Firishta's History (Gulshan-i Ibrāhīmī) 56.6
History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India (Briggs) 56.6
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56.6.1
On the death of Sikundur Lody, King of Hindoostan, he was succeeded, as we have already related, by his son Ibrahim. In his reign, the Afghan chiefs settled in India nearly subverted his power; and Babur deemed it a favourable opportunity to establish himself in a quarter, the conquest of which he had long meditated. He failed, however, in four successive campaigns; but eventually succeeded in his fifth and last attempt, which we shall proceed to detail. Babur's first campaign took place in the year 925. On this occasion he marched his army as far as the Indus, to where it is called the Neelab; he overran with his troops all the countries on his route, and crossing the river, advanced to Berah in Punjab. In this province he levied a contribution of 400,000 sharookhies on the inhabitants, instead of permitting his troops to plunder. From Berah he deputed one Mowlana Moorshid to Ibrahim Lody, acquainting him, that as the Punjab had been frequently in the possession of the house of Teimoor, it was fit he should relinquish his pretensions to it, and thus prevent the war from being carried farther into India. At this place Babur received accounts of the birth of a son, while preparing to invade Hind, whom he caused to be called Hindal Mirza. Having appointed Hussun Beg Atka governor of the countries which he had subdued, as far as the Chunab, he marched in person against the Gukkurs, and laid siege to the fort of Birhala. The Gukkurs sallied, but were defeated by Dost Beg Mogul;
56.6.2
and the King in person, cutting off their retreat to the fort, compelled them to fly to the mountains. The fort of Birhala, in which was considerable treasure, fell, without further opposition, to Babur; in which having left Mahomed Ally, he returned to Kabul. In the latter end of the same year, Babur returned a second time towards Hindoostan, in order to reduce Lahore. On the route, he defeated the Yoosoofzye Afghans, who endeavoured to oppose his progress. On reaching Pishawur, he caused that fort to be repaired, and proceeded to the Indus. Intelligence was now brought that Sooltan Syeed, the King of Kashghar, was in full march towards Budukhshan, which induced Babur to return. At the same time he left Mahomed Sooltan Mirza, Bin Sooltan Ooveis, Bin Kirany, Bin Munsoor, Bin Oomr Sheikh, Bin Ameer Teimoor, with 4000 horse, to prosecute the war in the East. Babur had scarcely reached Kabul, when he learned that the King of Kashghar had retreated. His attention being directed to the Afghans of the tribe of Khizr Kheil, who had made depredations on Kabul during his absence, he entered and sacked their country, and returned to his capital.
56.6.3
In the year 926, Babur marched a third time towards India, attacking the Afghans on his route. On reaching Sealkote the inhabitants submitted, and thus saved their property from plunder: not so the people of Syudpoor, who making a vigorous defence, the garrison was put to the sword, and their families carried into captivity. Babur was here met by intelligence of an army from Kandahar having invaded the territory of Kabul; abandoning, therefore, his projects in India, he returned to his capital, and not only expelled the invaders, but pursued them, and laid siege to Kandahar. In the mean time he received advice of the death of Khan Mirza, in Budukhshan, in whose stead Babur appointed his son Hoomayoon governor. Shah Beg Arghoon, of Kandahar, maintained the siege with great obstinacy for three years; but in the year 928, Kandahar fell, as well as all the country of Gurmseer, into Babur's hands. The Prince Kamran Mirza, Babur's second son, was placed in charge of the government. Shah Beg Arghoon being thus compelled to seek safety in flight, retreated with a few of his tribe, and found refuge in the city of Bhukkur, the capital of Sind.
56.6.4
Soon after the occupation of Kandahar, Dowlut Khan Lody, an Indian chief, apprehensive of treachery on the part of Ibrahim Lody, King of Dehly, sent a deputation to wait on Babur at Kabul, offering to place Lahore in his hands. In the year 930, Babur, having augmented his army, advanced through the territory of the Gukkurs, to within six coss of Lahore, where he was opposed by Behar Khan Lody, Moobarik Khan Lody, and Bhikun Khan Lohany, Indian officers stationed in the Punjab; but they being defeated with great slaughter, Babur entered Lahore in triumph, when he set fire to the bazar, a superstitious practice common among the Moguls. Babur remained only four days in Lahore, before he proceeded against Depalpoor. The garrison having forced him to risk an assault, he put the whole to the sword. Dowlut Khan Lody, who had been expelled from Lahore by the King of Dehly, and had taken protection among the Bulochies, now joined Babur at Depalpoor, together with his three sons. He was favourably received, and being inrolled among the nobles of the court, was appointed governor of Jalendur, Sooltanpoor, and other districts of Punjab. I have heard from persons of veracity, that this Dowlut Khan Lody was a lineal descendant of the person of the same name who ascended the throne of Dehly in the year 816 (A. D. 1414.) At this time, Dowlut Khan proposed to Babur to send a force to Dura Ismael Khan, where several hostile Afghan chiefs had collected a force.
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The King prepared to do so, when Dilawur Khan, the youngest son of Dowlut Khan Lody, acquainted Babur privately that his father and brother only wanted to separate the Mogul troops in order to fall on them. On enquiry, Babur became convinced of the truth of this information, and ordered Dowlut Khan and his son Ghazy Khan into confinement. On crossing the Sutlooj, however, and advancing to Nowshehra, he caused them to be released, and conferred the revenues of Sooltanpoor on them for their subsistence. On reaching Sooltanpoor, these chiefs, collecting their families, fled to the hills; on hearing of which circumstance, Babur conferred on Dilawur Khan the title of Khan Khanan, and gave over into his hands the family estates; but as the desertion of Dowlut Khan greatly affected Babur's interest in Hindoostan, he deemed it inadvisable to prosecute any attempt on Dehly this year. Accordingly he proceeded to Lahore, and made the following arrangements for the government of his newly-acquired provinces: — He appointed Meer Abdool Azeez, governor of Lahore; Khoosrow Gokultash, governor of Sealkote; Baba Kushka, under the orders of Sooltan Alla-ood-Deen, (brother of Ibrahim Lody, King of Dehly,) was made governor of Depalpoor; and Mahomed Ally Tajeek, governor of Kulanore; after which Babur returned to Kabul.
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During his absence, Dowlut Khan Lody found means to seize his son, Dilawur Khan, who had betrayed him, and put him in chains; he then marched to Depalpoor, and attacked the Prince Alla-ood-Deen Lody, brother of the King Ibrahim Lody, and defeating him, occupied his country. Alla-ood-Deen fled to Kabul, and Baba Kushka, the Mogul general, retreated to Lahore. Dowlut Khan Lody now sent 5000 Afghans to recover Sealkote; but Meer Abdool Azeez, governor of Lahore, having marched with reinforcements to the assistance of Khoosrow Gokultash, the Afghans were defeated, and Meer Abdool Azeez returned to Lahore.
56.6.7
Meanwhile Ibrahim Lody, King of Dehly, proceeded against Dowlut Khan and his son; but such was the influence of these officers, that they contrived to sow dissensions in the King's camp at Bejwara, and gained over a part of the troops: the remainder were compelled to return to Ibrahim Lody without risking a battle. Alla-ood-Deen Lody, who, having lost Depalpoor, had fled to Kabul, now returned to Lahore, conveying Babur's orders to his officers in those parts to join him with their forces, and to march towards Dehly; and Babur promised that he would support them in person as soon as his affairs in Kabul should permit. Dowlut Khan and Ghazy Khan Lody, hearing of this determination on the part of Babur, wrote to the Mogul chiefs, that they were also prepared to espouse the cause of Alla-ood-Deen, and to aid in raising him to the throne of Dehly. The Moguls, having obtained for Babur the formal cession of all the countries west of Lahore, permitted Alla-ood-Deen to join Dowlut Khan, in order to prosecute his pretensions.
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Alla-ood-Deen, with the aid of Dowlut Khan and his son, Ghazy Khan, accordingly marched to Dehly, and invested that city with 40,000 horse. His brother, the King Ibrahim Lody, advanced to oppose him from Agra, where his army was surprised in the night, and dispersed; but owing to the irregular conduct of the troops of Alla-ood-Deen after the action, they were attacked again by Ibrahim Lody, and defeated. Alla-ood-Deen retreated in great distress to Punjab. At this crisis, Ghazy Khan Lody, finding the affairs of Alla-ood-Deen on the decline, deserted his standard, and having reached Kulanore, reduced it, and encamped at the town of Pursuroor. Here he heard that Babur was again on his return to India. He first of all retreated to Mulwut, from whence, taking the road through the mountains, he had a conference with Ibrahim Lody at Dehly, with whom he remained till that monarch's death. Babur, hearing of the defeat of Alla-ood-Deen Lody, awoke from the dream of indolence and luxury in which he had for some time indulged in Kabul; and, on the 1st of Suffur of the year 932, marched the fifth time towards Hindoostan. He was joined on this occasion by his son Hoomayoon from Budukhshan, and Khwaja Kullan from Ghizny. On the route to Lahore he amused himself by hunting rhinoceroses, with which that country abounded; and thus had an opportunity of putting the personal courage of most of his chiefs to trial. Many of those animals were killed, and some taken alive.