Next morning, being Thursday, I marched round the fort,* and encamped by the tank of Mallū Khan. When I came, it was my design, after the capture of Chanderi, to fall upon Rai Sing,* and Bhīlsan,* and Sārangpūr, which is a country of the pagans, that belonged to Silāh-ed-dīn the Pagan; and I intended, after conquering them, to advance to Chitūr* against Sanka. On the arrival of the unfavourable news that has been alluded to, I convened the Begs, and held a council, in which it was decided that it was necessary, first of all, to proceed to check the rebellion of the insurgents. I gave Chanderi to Ahmed. Shah, who has been mentioned, the grandson of Sultan Nāsir-ed-dīn, and fixed a revenue* of fifty laks* to be paid from it to the imperial treasury. I made Mulla Apāk shikdar (or military collector) of the territory, leaving him with two or three thousand Tūrks and Hindustānis to support Ahmed Shah.
Feb. 2.Having made these arrangements, on Sunday, the 11th of the first Jumāda, I set out from Mallū Khan’s* tank on my expedition,* and halted on the banks of the river of Burhānpūr. I dispatched from Bandīr, Yakeh Khwājeh and Jaafer Khwājeh, to bring vessels from Kālpi to the passage at Kanār.*
Feb. 15.On Saturday the 24th, having halted at the passage of Kanār, I ordered the troops to lose no time in crossing with all possible speed. At this time I received intelligence, that the detachment which I had sent forward, after abandoning Kanauj, had fallen back to Rāberi, and that a strong force* had advanced and stormed the fort of Shamsābād, which had been garrisoned* by the troops of Abul Muhammed Nezehbāz.* We were detained three or four days on the two banks of the river, while the army was passing. Having transported the whole army across, I proceeded, march after march, for Kanauj, and sent on a party of light troops before us, in order to gain intelligence of the enemy. We were still two or three marches from Kanauj, when they returned with information, that, instantly on discovering from a distance the troops who had advanced to reconnoitre, the son of Maarūf had fled from Kanauj and abandoned it, and that Bīban and Bayezīd, as well as Maarūf,* on hearing of my motions, had recrossed the Ganges, and occupied the east side of the river opposite to Kanauj, hoping that they would be able to prevent my passage.
Feb. 27. On Thursday, the 6th of the latter Jumāda, I passed
Kanauj, and encamped on the western bank of the Ganges.
My troops went out and seized a number of the enemies’
boats, which they brought in. From above and from below
they collected about thirty or forty boats in all, of different
Resolves to
force a pas-
sage.
sizes. I sent Mīr Muhammed Jālehbān to throw a bridge
over the river.*
He accordingly went and marked out a
situation, about a kos below our encampment. I appointed
commissaries to provide everything requisite for the
bridge.*
Near the place pitched on, Ustād Ali Kuli brought
a gun for the purpose of cannonading, and having pitched
upon a proper spot,*
began his fire. Bāba Sultan and
Derwīsh Sultan, with ten or fifteen men, about evening
prayers, crossed over in a boat without any object,*
and
returned back again without fighting, and having done
nothing. I reprimanded them severely for having crossed.
Malik Kāsim Moghul and a few men passed over once
or twice in a boat, and had very creditable affairs with
small bodies of the enemy. Having planted a swivel on
an island,*
at a place below where the bridge was constructing,
a fire was commenced from it. Higher up than the
bridge, a breastwork was raised, over which the matchlock-men
fired with great execution.*
At length Malik Kāsim,
with a few men, having defeated a party of the enemy,
led away by excess of confidence, pursued them with
slaughter up to their camp. The enemy sallied out in great
force with an elephant, attacked him, and threw his troops
into confusion, driving them back into their boat; and
before they could put off, the elephant came up and
swamped the boat. Malik Kāsim perished in this affair.
For several days, while the bridge was constructing,
Ustād Ali Kuli played his gun remarkably well. The first
day, he discharged it eight times; the second day, sixteen
times; and for three or four days he continued firing in the
same way. The gun which he fired was that called Dīg
Ghazi*
(or the victorious gun). It was the same which had
been used in the war with Sanka the Pagan, whence it got
this name. Another gun, larger than this, had been planted,
A. D. 1528.
but it burst at the first fire. The matchlock-men continued
actively employed in shooting, and they struck down a
number both of men and horses with their shot. Among
others, they killed two of the royal slaves, and a number
of their horses.*
As soon as the bridge was nearly completed, on Wednesday
the 19th of the last Jumāda, I moved and took post at
the end of it.*
The Afghans, amazed at our attempt to
throw a bridge over the Ganges, treated it with contempt.*
On Thursday, the bridge being completed, a few of the
infantry and Lahōris crossed, and had a slight action with
March 13.
the enemy. On Friday, part of my household troops, the
right of the centre, the left of the centre, my best troops,*
and foot musketeers, crossed over. All the Afghans having
armed themselves for battle, mounted, and, advancing
with their elephants, attacked them. At one time they
made an impression on the troops of the left, and drove
them back, but the troops of the centre and of the right
stood their ground, and finally drove from the field the
enemy opposed to them. Two persons, hurried on by their
impetuosity, advanced to some distance from the main body
of the troops to which they belonged. One of them was
dismounted and taken on the spot. Both the other and his
horse were wounded in several places. His horse, in a
feeble and tottering condition, escaped,*
and dropped down
when it had reached the middle of the party to which it
belonged. That day, seven or eight heads were brought in.
Many of the enemy were wounded by arrows or matchlocks.
The fight continued sharply till afternoon prayers. The
whole night was employed in bringing back, across the
bridge, such as had passed to the other side. If that same
Saturday eve*
I had carried over the rest of my army, it is
probable that most of the enemy would have fallen into our
hands. But it came into my head, that last year I had set
out on my march from Sīkri, to attack Sanka, on New-Year’s
Day, which fell on a Tuesday, and had overthrown
my enemy on a Saturday: this year, we had commenced our
march against these enemies on New-Year’s Day, which fell
upon a Wednesday, and that if we beat them on a Sunday,
it would be a remarkable coincidence. On that account I
March 14.
did not march my troops. On Saturday the enemy did not
come out to action, but stood afar off, drawn up in order of
battle. That day we conveyed over our artillery, and next
March 15.
morning the troops had orders to cross. About the beat
of the morning drum, information reached us from the
The enemy
retire.
advanced guard, that the enemy had gone off and fled.
I commanded Chīn Taimūr Sultan to push on before the
army, in pursuit of the enemy, and I appointed Muhammed
Ali Jeng-Jeng, Husām-ud-dīn Ali Khalīfeh, Muhibb Ali
Khalīfeh, Koki Bāba Kashkeh, Dost Muhammed Bāba
Kashkeh,*
Bāki Tāshkendi, and Wali Kizil, to accompany
Sultan, for the purpose of pressing upon and cutting off
the enemy; and enjoined them to pay the most implicit
obedience to his orders. I also crossed over, about the time
of early morning prayers.*
I directed the camels to be led
over by a ford lower down, which had been surveyed.*
That
day, being Sunday, I encamped within a kos of Bangermou*
on the banks of a pool. The detachment which had been
sent on to harass the enemy, had little success.*
They had
halted at Bangermou, and the same day,*
about noon-day
March 16.
prayers, set out again from that place.*
Next morning,
I encamped by a tank that is in front of Bangermou, and,
the same day, Tukhteh Būgha Sultan, a younger son of
my maternal uncle, the younger Khan, waited upon me.
March 21.
On Saturday, the 29th of the latter Jumāda, I reached
Lakhnau; and, having surveyed it, passed the river
Gūmti, and encamped. The same day I bathed in the river
Gūmti. I know not whether any water got into my ear, or
whether it was the effect of the air,*
but I became deaf
in the right ear, though it was not long very painful.