Riyaz al-salatin 82: AN ACCOUNT OF THE EXTIRPATION OF CERTAIN GRANDEES OF DAUD KHAN.

82

When Muzaffar Khan planned to return to Patna, on the way he detached Muhammad Ma'sum Khan to conquer Husain Khan Afghan who was in those parts, and he causing Husain Khan to flee, came to the Parganna which was his jagir, and entered the fort. And Kala Pahar coming with 800 corps of cavalry, besieged Ma'sum Khan. The latter seeing a breach made, battered down the rear-wall of the fort, sallied out, and gave battle to Kala Pahar. As ill-luck would have it, in the heat of warfare, the war-elephant of Kala Pahar, with its trunk, flung down Ma'sum Khan's horse, and threw down Ma'sum Khan on the ground. In the meantime, the Mughal archers hit the elephant-driver with the arrow, and the elephant, being without its driver, turned round and attacked its own army, and killed and trampled down numerous Afghans. From this cause, the Afghans were vanquished, Kala Pahar was killed, and his elephant turned back. The province of Orissa and Katak-Benares, the whole kingdom of Bengal and Behar, by the efforts of Khan Jahan, were annexed to the Empire of Akbar; and the fortune of the kings of Bengal terminated, and no other king in that kingdom thenceforth minted coins, or had the Khutbah read after his name. And the leading Afghan grandees, like Husain Khan and Kala Pahar, as related above, were totally extirpated, and some fled to the jungles in the tracts of Bengal. In the year 987 A.H., Khan Jahan died, and the Afghans, whose names and traces had been lost, now issued out from all corners, and tried to re-occupy and re-conquer the country. Amongst these, one principal Afghan commander, named 'Osman Khan, combining with other Afghans, raised an insurrection. Emperor Akbar appointed Khan 'Azim Mirza Kokah, together with other principal Omra, to the Government of Bengal and Behar. And he made meedworthy efforts to destroy and extirpate the Afghans. And when he did not succeed in completely extirpating them, Shahbaz Khan came with re-inforcements, as an auxiliary to the Imperialists; and then engagements ensued with 'Osman Khan. The ferocious Imperialists did not stay their hands from the slaughter, capture and extirpation of the insurgent Afghans. In short, in the life-time of Akbar, the fortune of the Afghans declined, but as their extirpation was not completed by the time of the death of Emperor Akbar, which took place in 1014 A.H., 'Osman Khan rising again, re-sharpened his sword. And mobilising nearly 20,000 Afghans, he had the Khutba in that tract read after his name, and from the pride of being at the head of numerous followers, he became aggressive. And taking no account of the Imperial officers who were stationed in this country, he raised his hand of conquest on the Imperial dominions.
Now I adorn my rarity-depicting pen with the chronicle of the accounts of the Nazims of Bengal, who were honoured with the khill'at of the Nizamat of Bengal from the lofty presence of the Chagtai Emperors, and who raising the standard of authority, freed this country from the weeds and thorns of rebellions.