noon when
the contending forces met. When our van-guard became engaged,
some of the men took flight and fled. The enemy pursued, and
coming up with our main body the battle became general. Three
or four fierce charges were made, but at length the enemy were
defeated. Jání Beg stood his ground and fought desperately, but
seeing that all was over, he also fled. The enemy lost many men in
killed and prisoners. Jání Beg retreated to Unarpur,*
twenty kos
from the battle-field, where he raised a small fort and strengthened
his position. We besieged the place, and after some days the
Khán-i Khánán arrived in person. The batteries were pushed forward,
and fighting went on every day, in which many on both sides
were killed. Digging approaches to the fort, we reached the edge
of the ditch, and raised there a mound of earth. Jání Beg was then
reduced to despair, and offered terms. His proposal was to give
over to us thirty ghrábs and the fort of Sihwán. He himself would
return to Thatta but would meet us again afterwards. The Khán-i
Khánán consulted with his officers, and they all agreed that Jání
Beg was reduced to extremities, and that no terms should be made
with him—it was a mere question of a day or two—and if he were
allowed to return to Thatta he would probably change his mind.
The Khán-i Khánán observed that if we assaulted the fort, many
men on both sides would be slain, and that the wives and families
of the garrison would fall into our hands and might be treated with
indignity, for these reasons he would accept the terms, and would
further obtain a mansab of 5000 from the Emperor for Jání Beg-
When His Majesty set out for the Dekhin,* intent upon the conquest of Ahmadnagar and the fort of Kásim, on the 25th Rajab Mírzá Jání Beg died of brain fever, and upon the solicitation of Nawwáb Allání, the country of Thatta was granted to Mírzá Ghází Beg, son of the deceased Mírzá.