The Akbarī Generations 53.2
Tabakát-i Akbarí of Nizámu-d dín Ahmad (extracts) 53.2
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53.2.1
On the 17th Akbar called a council of war in the tents of Khan-khanan, when he observed that the siege had now lasted a long time, that he was resolved upon reducing the place, and upon crushing the defenders, so that they should be unable to make any further resistance either in the city or in the country. He thought that the best course to pursue was to first reduce the fort of Hajipur, which rendered very material assistance to the garrison of Patna, and that their operations must be directed to that object. The Khans greatly applauded this scheme. At that same council Khan-'alam was sent off with three thousand men in boats, with the materials required for a siege. Raja Gajpati, the zamindar of that country, who had many armed adherents, was directed to support Khan-'alam.
53.2.2
Next day, the 18th, Khan-'alam crossed the river, embarked immediately, and went to lay siege to Hajipur, while the troops marched by land. In order to see the field, His Majesty mounted a battery of Shaham Khan Jalair, which was upon a hill on the bank of the Ganges, and from which Hajipur was visible. As, however, he could get no certain information of what was passing, in the evening he sent a party of men in three boats toward Hajipur to gain intelligence. When the enemy saw these boats approaching, they sent eighteen boats full of fighting men against them. But the three Imperial boats prevented them from advancing, and by hard fighting cut their way through, and joined Khan-'alam. Victory now declared in favour of the Emperor. Fath Khan Barha, commander of Hajipur, and many Afghans, were slain, and the place fell into the hands of Khan-'alam. The head of Fath Khan Barha and the heads of other Afghans were thrown into boats, and sent to the Emperor. After offering his thanksgiving for this victory, he sent the heads of Fath Khan and of the others to Daud, that he might see with his own eyes what had befallen his officers, and might be led to reflect upon his own position. When Daud's eyes fell upon these heads, he was plunged into dismay, and set his mind upon flight.
53.2.3
On the same day, the 16th, the Emperor went out upon an elephant to reconnoitre the fort and the environs of the city, and he ascended the Panj-pahari, which is opposite the fort. This Panj-pahari, or "Five domes," is a place built in old times by the infidels with burnt bricks in five stages. The Afghans, who were on the walls and bastions of the fortress, saw the Emperor and his suite as he was making his survey, and in their despair and recklessness they fired some guns at the Panj-pahari, but they did no injury at all to any one. When Daud saw the Imperial forces swarming in the plain, and when he was informed of the fall of Hajipur, although he had 20,000 horse, abundance of artillery, and many elephants, he determined to fly, and at midnight of Sunday, the 21st Rabi'u-s sani, he embarked in a boat and made his escape. Sridhar the Bengali, who was Daud's great supporter, and to whom he had given the title of Raja Bikramajit, placed his valuables and treasure in a boat and followed him.
53.2.4
Gujar Khan Kirani, who was Daud's minister, brought the elephants out, and fled by the rear of the city. On that dreadful night, a foretaste of the day of judgment, the inhabitants were in a state of bewilderment and despair. Some endeavoured to escape by the river, but through the crowding and struggling many of them were drowned. Others endeavoured to fly by land, but were crushed under the feet of elephants and horses in the narrow lanes and streets. Some in their despair cast themselves down from the walls, and others perished in the moat. When Gujar Khan came to the Punpun river, he passed his elephants over the bridge; but the fugitives in his rear so pressed and crowded upon the bridge that it broke down, and numbers were precipitated into the water. Those who came up afterwards threw away their arms and clothes, and cast themselves naked into the river. Late at night, when the flight of Daud was reported, the Emperor gave thanks to heaven, and as soon as it was light Khan-khanan having assured himself of the fact, the royal forces, entered the city with great display. Fifty-six elephants, which the enemy had been unable to carry off, were found in the city and paraded before His Majesty. The date of the fall of Patna, which was indeed the conquest of Bengal, is found in this line, "Mulk-i Sulaiman zi Daud raft" (983).
53.2.5
The Emperor remained in the city till four hours of the day had passed, and having made a proclamation of amnesty to the inhabitants, he left Khan-khanan in command of the army, while he himself dashed off with a detachment in pursuit of Gujar Khan and the elephants. When he reached the Punpun, he swam over on horseback, and the amirs and soldiers followed his example. Then he gave orders for every officer and man to press on with all his might in the pursuit of the enemy, and he himself spurred forward. The amirs, driving Gujar Khan before them, secured Daud's elephants, and brought them to His Majesty. On reaching the pargana of Daryapur, twenty-six kos from Patna on the banks of the Ganges, they drew rein, and it was found that nearly 400 elephants had been taken. His Majesty halted at Daryapur, but ordered Shahbaz Khan Mir-bakhshi and Majnun Khan Kakshal to continue the pursuit. They went on to the river Balbhund, seven kos from Daryapur. There they learned that Gújar, worn out and half dead, had passed over the river, and that some of his men had been lost in the water. Shahbáz Khán and Majnún Khán then returned.
53.2.6
On Monday, the 21st, Khán-khánán, according to orders, came by water to wait upon His Majesty, bringing with him the royal boats and attendant establishments. The Emperor stayed at Daryápur six days. He appointed Khán-khánán to the government of Bengal, and left him an additional force of 20,000 horse. He increased his military allowances twenty-five or thirty per cent., he gave him all the boats which he had brought down from A'gra, and invested him with full power and authority. Then he raised the standard of return, and dismissed Khán-khánán and the other amírs. Next day he marched to the town of Ghiyáspur on the bank of the Ganges. There he rested four days, employed in the pleasing occupation of viewing the elephants captured from Dáúd and his Afgháns. From thence he determined to go on to Jaunpur rapidly. Leaving the command of the army as usual with Mírzá Yúsuf Khán, he started at midnight of the 2nd Jumáda-l awwal, 982, mounted upon an elephant. In the morning he halted at an encampment of the royal forces between Daryápur and Ghiyáspur, where he witnessed some elephant fights.
53.2.7
At this stage Muzaffar Khán, who was formerly a clerk, but now an amír of reputation, was sent along with Farhat Khán, one of the late Emperor's slaves, and now enrolled in His Majesty's service, to besiege the fortress of Rohtás, a very lofty and strong place. And he gave orders that after its capture it should be placed under the command of Farhat Khán, and that Muzaffar Khán should return to Court. On Friday, 3rd Jumáda-l awwal, he proceeded to Patna, and spent a short time in examining the buildings of Daud. From thence he started to make the best of his way, and on Saturday, the 4th, he reached the village of Fathpur Sahina, which is twenty-one kos distant, and on Monday, 6th Jumada-l awwal, at mid-day, he arrived at Jaunpur. Mirza Yusuf Khan arrived with the army on the 7th. The Emperor remained at Jaunpur thirty-three days, devoting his time to making arrangements for the army and the government of the country. He placed Jaunpur, Benares, the fort of Chunar, and sundry other mahals and parganas directly under the royal exchequer, and he gave the management of them to Mirza Mirak Rizwi and Shaikh Ibrahim Sikri. On the 9th Jumada-s sani, 982, he departed from Jaunpur, and went to Khanpur, where he stayed four days. Here he was waited upon by Kazi Nizam Badakhshi, who [being graciously received and appointed to office] afterwards achieved a high position among the nobles.
53.2.8
A despatch now arrived from Khan-khanan, reporting the capture of the fort of Garhi. When Daud fled from Patna, he went to Garhi. Leaving some trusty men there, he proceeded to the town of Tanda. He made such efforts to strengthen the fort of Garhi that in his vain idea it was impregnable. Khan-khanan marched against Tanda, and arrived near Garhi. As soon as the eyes of the terrified Afghans fell upon his army, they fled and abandoned the fort, so that he obtained possession of Garhi without striking a blow. This intelligence greatly pleased the Emperor, and he sent letters of commendation to Khan-khanan and the other amirs. Continuing his journey, and hunting as he went, he arrived, on the 8th Jumada-s sani, at the town of Iskandarpur, where he received intelligence of the fall of Tanda.