Muḥammad Qulī Khān Barlās first addressed himself towards the taking of this citadel and appointed a number of brave men to attack and capture it. They drove off the rebels and got full posses­sion of the city and the fort, so that not a single person could put his head outside of a window, and the Uzbegs became doomed men and were utterly disconcerted. Meanwhile news of the victory of the imperial army and of the slaying of 'Alī Qulī and Bahādur reached both inside and outside of the city. This strengthened the imperial servants and disheartened the enemy. Although a letter had previously come from Rai Pattar Dās to Rajah Todar Mal, telling of the victory and of the slaying of 'Alī Quli and Bahādur, and this had come before the troops reached Oudh, yet as the common people regarded those two wretches as asses'* heads, they considered this news to have been fabricated. When at this time the news became notorious, Sikandar continued to keep it secret, and, using trick and stratagem, he sent for Raḥmān Qulī Qūshbegi saying that he had several things to communicate. The imperial servants did not agree to this. At last he sent Ḥājī Ughlan, who was one of his con­fidants, to the officers. They had a discussion with him, and it was arranged that Raḥman Qulī should go with Ḥājī Ūghlan and come back after settling the agreement. The two went off the same day and returned. They reported that Iskandar repented of his past deeds and was looking forward to his obtaining through the interven­tion of the officers the blessing of kissing the threshold. He wished that they should first, by themselves, see one another in an appointed place and confirm the agreement by oaths. It was arranged that as next morning was 'Id Qarbān, his desire should be fulfilled on that day.

In short, Iskandar vacillated and put off the imperial servants by stories and pretexts, and at night came out by the fort-gate, which was towards the river, and crossed over by means of some boats which he kept in readiness for the day of his retreat, and came out of the whirlpool of danger, half-alive. When, in the morning, the imperial servants became aware of Iskandar's flight, they immediately entered the city and beat high the drum of victory. As Sikandar (sic) had left no boats on that side, there was a delay of two or three days in pursuing him, on account of their having to collect boats from other ferries. Meanwhile Iskandar arranged for the security of his family and sent a message that he still stood by his promise, and that he had crossed* the river on account of men's fears. He now wished that Muḥammad Qulī Khān, Moaffar Khān and Rajah Todar Mal should enter a boat and come into the middle of the river and that he should come with ten men and salute them, and hear directly what had been agreed upon. When his mind has been set at rest he would go to the world-protecting court. Those three magnates agreed to his proposition. Iskandar Khān came from the other side with four or five of his confidants in a boat, and held a confer­ence which was a picture on water and a knot on the wind. The imperial servants took oaths and did what was proper in the way of conciliation. But Iskandar did not abide by his word, and said that he could not just now, when he was an example of crimes, have the courage to kiss the threshold. What was necessary was that, in for­giveness of his crimes, his jāgîr should be left as it was, and that he should be nominated to service in the province, so that he might by good actions make himself fit for royal favour. As his tongue did not accord with his heart, he spent the time in idle talk and in spite of the rains he went off two stages down stream and sent an untrue message, alleging the force of the current on the banks. When the imperial servants perceived that nothing would come from the rogue except deceits and vulpine tricks, they crossed the river and pursued him. He, after traversing quagmires and floods, conveyed him­self to Gorakpūr. There Sulaimān Qulī, an Uzbeg who had fled to the Afghans from 'Alī Qulī Khān, and who held the ferry on behalf of the Afghans, collected boats and crossed him over and his men with all rapidity, and so saved him from the billows of the wrath of the Shāhinshāh's fortune. The great officers came to the borders of the Afghan territory, but as orders for entering that territory had not come from Court, they halted and sent a report to Court, relating the facts and asking permission to enter the country. The petition arrived on the day that H.M. reached Agra, and an order was issued that as that remnant of the sword had gone out of the dominions, they should be content at this time with what they had done, and should set about arranging the distracted condition of the province. Sirkār Oudh was made the fief of Muḥammad Qulī Khān Barlās and the other officers were summoned to Court. When the rescript reached the imperial servants, they established Muḥammad Qulī Khān in the government of the Sirkār and set off for the capital. There they did homage and were recipients of auspiciousness.