Muntakhab al-tawarikh 16: Lodí Afghán.

16

[Text, vol. ii. p. 174.] [Dáúd was now at Hájípur, and at the instance of Katlú Khán, governor of Jagannáth, he threw into prison his amiru-l umara Lodi, who had been ruler of Orissa, but who had since taken a hostile course, and had set himself up in opposition in the fort of Rohtas. He got Lodi into his power by holding out the bribe of an elephant. They tell the story that one day Daud went out hunting with a small escort, and that Lodi, with ten thousand horsemen of Sulaiman's, formed the design of putting down Daud. But Daud went back to the city, assembled his forces, and scattered Lodi's followers. By his crafty management, he got Lodi into his power, and appropriated all that he possessed. Lodi, knowing his death to be certain, did not withhold his advice from Daud. He said, "Although I know that you will be very sorry after my death, and that you will derive no benefit from it, still I will give you one counsel, which if you act upon you will prove victorious. My advice is, that you place no reliance upon that peace which I effected not long ago by means of two lacs of rupees. The Mughals will never let you alone for this trifling sum. Be beforehand with them, and make war with them immediately, for there is nothing like the first blow." Daud thought he had an evil design in what he said, and, proud of the hollow peace which he had made with Khan-khanan, but which was no better than a shadow, he put the devoted Lodi to death. Thus he struck his own foot with the axe, and at the same time uprooted the plant of his prosperity with the spade of calamity.