F.—DEATH OF SHUJÁ'AT KHÁN.

We read so much respecting the actions of this gallant officer during the reigns of Sher Sháh and Islám Sháh,* that there is no need here to expatiate upon them. Most of the authors who have made any mention of his death* concur in representing it as a natural one, but as the following details appear highly probable, and are illustrative of the ignominy and baseness which prevailed at this period, I will abstract an account of them from Ahmad Yádgár (MS., pp. 345-350).

Shujá'at Khán, Ghází Khán Súr, and Hájí Khán were directed by Islám Sháh to lead an expedition against Súrat Sing Ráthor, whose principality was Chonsú. The sole reason for this wanton attack seems to have been that he had a white elephant and a beautiful daughter. The elephant, though so remarkable for its docility in the stable that even children might play with its trunk and tusks, was equally celebrated in the field for its valour and ferocity, insomuch that no strange driver dare approach it.

Súrat Sing chanced to be at Dwárka when he heard of the arrival of this formidable force; but two Rájpút chieftains, Kúmpá and Pampá, having been left behind to manage the army during his absence, collected ten or twelve thousand veteran soldiers, and erected an earthen circumvallation round Chonsú, with a deep ditch, protected by outworks in different places.

One day, after the army of Islám Sháh had reached that neigh­bourhood, they came suddenly upon the village of Nákár, where the Rájpúts were standing negligently in detached bodies, and had taken no means for securing their outposts in that portion of the defences. The three nobles, after a short consultation, determined upon an immediate attack, and the lot fell upon Shujá'at Khán to lead the advance, with 4000 cavalry and seven or eight elephants. Hájí Khán and Ghází Khán were to support him respectively on the right and left. The Rájpúts maintained their ground against every attack of Shujá'at Khán, though directed with the utmost vigour and impetuosity; and at the same time, “the two nobles retired, both on the right and left, because Islám Sháh was ill-disposed towards Shujá'at Khán, though he pretended to be other­wise, on account of Daulat Khán Ujíála, the Khán's adopted son, who was a catamite of the King's. He had, therefore, directed them secretly on the day of battle to let him advance heedlessly, and not give him any support when he required it, in order that he might be slain.” Consequently, when Shujá'at Khán found himself deserted by his colleagues, being determined to sell his life dearly, he put himself at the head of two thousand of his own cavalry, and astonished even his infidel opponents by his deeds of gallantry, “until his horse fell covered with wounds; when, being driven to defend himself on foot with his bow and arrows, he made every bolt which he sped send an infidel to hell.”

The next day, the Hindus being defeated by the other two generals, performed the jauhar, when one thousand women became victims in that sacrifice. Immense plunder fell into the hands of the victors, and treasure was carried off which it had taken three or four generations to amass. “The King was highly rejoiced to hear of Shujá'at Khán's death, and ordained a splendid festival to be held. He re­counted to Daulat Khán Ujíála all the feats of valour which had been achieved by Shujá'at Khán and in order to assuage his grief, elevated him to the rank which had been enjoyed by his adoptive father.”*

What a paternal king! What loyal and obsequious nobles!