Riyaz al-salatin 69: ACCESSION OF NASIRU-D-DIN MUHAMMAD HUMAYUN PADSHAH TO THE THRONE OF GAUR.

69

Sultan Mahmud, fleeing wounded from the battle with Sher Khan, turned to meet Sultan Muhammad Humayun, the Emperor. At the time when Sultan Humayun the Emperor captured the fort of Chunar, Sultan Mahmud arriving at Darvishpura, and meeting the Emperor, and using much cajolery and persuasion, requested the Emperor to invade Bengal. The Emperor, taking pity on Mahmud, left Mirza Dost Beg in charge of the fort of Chunar, and in the beginning of 945 A.H. raised the standard of march towards the conquest of Bengal. Sher Khan, learning about this, despatched Jallal Khan and Khawas Khan to defend the pass of Teliagadhi, which leads to Bengal. And this Teliagadhi and Sakrigali is a place between the provinces of Behar and Bengal, it is very impregnable; it is flanked on one side by a lofty hill and a dense forest which are quite impassable, and on another side by the river Ganges, to ford which is very difficult. Emperor Humayun detached Jahangir Beg Mughal to capture Teliagadhi and Sakrigali. On the day that Jahangir Beg reached that place, just after he had dismounted, Jallal Khan and Khawas Khan, marching up quickly with an efficient force, attacked him. The Mughal forces, unable to cope, were vanquished, and Jahangir Beg, getting wounded, in a hapless condition, retreated to the Emperor's camp. But when Emperor Humayun himself marched up to Teliagadhi and Sakrigali, Jallal Khan and Khawas Khan, seeing their inability to stand the Emperor's onslaught, fled towards the hills, and from thence, to Sher Khan at Gaur. The Imperial army, forcing its way easily through that narrow defile, marched up, stage by stage. And when the Imperial camp halted at Kohal Gaon (Colgong), Mahmud Shah, who was in the company of the Emperor, heard that his two sons who had been taken prisoners by Jallal Khan, had been slain. From this grief and affliction, he pined away day by day, and in a short time died. And since Sher Khan, on hearing about the approach of the Imperial forces, became anxious, he removed the treasures of the kings of Gaur and Bengal, fled towards Radha, and from thence towards the hills of Jharkand. Emperor Humayun captured without opposition the city of Gaur, which was the capital of Bengal, and owing to the ominous nature of its name, he changed it to Jinnatabad, and introduced the Imperial Khutba and coin. The ports of Sunargaon and Chatgaon (Chittagong), etc., came into the possession of the Emperor. For some time, the Emperor lived in ease and comfort, and did not pursue Sher Khan, and made light of the enemy. Three months had not yet passed, since his stay in that city, when owing to the badness of the climate of that place, many horses and camels died, and many soldiers fell ill. Suddenly, the news was received that the Afghans, marching by way of Jharkand, had captured the fort of Rohtas, and that leaving a force for the defence of the fort, Sher Khan himself had marched to Monghyr, and had put to the sword the Emperor's grandees who were there. And the news of the successful rebellion of Mirza Hindal which had come to pass at Delhi, was also received. The Emperor becoming anxious on the receipt of the news from Delhi, appointed Jahangir Quli Beg Governor of Bengal, and leaving Ibrahim Beg, who was one of the principal Omra, with five thousand select cavalry in the former's company, himself swiftly marched back towards Agra. This happened in 946 A.H.