Riyaz al-salatin 80.4

80.4

When the Emperor reached the suburbs of Patna, he got news that 'Aesh Khan Neazi, who was one of the faithful officers of Daud Khan, sallying out of the fort, had been killed whilst fighting with the Khan-i-Khanan, and that the garrison of the fort were contemplating flight. The Emperor then detached Khan 'Alim with a corps of 3,000 cavalry for storming the fort of Hajipur ; and the latter arriving there, wrested the fort from Fath Khan, and reduced it to his own possession. Daud Khan, on hearing of the fall of the fort of Hajipur, deputed sagacious envoys to the Emperor Akbar, asking forgiveness for his misconduct. The Emperor replied that on his personal attendance, his crimes would be forgiven ; and in the event of his non-attendance, he might choose one out of the following three alternatives : " (1) either he might engage singly in a combat with me, (2) or he might send one of his grandees to fight singly with one of my grandees, (3) or he might send one of his war-elephants to fight singly with one of my elephants ; whoever is triumphant in either, the country shall be his." Daud Khan, on receiving this message, was frightened, and seeing no advantage in tarrying at Patna, at night-fall slipped out through the iron-gate, and getting into a boat, and leaving behind effects and equipage, fled towards Bengal.