Account of Myrza Kamran again getting prossession of Kabul, and of the young Akber, &c. A. H. 957.—A. D. 1551.
The next morning the king, having mounted his horse, rode to Aulia Khenja: here the Prince Hindal also arrived, paid his respects, and offered to the King all the insignia of nobility which he used; after which we again marched, and reached the fort of Anderab, where the king fixed his residence. We must now return to the affairs of the Prince Kamran, who after the battle encamped at Charkeran; the next morning he made a long march, and appeared before Kabul. It must be recollected that when his Majesty left Kabul he bestowed the government on Casim Aly, who had formerly been a servant of Kamran’s; but, notwithstanding this circumstance, he for some time refused to give up the fortress, till assured by Kamran that the King was dead, who in proof thereof produced the Jubba or coat of mail; in consequence of which the Prince was allowed to enter the fort, and again take possession of the young Akber. This news was brought to the King at Anderab, but he was at the same time comforted by the junction of Soliman Myrza, of Badukhshan, and several other chiefs. After remaining a month and twenty days at Anderab, intelligence was brought that the Prince Kamran had left Kabul, and had entered the mountains of Hindu Kush, and was laying the country waste. The king then determined on marching to oppose the rebels; but he first assembled all his chiefs, and proposed to them to take the oath of allegiance; Hajy Muhammed Khan said, “it was also incumbent on his Majesty to take the oath of confederacy;” the Prince Hindal said, “such a proceeding was highly improper;” but the king said, “if the chiefs wished it, he would take the oath to satisfy them.” In short, the oaths were ratified on both sides; and to give the ceremony more solemnity, the king fasted all that day.
On Thursday the king marched from Anderab, and encamped on the skirts of the mountain Hindu Kush; the next day he marched to Penjchereh (now Penjsheher), thence to Shutergurden, where he found his brother Kamran drawn up to oppose him.
The king, anxious to avoid bloodshed, called Shah Sultan, and sent him with a message to the Prince, saying, “that the district of Kabul was not worthy of contending for; let us leave our families in the fort, and let us join and invade Hindustan through the Lumghanat.” The Prince was inclined to accept these terms, but the scoundrel Caraja dissuaded him, saying, “we will rather be hung on the gates of Kabul than give it up.” Shah Sultan returned with a negative to his proposition, and gave information against Caraja.
On this the king called a council of all his chiefs and deliberated on what were the measures most proper to be pursued. After the council broke up, his Majesty gave orders that the troops should next morning put on their armour, mount their horses, and proceed to engage the enemy: Myrza Soliman commanded the right wing, and the Prince Hindal the left; the advance was led by Hajy Muhammed (the king’s foster brother): but when the army arrived within a short distance of the rebels, Hajy Muhammed, who was suspected of intriguing with Kamran, objected to engage on that day, and requested the king to postpone the contest till the following one.
His Majesty at first consented to this proposal, and gave orders for the army to halt, and encamp; but several of the other chiefs came up, and opposed this measure, saying, “the tents were a long way in the rear, that the day should not be lost, and we ought to engage.” The king then agreed that, as soon as he had performed his usual prayers, they should advance.