During the first days of the Accession 'Alí Qulí Khán, having received the title of Khán Zamán, led an army into the district of Sambhal against Shádi Khán the Afghán, who was one of the Amírs of ‘Adalí.’* (P. 13.) And on the banks of the river Rahab* he fought a severe battle against all Khán Zamán's available force, which consisted of two or three thousand horse, and defeated him. Khán Zamán was making preparations to dislodge the enemy, when, in the meanwhile, letters came from Dihlí, Ágra, and Atáwa, saying, that Hémun Baqqál with a murderous army, and elephants, and much wealth furnished by 'Adalí, having swept before him the Amírs from the frontiers of Hindustán,* had arrived close to Dihlí with the intention of offering battle. Then Iskandar Khán the Uzbek from Ágra, and Qiyá Khán Kank from Atáwa, and 'Abdu-lláh Khán the Uzbek from Kálpí, and Ḥaidar Muḥammad Khán from Biyána, and others from the frontiers, came to Dihlí, and joined themselves to Tardí Beg Khán.* But Khán Zamán, remaining on the same side of the river Jumna, was not able to form a junction with them. And Pír Muḥammad Khán Shirwání,* who had come from the imperial camp with a message to Tardí Beg Khán, went along with the victorious* army. Near to Toghlaq Ábád [the ancient fortress] in the environs of Dihlí a sharp conflict occurred, and 'Abd-ulláh Khán the Uzbek, and La'l Khán of Badakhshán, who were on the right wing, sweeping the hostile ranks before them, continued the pursuit as far as the towns of Houdal and Palwal, and took much spoil. But Hémun, who with elephants huge as mouutains had remained apart from the fray in the centre of the army, shouted out for Ḥájí Khán who came up from the direction of Alwar,* and then attacked Tardí Beg Khán, who had but a handful of men, and in a single charge swept him before him; but he turned back for fear of treachery, and did not pursue the Moghul. At the time of evening prayer, when the Amírs of the army returning from their pursuit [of the left wing of Hémun's army] reached the camping-place, they, finding that Hémun himself had settled down there, having drawn out softly from the city of Dihlí, took immediately to flight. (P. 14.) But Hémun forbad his men to pursue them. And Khán Zamán by way of Mírat'h* joined this army at Sirhind. The emperor when he heard this dreadful news appointed Khizr Khán Khwája, the husband* of Gulbadan Bégum the emperor's aunt, to meet Sikandar, and intending to extirpate Hémun he made his glorious entry* into Sirhind. And there the scattered Amírs came to salute him. The Khán Khánán,* who, although he was in disposition alienated from Tardí Beg Khán, still in spite of this used to call him “Toqán,” i. e., “Elder brother,” perceiving the cause of the defeat of that army to have been the treachery* of Tardí Beg, and having succeeded in impressing this on the emperor's mind by bringing Khán Zamán, and many others, as witnesses to substantiate his accusation, obtained a sort of permission to put him to death. So at the time of afternoon prayer he went to the house of Tardí Beg Khán, and taking him with him, brought him to his own abode into the tent, and afterwards at the time of evening prayer he rose up on the pretence of performing the ablutions, and gave to some men, who were held in readiness for the purpose, the signal to slay him. So they made an end of Tardí Beg Khán.* And in the morning, when Khwája Sultán 'Alí and Mír Munshí did not come to the Díwán, he, suspecting them also of treachery, had them imprisoned together with Khanjar Beg, a relation of Tardí Beg Khán. But some time after they regained their liberty.
Then Hémun in Dehlí gave himself the title of Bikramájít, who
was a great Rája in Hindustán, from whom the people of Hind
take their era, he lived 1600*
odd years ago. When he had done his
best there to subvert the ordinances of Islám he came with 1500
elephants of war, and treasure without end or measure, and an
immense army, to offer battle at Pánípat. He sent on his artillery
before him, (P. 15) and the opportunity presenting itself to a company
of the great Amírs, such as Khán Zamán, Iskandar Khán
and others, who were advancing as vanguard,*
they took it at Pánípat
after some fighting. And Hémun raising the hopes of the Amírs
of the Afgháns, whose leader was Shádí Khán Muswání, with a
suitable augmentation and a gift of lands, opening the door of his
treasuries, and giving great largesses, tried to console the army for
the loss. But the Afgháns, since they were sick of his usurpation,
began to pray for his fall, and in impromptus kept saying things
to this effect: “Welcome a vicissitude even against ourselves;”
consequently without delay he started from Pánípat mounted on
an elephant called “Hawáy,” and came to the district of Khara-