Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.5.3

78.5.3

In this year Ghazi Khan Tannuri, one of the great Amirs of ‘Adali, who had been for some time at the Court, once more took to flight and went to Hatiyak. In the neighbourhood of Gadha he brought a considerable force to bear against A‘çaf Khan and gave battle. He was slain on the battle-field, and A‘çaf Khan, having it now all his own way, marched against the district of Gadha-Katangah. This district at that time contained 70,000 inhabited villages, and its metropolis was the fortress of Choura-gadh. But in former times the metropolis had been the fortress of Hoshang-abad, which was built by Sultan Hoshang Ghori king of Malwa. Rani Durgavati by name, a lady of great loveliness and grace, and in the prime of beauty, who held the government of the place, came against him with 20,000 horse and foot, and 700 powerful elephants, and fought an obstinately contested battle. Many valiant souls on either side, after striving and struggling beyond all limit or measure, at a message from some arrow or pitiless sword, vacated their bodies. An arrow hit the queen in a mortal part, and when she was to the point of death, she signed to her elephant-driver to put an end to her agony. Nevertheless the tricks of her bad luck did not her from ruffians. Ah yes!— “Every foul fetid beast Finds his foul fetid feast;” [and again]: “A Christian’s well may not be pure, it’s true: ’Twill do to wash the carcass of a Jew!”