Riyaz al-salatin 81: THE RULE OF NAWAB KHAN JAHAN IN BENGAL, AND AN ACCOUNT OF DAUD KHAN'S DEATH.

81

When the news of Mun'im Khan, Khan Khanan's death reached Delhi, Emperor Akbar appointed Husain Quli Khan Turkman, after bestowing on him the title of Khan Jahan, to the office of Governor of Bengal. And when Khan Jahan reached the frontiers of Bengal, Khwajah Muzaffar Ali Turbati, who was a servant of Bahrain Khan, and, obtaining the title of Muzaffar Khan, was Governor of Behar, and had come for the conquest of the Rohtas fort, joined him with the troops of Behar, Tirhut and Hajipur, &c. And all the Imperialists uniting their forces, advanced to storm the fort of Teliagadhi and Sakrigali. Daud Khan also with a formidable army advanced to Akmahal, which lies midway between Gadhi and Tandah, to fight with Khan Jahan. But Khan Jahan, by delivery of the first assault, stormed Gadhi, slaughtered about 1,500 Afghans, and advanced towards the site where Daud Khan was entrenched. When the distance between was covered, on the 15th Muharram, 983 A.H., which was a Thursday, both the contending hosts arrayed their forces in battle-rank.
The two armies fell into battle-array ; The warriors became anxious to fight. When the market of fight and combat became warm, The warriors drew against each other sharp swords. From the thundering of guns, and the raging of war-rockets, The sky itself quaked.
Kala Pahar who was one of the renowned generals of Daud Khan, attacking the right wing of Khan Jahan, spread consternation, and Muzaffar Khan assaulting the left wing of Daud Khan, caused it to reel back, and simultaneously, Khan Jahan assaulted the centre of Daud Khan, and a great battle commenced.
On that battle-field, mutual fightings occurred : Both the armies lost numbers of men. From the numbers of the killed, mounds were raised, And signs of the Day of Resurrection appeared. The renowned hero, Khan Jahan, in the battle, Reduced to dust the army of Daud : Whichever side he raised his sword, He severed the head of the enemy from the body. And from this side, Daud with the sharp sword, Caused havoc in the army of Khan Jahan : Whichever side he turned with his sword, He felled on his feet the helmet of the enemy's head. If he struck a horse with his sharp sword, It was ripped into two pieces up to the hoof of the saddle.
And if he struck a spear on the chest of any person; Its point passed right through his back : By the strength of arm, that furious lion Killed many, and squeezed many. But as fortune did not favour him, He could not stand his ground on the battle-field. He was vanquished, and he lost his treasures and effects, Misfortune, like a post-boy, ran towards him.
When the eagle of victory and triumph cast its shadow on the army of Emperor Akbar, and Daud Khan fled from the battle-field, the heroes of Khan Jahan's army, not abandoning Daud's pursuit, followed him up, and at length Daud Khan was captured, and brought to Khan Jahan. The latter, considering Daud's life to be a source of disturbance and insurrection, ordered him to be killed.
His head was cut off with the sharp sword, From the blood of Daud, the ground underneath reddened. The Royal throne ("of Bengal) became emptied of kings, From Bengal, Royalty vanished !
Junaid Khan, son of Daud Khan, who receiving a mortal wound, had fled from the battle-field, some two or three days subsequently also died. Khan Jahan reduced to subjection as much of the country as was in the possession of the Khan-i-Khanan, and sent all the elephants captured from the Afghans, together with other booty, to Emperor Akbar. And Muzaffar Khan, striking up the kettle-drum of return, proceeded to Patna, and in 981 A.H., turned to the conquest of the fort of Rohtas.