At this time such a famine and pestilence fell upon Dihlī that the city was utterly ruined, and those of the inhabitants who were left died, while for two whole months not a bird moved a wing in Dihlī. In this interval Sulān Nuṣrat Shāh, who after his defeat by Iqbāl Khān had gone into the Doāb, seeing that he had an open field, went first to Mīrath and thence to Fīrūzābād, and fortified the city of Dihlī. ‘Ādil Khān and the other folk who had escaped from the hands of the Mughuls, coming out of the various holes and corners where they had been hiding, gathered round him; when he had got together this company he nominated Shihāb Khān to proceed to Baran against Iqbāl Khān. Whilst he was on the way, a body of Hindūs attacked Shihāb Khān suddenly by night, and raised him to the dignity of martyrdom. Iqbāl Khān with great energy and promptitude obtained possession of his elephants and army, so that from day to day his power increased, while the affairs of Nuṣrat Shāh, became more and more entangled. Iqbāl Khān leaving Baran, started in the direction of Dihlī, and Nuṣrat Shāh leaving Fīrūzābād made for Mīwāt where 272. he died, and the four quarters of Hindustān came under the dominion of Maliks of the various tribes.*
Then in the year 802 H. (1399 A.D.) Iqbāl Khān marched against Shams Khān Auḥadī* the ruler of Baiāna, and the hostile forces met in the vicinity of Nūh and Patal; fortune favoured Iqbāl Khān and Shams Khān proceeded to Baiāna. Iqbāl Khān led his army towards Kaithar and exacted contributions of money and services from Rāi Harsingh.* And in this same year Khwājai-Jahān was received into the mercy of God in Jaunpūr.
Quatrain.How long wilt thou say “Who has drunk the cup of pleasure?”
How long wilt thou say “Who has gained the palm of fortune?”
What avail all these idle tales, for we must depart,
What profit in all these empty stories, since death must come.
And Malik Mubārak Qaranqal,* having assumed the title of Mubārak Shāh, took his place.
And in Jamaidu-l-Awwal* in the year 803 H. (1400 A.D.) Shams Khān of Baiāna and Mubārak Khān son of Bahādur Nāhir had an interview with Iqbāl Khān, who taking them with him fought a battle near Baitālī on the banks of the Blackwater, which is known as the Kālāpānī, with Rāī Sīr* the ruler of that district, and overcame him, and pursued the infidels as far as the confines of Itāwa; and on his arrival at Qanauj, Sulānu-sh-Sharq Mubārak Shāh came up from Jaunpūr and sat down over against him on the other bank of the river Ganges, but inasmuch as neither of them could effect a crossing, they each returned* to their own 273. country without doing anything. As he returned, Iqbāl Khān treacherously put to death Shams Khān and Mubārak Khān.* In this same year Turkbacha Sulānī, the son-in-law of Ghālib Khān of Sāmāna, collected a large army, and on the ninth of Rajab of this year fought a battle with Khiẓr Khān near Ajūdhan, and being defeated went to the town of Bhūhar, where Ghālib Khān in concert with the other Amīrs put him to death.
And in the year 804 H. (1401 A.D.) Sulān Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad Shāh arrived at Dihlī from Dhār, and although Iqbāl Khān went out to receive him, and caused him to alight at the Jahān Numā* palace with all expressions of service and manifestations of respect, still, since Iqbāl Khān was in possession of all the paraphernalia of royalty, Sulān Maḥmūd became very jealous of him and took him with him towards Qanauj. And in this year Maliku-sh-Sharq Mubārak Shāh died, and his younger brother Sulān Ibrāhīm succeeded him, and came out to fight with Sulān Maḥmūd and Iqbāl Khān. Sulān Maḥmūd before engaging in conflict left the army of Iqbāl Khān under pretence of a hunting expedition, and had an interview with Sulān Ibrāhīm who treated him with seant ceremony; Sulān Maḥmūd accordingly removed Shāhzāda Fatḥ Khān of Herāt, who was holding Qanauj on behalf of Mubārak Shāh, and took that fortress under his own control. The populace of Qanauj, both people and soldiery, joined Sulān Maḥmūd, and Sulān Ibrāhīm returned to Jaunpūr, while Iqbāl Khān retraced his steps towards Dihlī, so that Sulān Maḥmūd was left in undisputed and contented possession of Qanauj.
And in the year 805 H. (1402 A.D.) Iqbāl Khān made an 274. attack upon the country round the fortress of Gwāliār, which Rāi Harsingh* had taken by treachery from the Muslims during the invasion of Tīmūr, and wresting it from the possession of Bairām Dev the son of Harsingh,* took it into his own control.
And in the year 806 H. (1403 A.D.) Tātār Khān the son of afar Khān, forgetting his filial duty took his father prisoner by treachery and sent him to Asāwal, assuming to himself the title of Sulān Nāṣiru-d-Dīn Muḥammad Shāh, and set out at the head of a large army with the intention of attempting to reduce Dihlī. While he was on the way his uncle Shams Khān administered poison to him and removed him, then he released afar Khān and the whole army joined him.
Verse.A parricide is not fitted to be a king,
And even if he is fitted he will not last for more than six
months.
And in the year 807 H. (1404 A.D.) Iqbāl Khān marched towards Gwāliār and Itāwa, the Rāis of which districts all took refuge within the fortress of Itāwa, and stood siege for four months; at last they made overtures for peace, sending four elephants aud other presents of suitable nature. Iqbāl Khān leaving there came to Qanauj, and fought with Sulān Maḥmūd, but was unable to effect his purpose owing to the strength of the fortifications, so returned to Dihlī without accomplishing his object.
And in the Muḥarram of the year 808 H. (1405 A.D.) he
marched for Sāmāna, and from thence came to Rūpar,*
and by
stratagem laid hands upon Bahrām Khān Turkbacha, who had
been an antagonist of Sārang Khān, and flayed his head. Leaving
Rūpar he proceeded towards Multān, intending to fight with
Khiẓr Khān, and at Talaundi taking with him Rāi Kamāln-d-