Riyaz al-salatin 91: AN ACCOUNT OF THE ARRIVAL OF PRINCE SHAH JAHAN'S ARMY IN BENGAL, AND THE FALL OF IBRAHIM KHAN FATEH JANG.
The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam) 91
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AN ACCOUNT OF THE ARRIVAL OF PRINCE SHAH JAHAN'S ARMY IN BENGAL, AND THE FALL OF IBRAHIM KHAN FATEH JANG.
91.2
When Prince Shah Jahan's army reached Orissa, Ahmad Beg Khan, nephew of Ibrahim Khan, Nazim of Bengal, who from before his uncle held the Deputy Governorship of Orissa, was out in the interior to chastise some Zamindars. Suddenly hearing of the arrival of the Prince, he lost all courage, and abandoning his mission, he proceeded to Pipli which was the Headquarters of the Governor of that Province, and withdrew thence with his treasures and effects to Katak, which from Pipli is 12 kroh towards Bengal. Not finding himself strong enough to encamp even at Katak, he fled to Bardwan, and informed Saleh Beg, nephew of Ja'fer Beg, of the whole affair. Saleh Beg did not credit the news of the arrival of Shah Jahan in Orissa. At this time, a letter of a soothing tenour came from Abdullah Khan to Saleh Beg. The latter, not being won over, fortified the fort of Bardwan, and entrenched himself there. And when Shah Jahan's army arrived at Bardwan, 'Abdullah besieged the fort, and Saleh Beg was hard-pressed. When things came to their worst, and all hopes of relief were lost, Saleh Beg was obliged to surrender to 'Abdullah Khan. The Khan putting a piece of cloth round the Beg's neck, dragged him to the presence of the Prince. When this thorn was put out of the way, the banners of victory were raised aloft towards Rajmahal. When this news reached Ibrahim Khan Fateh Jang, who was Viceroy of the Subah of Bengal, he sank in the river of bewilderment. Although his auxiliary forces were scattered about in the tract at Magha and in other places, mustering up courage, at Akbarnagar otherwise called Rajmahal, he set himself to strengthen the fortifications, to mobilize his troops, and to arrange his forces and armaments. At this time, the message of the Prince came to him, to the following effect: "Owing to the decree of fate, whatever was predestined has passed from potentiality into action; and the victorious army has come this side. Though before the outlook of my aspiration, the extent of this Province is not wider than the area coveted by the movement of a glance, yet as this tract has fallen in my course, I cannot summarily leave it. If you intend to proceed to the Imperial presence, and to stay my hand from meddling with your life, property and family, I tell you to set out in full security for Delhi; or else if you consider it expedient to tarry in this Province, select any place in this Province that may suit you, and you will be let alone there at ease and comfort." Ibrahim Khan in reply wrote: "The Emperor has entrusted this country to this, their old servant. So long as my head survives, I will cling to this province; so long as my life lasts, I will hold out. The beauties of my past life are known to me; how little now remains of my future life in this world? Now I have no other aspiration than that, in the discharge of my obligations for past Royal favours and in the pursuit of loyalty, I may sacrifice my life, and obtain the felicity of martyrdom." In short, Ibrahim Khan at first intended to shelter himself in the fort of Akbarnagar, but as the fort was large, and as he had not at his command a sufficiently large force to properly defend it from all sides, he entrenched himself in his son's mausoleum, which had a small rampart. At this time, a body of Shah Jahan's troops who were detailed to garrison the Fort besieged the rampart of the mausoleum, and from both inside and outside, the fire of arrows and muskets blazed up. At the same time, Ahmad Beg Khan also arrived, and entered the rampart. By his arrival, the hearts of the besieged were somewhat encouraged. As the family and children of many of Ibrahim Khan's party were on the other side of the river, 'Abdullah Khan and Daria Khan Afghan planned to cross the river, and array their forces on the other side. Ibrahim Khan on hearing of this, became anxious. Taking in his company Ahmad Khan, Ibrahim marched confounded to the other side, left other persons to protect the fortifications of the mausoleum, and sent in advance of himself war-vessels, so that these seizing the routes of march of the Prince's army, might prevent his crossing over.
End of Fasc. 2.
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But before the war-vessels arrived, Daria Khan had crossed the river. Ibrahim Khan on being apprised of this, directing Ahmad Beg to cross the river, sent him to oppose Daria Khan. When the two armies encountered each other, a great battle ensued on the banks of the river, and a large number of Ahmad Beg's comrades were killed. Ahmad Beg, not finding himself strong enough to stand his ground, retired. Ibrahim Khan with a corps of well-mounted cavalry, joined him. Daria Khan, on hearing of this, retired a few kroh, and Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang also advancing a few kroh, under guidance of zamindars, crossed the river, and joined Daria Khan. By chance, on a site which is flanked on one side by the river and on the other by a dense jungle, they encamped, and arrayed their troops for battle. Ibrahim Khan, crossing the river Ganges, set to fight. He detached Syed Nurullah, an officer, with eight hundred cavalry to form the van, and set Ahmad Beg Khan with seven hundred cavalry to form the centre; whilst he himself with thousands of cavalry and infantry, held the line of reserve. A great battle ensued, when the two forces encountered each other. Nurullah being unable to stand his ground, retreated, and the fighting extended to Ahmad Beg Khan. The latter gallantly continuing the fight, was seriously wounded. Ibrahim Khan being unable to be a passive spectator of the scene, advanced rapidly. By this forward movement, the array of his force was disturbed. Many of his followers stooped to the disgrace of flight, whilst Ibrahim Khan with a few troops only advanced to the battle-field. Although the officers of his staff seizing him, wanted to drag him out from that labyrinth of destruction, he did not assent to retreat, and said: "At my time of life, this cannot be. What can be better than that, sacrificing my life, I should be reckoned amongst the loyal servants of the Emperor"? At this juncture, the enemy from all sides rushing up, inflicted on him mortal wounds, finished his work, and victory declared itself for the adherents of the fortunate Prince. And a body of men who were entrenched inside the rampart of the mausoleum, on being apprised of this, were depressed. At this time, the Prince's army set fire to a mine which they had laid under the rampart, whilst gallant and intrepid soldiers rushing up from all sides stormed the fortifications. In this assault, 'Abid Khan Diwan and Mir Taqi Bakhshi and some others were killed by arrows and muskets, and the fort was stormed. Many of the garrison of the fort fled bare-headed and bare-footed, whilst a number of people with whom the charge of their family and children was the halter of their neck, came and submitted to the Prince. As Ibrahim Khan's family and children, effects and treasures were at Jahangirnagar (Dacca), Shah Jahan's army proceeded there by river. Ahmad Beg Khan, nephew of Ibrahim Khan, who had gone ahead to that city, saw no resource except in surrender, and through the intercession of Shah Jahan's confidants, was granted an audience with the Prince. The Prince's officers were ordered to confiscate Ibrahim Khan's treasures. Besides goods and silk-stuffs, elephants and aloes wood, ambergris and other rarities, forty lacs of rupees were confiscated. The Prince released from confinement Darab Khan, son of the Khan-i-Khanan, who had hitherto been in prison, and exacting from him an oath, entrusted to him the Government of Bengal, and took along with him as hostages the latter's wife and a son, Shah Nawaz Khan. The Prince sent Rajah Bhim, son of Rajah Karan, with a large force, as his Deputy to Patna, and he followed himself with 'Abdullah Khan and other officers. As the Subah of Patna was assigned as a jagir to Prince Parviz, the latter had appointed his Diwan, Mukhalas Khan, as its Governor, and Alah Yar Khan, son of Iftikhar Khan, and Sher Khan Afghan, as its Faujdars. On the arrival of Rajah Bhim, they lost courage, and had not even the boldness to shelter themselves in the fort of Patna, till the arrival of auxiliaries. They fled from Patna to Allahabad. Rajah Bhim without movement of the sword or the spear, entered the city, and subdued the Subah of Behar. Shah Jahan followed, and the Jagirdars of that tract went to meet him. Syed Mubarik, who was Commandant of the fort of Rohtas, leaving the fort in charge of a zamindar, hastened to pay his respects to the prince. The Prince sent Abdullah Khan with a body of troops towards the Subah of Allahabad, and sent Daria Khan with another body of troops towards the Subah of Oudh, whilst after a while, leaving Bairam Beg to rule over the Subah of Behar, the Prince himself advanced towards those parts. Before Abdullah Khan crossed the river at Chausa, Jahangir Quli Khan, son of Khan 'Azim Kokah, who was Governor of Jaunpur, being panic-stricken, had left his post, and had fled to Mirza Rustam to Allahabad. Abdullah quickly advanced to the town of Jhosi, which is on the other side of the Ganges facing Allahabad, and encamped there. As he had taken a flotilla of large vessels with him from Bengal, with the help of cannonade crossing the river, he encamped at the pleasantly-situate city of Allahabad, whilst the main body of Shah Jahan's army pushed up to Jaunpur.