Tadhkirat al-waqiʿat 4: Humáyún's defeat at Kanauj

4

After the battle had raged for some time, information was brought to His Majesty that the Prince Hindal had discomfited the Afghans opposed to him, but that the left under 'Askari was compelled to retreat. Mirza Haidar represented that in order to let the fugitives pass, it was requisite to loose the chains of the carriages ('arába), which formed a barricade in front of the centre. His Majesty unfortunately complied with this advice, and the chains being unloosed, the runaways passed through the line of carriages in files.
During this time, an Afghan clothed in black advanced and struck the King's horse on the forehead with a spear, on which the animal turned round and became unmanageable.
His Majesty afterwards related that as soon as he could control his horse, he saw the Afghans employed in plundering the carriages, and wished to have charged them, but some person caught the reins of the steed, and led him to the bank of the river. Here, while undetermined how to act, he saw an old elephant which had belonged to the late Emperor. He called to the driver to bring the elephant to him, who did so. He then mounted, and asked a eunuch who was in the howdah, what was his name. He replied, "Kafur." His Majesty then ordered the driver to carry him across the river, but the fellow refused, and said the elephant would be drowned. On which the eunuch whispered, that he suspected the driver wished to carry them over to the enemy; it would therefore be advisable to take off the fellow's head. The King said, "How shall we then make the elephant cross the river?" The eunuch replied, that he understood something of driving an elephant. Upon hearing this, His Majesty drew his sword and so wounded the driver that he fell off into the water, and the eunuch stepped down from the howdah on the neck of the animal, and caused him to pass the river. His Majesty further related, that when he arrived near the bank, it was so steep that he could not find a place to ascend. At length, some of the camp colour-men, who were on the look out for him, tied their turbans together, and throwing an end of the cloth to him, he with some difficulty climbed up. They then brought him a horse, on which he mounted and proceeded towards Agra. * * *
The King having been joined by the Princes Hindal and 'Askari and the Mirzas Yadgar Nasir, etc., proceeded joyfully towards Agra. When they reached the village of Bhain-ganw, the peasants, who were in the habit of plundering a defeated army, stopped up the road, and one of them wounded Mirza Yadgar with an arrow. On which the Mirza said to the Prince 'Askari, "Do you go on and punish these villagers, while I stop to dress my wound." The Prince was displeased at this request, and gave the Mirza some abuse, on which the other retorted in harsher language, and the Prince struck him three times with his horsewhip, which was returned with interest on the other side. When intelligence of this unpleasant fracas reached the King, he said, "They had better have vented their spite on the robbers than on each other. What has happened cannot be recalled, but let us hear no more of it." In short, the King reached Agra in safety.