My own ships were still behind. I sent orders for them to come up. The Farmāish came first, and having gone on board of her, I crossed, and examined the position of the Bengalis; after which I embarked in the Gunjāish, and made them pull up the river.* Mīr Muhammed Jālehbān having informed me, that higher up, the river Sarū afforded more favourable situations for passing, I gave orders for the troops to pass with all speed by the passages which he mentioned. While Muhammed Sultan Mirza, and the other officers who had been ordered to cross, were effecting their passage, Yakkeh Khwājeh’s vessel sank, and Yakkeh Khwājeh went to the mercy of God. I bestowed his retainers and government on his younger brother, Kāsim Khwājeh.
About noon-day prayers, while I was bathing,* the Sultans waited on me. I praised their conduct in high terms, and led them to indulge hopes from my favour and good opinion. Askeri, too, came at the same time. This was the first time that he had seen service, and it afforded a favourable omen. That night, as the camp equipage was not yet come over, I slept on a platform on the Gunjāish.*
May 7.On Friday we halted at a village called Gundneh, in the government of Kharīd, in the perganna of Nirhan,* to the north of the Sarū.
May 9.On Sunday, I dispatched Kūki with his party towards Hājipūr,* for the purpose of procuring information. Shah Muhammed Maarūf, on whom I had conferred great favours when he had waited on me last year, and on whom I had A. D. 1529. bestowed the country of Sāran,* had conducted himself to my satisfaction on several occasions. He had twice engaged his father, and had defeated and taken him. When Sultan Mahmūd took Behār by stratagem, Bīban and Sheikh Bayezīd marched against him. He then saw nothing left for it but to join them. About this time I had received several letters from him, and various confused reports* respecting him were current. As soon as Askeri had passed at Haldi, he came at the head of his men, waited upon Askeri, and joined him in his operations against the Bengalis. While I remained at this station he waited on me, and tendered his services.
Bīban andWe now learned by successive messengers, that Bīban and Sheikh Bayezīd intended to cross the river Sarū. At the same time an unexpected piece of news came from Sambal. Ali Yūsef, who was in command there, had employed himself in reducing the country to order, and in introducing regularity into the government. He and a person, who acted as his physician, both died on the same day. I ordered Abdallah to proceed to Sambal, for the purpose of maintaining order and good government in that country; and on May 14. Friday, the 5th of Ramzān, he accordingly took leave, and set out for it.
At the same time I received a letter from Chīn Taimūr Sultan, informing me that several of the Amīrs who had been appointed to accompany my household from Kābul, would not be able to attend them.* Muhammedi and some others had gone on a plundering expedition a hundred kos off along with the Sultan, and had inflicted a severe chastisement on the Balūches. I sent notice through Abdallah to Chīn Taimūr Sultan, that Sultan Muhammed Duldāi, Muhammedi, and several Amīrs and officers in that quarter, had orders to join him in Agra, and remain there in readiness to march against the enemy in whatever direction they showed themselves.
May 17.On Monday the 8th, Jalāl Khan, the grandson of Deryā Khan, to meet whom I had sent Jamāli Khan, arrived with a number of his chief Amīrs, and waited on me. The same day Yahyā Lohāni, who had previously sent his younger brother to tender his services, having been reassured by a gracious letter which I wrote him, came and was introduced. As seven or eight thousand Lohāni Afghans had come in hopes of employment,* to keep them in good humour, I set apart one kror* from the khālseh or imperial revenue of Behār, of which sum I gave fifty laks* to Mahmūd Khan Lohāni; the rest I granted to Jalāl Khan, who had orders to levy another kror for my service.* Mulla Ghulām yasāwel was dispatched for the purpose of receiving this money. I bestowed the government of Jaunpūr on Muhammed Zemān Mirza.
Wednes-On Thursday eve, one Ghulām Ali, a servant of Khalīfeh, who, before Ismāel Mīta returned to his court, had carried the three propositions, in company with Abul Fateh, a servant of the Prince of Mongīr, returned along with Fateh, bringing letters from the Prince of Mongīr,* and Hassan Khan Lashker the Wazīr, addressed to Khalīfeh. They assented to the three propositions, took upon themselves to act for Nasret Shah,* and proposed that a peace should be concluded. As this expedition had been undertaken for the purpose of punishing the rebellious Afghans, of whom many had gone off and disappeared, many had come in and entered into my service, while the few that still remained took shelter among the Bengalis, who had undertaken to answer for them; and as the rainy season too was now close at hand, I wrote in return, and sent my acceptance of the terms of peace, along with the articles* above mentioned.
May 22.On Saturday Ismāel Jalwāni, Alāul Khan Lohāni, Aulia Khan Usterāni, with five or six other Amīrs, waited on me, to tender their submission.
The same day I presented Isān Taimūr Sultan, and Tukhteh Būgha Sultan,* with a sword and belt, a dagger for the* girdle, coats of mail, dresses of honour, and Tipchāk horses. To Isān Taimūr Sultan, I gave thirty* laks* from the perganna of Nārnūl,* and to Tukhteh Būgha Sultan, thirty laks from the perganna of Shamsābād, for which they knelt, and offered their duty.*
May 24.On Monday the 15th, having accomplished all my objects on the side of Bengal and Behār, I marched from our station on the banks of the Sarū and the vicinity of Gundneh, in order to check the hostilities of Bīban and Sheikh Bayezīd, who were still refractory.* After marching two May 26. stages, the third, on Wednesday, brought us to the passage of Choupāreh Chatermūk,* at Sikanderpūr. That same day our people began to busy themselves in crossing.* Intelligence arrived again and again, that the insurgents had passed the Sarū and Gogra,* and were marching towards Lakhnau.
ViolentIn order to check their progress, I appointed, out of my Tūrki and Hindustāni officers, Sultan Jalāleddīn Sharki,* Ali Khan Fermūli, Tardīkeh Nizām Khan, Sālih Karīmish* Usbek, Kurbān Chirkhi, Hussain Khan Daryā-khāni, who took leave on Thursday eve. That same night after the terāwīh prayers,* when about five garis of the second watch were past,* the clouds of the rainy season broke, and there was suddenly such a tempest, and the wind rose so high, that most of the tents were blown down. I was writing in the middle of my pavilion, and so suddenly did the storm come on, that I had not time to gather up my papers and the loose sheets that were written, before it blew down the pavilion, with the screen that surrounded it,* on my head. The top of the pavilion was blown to pieces, but God preserved me. I suffered no injury. The books and sheets of paper were drenched and wet, but were gathered again with much trouble, folded in woollen cloth,* and placed under a bed,* over which carpets were thrown. The storm abated in two garis.* We contrived to get up the tūshek-khāneh* tent, lighted a candle with much difficulty, kindled a fire,* and did not sleep till morning, being busily employed all the while in drying the leaves and papers.
May 27.