Riyaz al-salatin 88.5

88.5

Shuja'it Khan's horse sprang up unhurt, and the Khan mounted it again. In the meantime, another elephant attacking the Imperial standard-bearer threw him down with the standard. Shujait Khan shouted out, "Take care, behave like a man, I am alive, and will soon advance to your rescue." A number of troops who were round the standard-bearer took courage, inflicted serious cuts on the elephant which fled, and placed the standard-bearer on the horse again. At this time, when the battle was lingering towards its close, and many had fallen, and many being wounded were unable to move their limbs, the Imperial fortune blazed forth, and a cannon-ball hit 'Osman Khan on the forehead, and levelled him straight on his horse. Though he realised that he could not survive this wound, still he heroically encouraged his soldiers to fight on. And when he read signs of defeat in the forehead of his fate, pulling back the rein of his adversity, with the last breathings of a dying man, he reached Bengal. And the triumphant Imperialists following him up to his camp, halted. 'Osman expired at midnight. Wali Khan, his brother, and Mamriz Khan, his son, leaving behind the tents and the armaments, and removing his corpse, fled to their tent. Shujait Khan on hearing of this, thought of following up the enemy, but his advisers opposed the pursuit that day, on the ground that the troops were tired, the killed had to be buried, and the wounded dressed.