When Sher Khán had crossed the defile of Gharí, he saw Saif Khán Acha-khail Sarwání, who was taking his family towards Rohtás. Sher Khán said, “Turn, for the Mughal army is near at hand.” When Saif Khán was apprised of the actual truth regarding the Emperor's army, he said to Sher Khan, “There are but few men with you, and the distance between the armies is small. The Emperor will pursue you with the utmost expedition, in the hope you may fall into his hands. Do you take my family with you, and go your way. Early to-morrow morning I will occupy the entrance of the pass, and while life remains in my body I will hold the Emperor's army in check, so that an ample distance may be placed between you and the Mughals.” Sher Khán said, “It is not right that to preserve myself I should cast you into the whirlpool of destruction.” Saif Khán replied: “All men are not equal; a man ought to sacrifice himself for his own household. * * * My life and those of my brethren shall be expended in the service of my lord.” Although Sher Khán urged him repeatedly to go along with him, Saif Khán would not consent; so Sher Khán took his family with him, and relieved from all anxiety regarding the pursuit of the Mughals, proceeded on his course with all speed.
The next morning, when the sun was well risen, Saif Khán told his brethren to bathe, and be prepared for death. * * Saif Khán's brethren said: “Since you have decided to do this, we are ready to sacrifice a thousand lives for you; it is the time now to act, not to talk; we will not fail to do our best.” On this they put themselves at their several posts, and occupied the entrance of Gugárghar. When the army of the Emperor drew near, Saif Khán commenced the action. Notwithstanding great exertions on the part of the Mughals, they could not force the entrance of Gugárghar. The gallantry displayed by Saif Khán's brethren was beyond all description; they held the Mughals in check till a little after mid-day, when most of Saif Khán's brethren were slain, and he himself was severely wounded in three places; and becoming insensible, was taken alive by the Mughals. They took him before Muyid, who sent him to the Emperor; and he, when he heard his story, praised him very highly, saying, “Such it behoves a soldier to be, who should lay down his life to advance his master's interests.” He then said to Saif Khán, “I set you free, go whither you please.” Saif Khán said, “My family is with Sher Khán, I wish to go to him.” The Emperor replied: “I have given you your life, do as you will.” So Saif Khán returned to Sher Khán.
When Sher Khán arrived at Mungír, where Shujá'at Khán Níází* was, he ordered him, as Humáyún's army was approaching, to take Saif Khán's family to the fort of Gharí, and embarking in a swift sailing boat, went down the river towards Gaur. When he arrived there, he sent his son Jalál Khán with some of his nobles to occupy the pass of Gharí,* and to hold the Emperor Humáyún in check there, while he himself made all necessary preparations and arrangements, and conveyed to Rohtás the treasure which had fallen into his possession at Gaur. When Jalál Khán came to Gharí, the van of the Emperor's army was already near at hand. Jalál Khán proposed to attack it, but his chiefs dissuaded him, saying that he had not been sent by Sher Khán to risk an engagement, and that he ought merely to hold the pass against Humáyún's advance. Jalál Khán, however, did not assent to their counsel, but leaving 1000 horse to hold Gharí, and advancing himself with 6000, attacked the Imperialists, and after a sharp action defeated them.* Mubárak Farmulí, Abú-l Fath Langáh, as well as many men on the side of the Mughals, fell in the engagement.*
Jalál Khán, returning to Gharí, fortified the pass. The night after the action it rained so hard, that the road was rendered impassable, for it was the commencment of the rainy season. The Emperor was delayed in this spot one month, and Sher Khán availing himself of the interval, and taking with him all the treasure which had come into his hands by the fall of Gaur, went by way of Jhárkand to Rohtás; and on arriving there, sent to Jalál Khán, directing him to abandon Gharí and to come to Rohtás. When the Emperor heard that Jalál Khán had abandoned and gone away from Gharí, he sent (on account of the excessive rain) a part of his force under Mirzá Hindál to Ágra, and proceeded himself to Gaur, the capital of Bengal, where he lay for three months, and admitted no one to an audience with him, A.H. 945 (A.D. 1538-9).
Meanwhile, Sher Khán came to Benares, and besieged the governor, and detached thence Khawás Khán to Mungír, where the Emperor had left the Khán-khánán Yúsuf-khail, when he himself went to Gaur. Sher Khán sent Khawás Khán with instructions to take Khán-khánán prisoner, and bring him to his presence, because this same Khán-khánán had brought the Emperor Bábar from Kábul to India. Khawás Khán came suddenly by night upon the city, and seizing the Khán-khánán, brought him to Benares. Shortly after this, Benares was taken, and the greater part of the Mughal garrison was killed. Subsequently, Haibat Khán Níází, Jalál Khán Jalú, Sarmast Khán Sarwání, and other chiefs were sent against Bahráích, and they drove out the Mughals from those parts until they arrived at and captured the city of Sambhal, and made slaves of the inhabitants, and spoiled the city. Another force was sent towards Jaunpúr, the governor of which place was killed in battle, and the same force was then sent in the direction of Ágra. Every governor on the part of the Emperor Humáyún, throughout the whole country, who offered any opposition, was killed, or was defeated and driven out of the country; so that all the districts as far as Kanauj and Sambhal fell into the possession of the Afgháns. Sher Khán also sent Khawás Khán against the city of Mahárta, zamíndár, with orders to cut down his jungle fastness, and to capture him. The officers of Sher Khán also collected the revenue of both the autumn and spring harvests of these parts.
When the Emperor heard that Mirzá Hindál had slain Shaikh Bahlol, and excited a sedition in the neighbourhood of Ágra, he became distracted,* and started from Bengal (as the heat of the season had somewhat abated) towards Ágra. Sher Khán, summoning all his forces from Bihár, Jaunpúr, and other places, excepting only the division with Khawás Khán acting against Mahárta,* collected them in the environs of the fort of Rohtás.
When the Emperor Humáyún advanced in the direction of
Sher Khán, thus encamped about Rohtás, Sher Khán assembled
his chiefs, and addressed them thus: “The army of the Emperor
Humáyún is in great disorder from his delay in Bengal; moreover,
sedition has arisen in Ágra. It is on this account that he
neglects me, and is taking his departure. If you agree with me, I
will try my fortune, for my force at this moment is in perfect
order. Before the Emperor marched against Bengal I made every
submission, and agreed to pay a yearly tribute, if the Emperor
would confer Bengal on me, that I might not be brought into
hostilities with my patron. He agreed to give me Bengal, but
when the envoy of the King of Bengal, Sultán Mahmúd, came to
him, the king retracted his promise, and I was compelled to
oppose him; and now that I have overthrown his armies which
were in Bihár and Jaunpúr, and taken those countries, the way
to peace is closed.” 'Azam Humáyún Sarwání (who had been
one of Sikandar's nobles, and had now joined himself to Sher
Khán) replied: “You ought not to take counsel with the nobles
of Sultáns Bahlol and Sikandar as to fighting the Mughals, for
this reason, that every plan we have devised has by our ill-