2. Account of the edicts on matters of royalty.—Sultán Fíroz Sháh issued twenty-one edicts (sikka) and thirty-one instructions ('alámat) upon matters of royalty. The author here inserts their titles for the benefit of his readers. 1. On the khutba; 2. On the sandal-wood throne; 3. On the imperial cornelian signet, etc., etc.*

First Mukaddama.—The first expedition to Lakhnautí.

About 70,000 men of the kháns and maliks having assembled, Fíroz Sháh marched with his nobles and great men to Lakhnautí. * * * Khán-i Jahán remained behind at Dehlí.

Second Mukaddama.—The Sultán lays siege to Lakhnautí.

Sháh Fíroz marched triumphantly through Hindustán and reached Bengal in great strength. * * * When he arrived on the banks of the Kosí, after resting for a short time, he found the army of Shamsu-d dín posted in force on the other side of the river, near its junction with the Ganges.* The passage ap­peared difficult, so the Sultán marched 100 kos up the Kosí, and crossed it below Champáran,* at the place where the river issues from the mountain. Here a ford was found, but the waters ran with such force that stones of five hundred mans weight were borne along like straws. The Sultán ordered a line of elephants to be drawn across the river, both above and below the ford, to facilitate the passage. The upper line was to break the force of the current; the lower line was furnished with ropes, to which men carried away by the stream might cling. * * * When Shamsu-d dín heard that the Sultán had succeeded in crossing the river, he fled in great alarm with all his forces to Ikdála, and the Sultán followed by way of Cham­páran and Ráchap.* Shamsu-d dín abandoned the town of Pandwah, and shut himself up in Ikdála, pursued by the Sultán, who closely besieged the place and threw up batteries (kungura), and dug entrenchments all round it. The forces of Shamsu-d dín came out daily from Ikdála to make a display, and were received with showers of arrows. They were at length compelled to take shelter in the islands (jazáír) of Ikdála. The country was overrun by the troops of the Sultán, and all the ráos, ránas, and zamíndárs of Bengal, who joined the Sultán, were favourably received. Many people of the country of Bengal also came over to him.

When hostilities had thus gone on fiercely for some time be­tween the two sovereigns, unfriendly weather sowed the seed of heat in the moist earth, and the sun was about to enter the sign Cancer. The Sultán therefore called a council, and after much secret debate it was resolved that Shamsu-d dín had taken refuge and fortified himself in the islands of Ikdála, with the belief that when the rains came on, and the country became inundated, the Sultán would be obliged to retreat. It was therefore expedient that the Sultán should fall back strategically a few kos and see what would happen.* This plan was approved, and accordingly next day the Sultán retreated seven kos towards Dehlí. Some kalandars were then craftily sent to Ikdála, with instructions that if they were brought before Shamsu-d dín, they were to report that the Sultán was in full retreat, with all his forces and baggage, towards Dehlí. The kalandars, being captured, were taken into the presence of Shamsu-d dín, to whom they told the story they had been taught, and he, believing it, * * * de-determined to go out of Ikdála and harass the retreat.

Third Mukaddama.—Battle between Sultán Fíroz and Shamsu-d dín. Capture of fifty elephants and slaughter of one lac of the people of Bang and Bangála.

When Shamsu-d dín heard that Sultán Fíroz had retreated towards Dehlí, he made up his mind to pursue him. Some writers say that Fíroz Sháh left his camp (rakht) standing, others that he caused part of his baggage to be burned. Sultán Shamsu-d dín came out in pursuit with a force which consisted of 10,000 horse, 200,000 infantry like the infantry of Subuk-tigín, and fifty mighty elephants. Fíroz Sháh had marched seven kos, and the place where he was lying in wait was on the bank of the river where the eddies had formed a ford. His baggage was in the act of crossing at this ford, when, unexpectedly, the Sultán of the Bengalís came up and rushed to the attack. * * * * When the Sultán heard that the enemy had arrived in great force, he proceeded to draw up his army in three divisions. Malik Dílán, the Mír-shikár, had command of the right wing, consisting of 30,000 horse, and the left wing, also consisting of 30,000 warriors, was commanded by Malik Hisám Nawá. The centre, consisting likewise of 30,000 men, was under Tátár Khán. The Sultán himself proceeded from one division to another, encouraging his men. * * * The elephants were divided among the three divisions. * * * All preparations being made, the drums were beaten, and the din of war arose between the two armies. When Shamsu-d dín perceived the Sultán's army drawn up in battle array, he feared and trembled like a willow-leaf, for he found that he had been deluded by the kalandars to bring his forces out of his strong­hold; all he could now do was to resign himself to the decrees of fate.

The fight began with the left wing under Hisámu-d dín Nawá, and was stoutly maintained. The right wing also under Malik Dílán became hotly engaged. * * * When the time for shooting arrows was past, they used their spears and swords, and when the conflict became even yet closer, the brave warriors seized each other by the waistbands, and grappled in deadly strife. * * * After much fighting and slaughter, Shamsu-d dín retreated and fled towards his own city. Tátár Khan, with the centre of the Sultán's army, strongly reinforced from both wings, pursued; and the Bengali army having abandoned Pandwah, continued its flight to Ikdála. Tátár Khan cried, “O Shams-i siyáh (Black Sun), whither art thou running? A man ought to show his face, not turn his back: stop for a moment and feel the strength of Fíroz Sháh's lads!” Shamsu-d dín, however, pursued his flight, heedless of everything. Forty-eight elephants were taken, and three were slain. The King of Bengal, out of all his enormous force, fled with seven horsemen, and his whole army was scattered. The place where Fíroz Sháh had taken his position on the river was seven kos from Ikdála. * * * Sultán Shamsu-d dín took refuge in the fort of Ikdála, and by dint of great exertion the commander succeeded in closing the gate, but Fíroz Sháh's forces occupied the town. When the arrival of Fíroz Sháh became known, all the ladies and respectable women went to the top of the fort, and when they saw him they uncovered their heads, and in their distress made great lamentation. The Sultán saw their state and heard their wailings; he thereupon reflected that he had occupied the city, had overcome many Musulmáns. had taken possession of the country, and that the Khutba would be said in his name. To storm the fort, put more Musulmáns to the sword, and expose honourable women to ignominy, would be a crime for which he could not answer in the day of judg­ment, and which would leave no difference between him and the Mughals.

Tátár Khán repeatedly urged the Sultán to retain the territory he had conquered, but the Sultán was adverse to annexation, observing that many of the sovereigns of Dehlí had come into this country and had subdued it, but none of them had deemed it prudent to remain there long. For Bengal was a land of swamps,* and the nobles of the country passed their lives in their islands (jazáírát). It would not do therefore for him to act differently from all his sovereign predecessors, so Fíroz Sháh turned back after having changed the name of Ikdála to Ázádpur. Tátár Khán acted with great bravery in this war, and pressed the retreat of Sultán Shamsu-d dín with great vigour. He at one time during the pursuit resolved to put the fugitive prince to the sword, but he abandoned that design and fell back slowly to Fíroz Sháh. * * *