The Rashīdī History 160.4

160.4

They discharged their arrows in the dark, and fought on till the brightness of dawn overcame the shadows of night, when by that light the combatants began to see [the real state of things]. The enemy became aware of their small numbers, while our men saw their own superiority. Pir Ali Beg had but a hundred men with him, while Khwaja Ali Bahadur had three hundred. Since in the darkness they had become confused and disordered, Pir Ali Beg saw that flight would be a cowardly death, while to hold his ground was to die nobly. Near to that spot was a garden; within this he tried to defend himself. Ere the sun had reached the meridian, the sun of the lives of those men had set. Out of a hundred, only two escaped to bear the news that the rest of their party had perished. The above-mentioned Alika had been wounded in the fight. To prevent his giving information, they did not send him back to his friends, but despatched him to the Khan with the heads of the slain hung round his neck — the throats running with blood. He reached the Khan at midday, and the heads of those generals were sent into the citadel as a gift. Alika was then asked for news. He replied: "Mirza Aba Bakr has made all the necessary preparations for an expedition. All the people know that he has got horses, and arms of every kind, such as coats of mail, horse-armour, and so forth; that nothing is wanting — nay, rather there is a superabundance of all such things.