The Book of Akbar 58: Campaign against Gajpati. Capture of Rohtas.

58

[Text, vol. iii. p. 161.] In consequence of the difficulty of transporting camp equipage, Gajpati had broken out into rebellion, and formed the design of plundering Ghazipur. But Shahbaz Khan arrived with the royal forces, and shook the foundations of his position. He fled to the ford of Chaunsa, pursued by the Imperial troops. There he crossed the Ganges, and continued fighting. The royal forces, having found means of crossing the river, pursued him, and inflicted upon him a severe defeat, taking his boats, guns, and camp equipage.
In their pursuit of him, they came to the fort of Mahawa, which they invested, and Sangram, the commandant, immediately surrendered. Shahbaz placed a garrison in it, and continued his pursuit of the rebel, who fled into the wooded and rugged country of Bhojpur. All efforts to overtake him proving vain, the royal troops retired. On the following day the rebel attacked the retreating forces on the bank of a river, and kept up the fight till night. The ground was so broken and confined, that the royal troops were unable to cross in face of their assailants; but, being guided by Sangram, they fell upon the baggage of the enemy. Unable to accomplish anything by day, the rebel made a night attack, but being again defeated, he fled to Jagdespur, one of his strongest retreats. For two months the royal forces were actively engaged in clearing away the trees round the fort. At length the place fell, and the family and property of the rebel was captured, but he himself escaped. After this defeat, Gajpati fled in great distress and terror to the foot of the hills of Rohtas, and there concealed himself. Bari Sal, his brother, with a large body of rebels, sought refuge among the woods and defiles, but they were discovered and slain by the Imperial forces, and great spoil was captured.
When Gajpati was [first] defeated, he placed his son Sri Ram, with a body of rebels and the necessary armament, in the fort of Sher-garh. Shahbaz Khan invested this fort, constructed sabats, and made regular approaches. The people of the neighbourhood were coming in and submitting to the Imperial government, when a great and unexpected piece of fortune fell upon him. At the time when this country had no (Imperial) noble to manage it, the fort of Rohtas fell into the hands of Junaid, and he placed it under the charge of Saiyid Muhammad, one of his most trusty adherents. On the death of Junaid, the Saiyid held the fort for some time as a rebel against the Imperial authority; but he at length induced his men to agree in sending tribute to the Emperor by the hands of some faithful adherent. When the Imperial army approached the fortress under the direction of guides, without whose help the access would have been difficult, they resolved to make submission, and capitulated. Muzaffar Khan also was approaching with the army of Bihar to attack the fortress. The garrison sent out officers to treat with Shahbaz Khan and surrender the fort. He joyfully agreed to their terms, and took possession of the fortress. Upon hearing of the capitulation, Muzaffar Khan returned disappointed. The fortress having thus fallen, the people of the hills were filled with alarm. Sri Ram surrendered the keys of Sher-garh to Shahbaz Khan.