The Book of Akbar 337.1.1

337.1.1

By the Divine aid and by the auspicious care of the Shahinshah, who is the key of all locks, visible and invisible, an opening took place. As the world-adorning Deity watches over the affairs of this spiritual and temporal lord, it is proper to inquire in regard to every matter which has relation to him what are the arrangements of the superintendents of destiny. The conquest of this fort, which equalled the rampart of Alexander is a proof of this remark. The manner in which it was taken did not enter into the minds of the wise. Arrangements for the siege, such as no one could imagine, were excellently carried out, and the entrenchments were pushed forward on all sides. In some places the batteries closely touched the fort, and among them was an entrenchment which was under the care of the Nasir-al-Mulk and in advance of all the others. The egress and ingress of the prisoners of the fort were closed. Though Sikandar relied on the strength of the fort, yet he was disheartened by the appearance of affairs. But in spite of this discouragement, as scoundrels were calculating on the sedition of Mubariz Khan ‘Adali, of whom a short account has already been given (and hoping), that perhaps he would be able to lift up his head from the eastern provinces of India and march against Delhi, and so the siege of the fort (Mankot) would not be completed, and that so he (Sikandar) would have an opportunity for commotion in the tranquillised districts, he did not give up defending the fort.