The Book of Akbar 328.1.4

328.1.4

The elephant Ghalib Jang, which was one of the first-rate elephants, was assigned to Hasan Khan Faujdar; the elephant Gaj Bhanwar (?), which was one in a thousand, was assigned to Maikal Khan; the elephant Jor Banyan, which was a powerful one, was given to Ikhtiyar Khan; the elephant Fauj Madar was assigned to Sangram Khan; and elephant Kali Beg, which had in many battles been ridden by Hemu himself, was on that day entrusted to a driver of the name of Capan. He conciliated these leaders, who were lions of the jungle of war, and were the confidants of Sher Khan and Selim Khan, and other haughty ones, and made them zealous for battle. But warlike preparations are of use against the superficial, and those who are influenced by material causes. Of what avail are they against a worshipper of God, and an annihilator of ordinary causes, who has been brought for the arrangement and completion of the spiritual and temporal world? All these materials and apparatus became additions to the household of that beautifier of the world of sovereignty. The strange event that immediately followed was a proof of this. The account of this wonderful fortune is as follows:— On Dibadin, the 23rd Aban, Divine month, corresponding to Thursday, 2 Muharram 964 (5 November, 1556), when the advanced guard of the victorious army was encamped on the borders of Panipat, scouts came and brought the information that the enemy had arrived, and reported his strength and equipment;