Firishta's History (Gulshan-i Ibrāhīmī) 208.2.4

208.2.4

In the year 874, the King, who only wanted some excuse to invade Girnal a second time, urged, as a cause of complaint against the Raja, his habit of assuming the ensigns of royalty. He, therefore, ordered an army of forty thousand horse to march to Girnal, and to exact a fine from him on this account. The Ray, who was neither able nor willing to oppose the Mahomedan arms, paid the sum required; and Nizam-ood-Deen Ahmud states in his history, that Mahmood Shah distributed the money produced by this expedition, in one night, amongst a set of female dancers. About this period a curious incident occurred, and the anecdote will serve to illustrate the character of Mahmood. He was engaged on a hunting excursion, when a must elephant, running towards him, attacked that on which the King was seated. All the rest of the party instantly took to flight, and the King was left alone. The circumstance by no means disconcerted him; but with a presence of mind which never deserted him, he received the animal with undaunted bravery, and with a spear assisted his own elephant and driver in such a manner, that the infuriated beast became so severely wounded as to give up the contest and fly.