The Book of Akbar 368.4

368.4

Though in the first encounter the advance-corps of the enemy displayed such valour that most of the soldiers of the army of fortune were put to flight, Atkah Khan and many of his own force, and Yusuf Muhammad Khan with a few men stood on the field of battle, and in their astonishment at the hypocrisy and cowardice of their men sought help of courage from the sacred soul of the Shahinshah. At this time when Bairam Khān's men had driven off most of their foes and were pursuing them, and Bairam Khan was advancing with his own army and exulting in the thought of victory, the army of Atka Khan, which had been standing behind a ridge, appeared in sight. Bairām Khan advanced to overthrow him, and in the first place sent forward the elephants, of which the leader was the elephant carrying the travelling litter (takht rawān). He himself was in the back part of it (the litter). Suddenly the royal fortune and heaven's help withdrew the veil of concealment from the face of success. Between the two armies there was a rice-bottom and the elephants came into that bog and stuck there. The brave men of the victorious army shot arrows at the drivers, and by the favour of a hidden succour one hits the driver of the leading elephant and he hangs down from the animal's neck. When Bairām Khan saw that such was the condition of the elephants, which were his mainstay, he sought to come out by their rear, leaving the rice-bottom on his right, and to get to the dry land and make his attack.