Tarikh-i Daʾudi 14
Táríkh-i Dáúdí of 'Abdu-lla (extracts) 14
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14.1
Surrender and Death of Sikandar Khan Sur.—Death of 'Adali.—Defeat of his son by the Mughals of Jaunpur, and his subsequent seclusion.—Mian Sulaiman.—Bayazid.—Daud Shah.—His murder of Lodi.—His flight from Patna.—Death of Mun'im Khan and of Daud Shah.—Conclusion. Sikandar Khan being reduced to great extremities, sent his son 'Abdu-r Rahman from Mankot in the Siwalik hills, to Akbar Badshah, representing that he had committed many offences, on account of which he dared not present himself at Court, that he sent the few rarities he had with him as a peace-offering, and requested leave to be allowed to retire to Bengal and pass the remainder of his life in retirement. Akbar assented to all his solicitations, and gave him leave to depart to Bengal. Sikandar died three years after this surrender.
14.2
As for 'Adali, at the time of Himu's death he was at Chunar, and at that juncture the son of Muhammad Khan, by name Khizr Khan, ruler of Bengal, who had assumed the name of Sultan Bahadur, advanced with a large army to avenge the blood of his father; and 'Adali proceeded into Bihar to meet him as far as Mungir. Meanwhile, after leaving Patna, the river Panpan, which is in Malurusa (?), flows with so tortuous a course that it became necessary to cross it several times. The sun had not yet risen when Sultan Bahadur, with his army in array, made an attack upon 'Adali, and sounded the kettle-drums of war. 'Adali had only a few men with him, but behaved with considerable gallantry. The action was fought at the stream of Surajgarh, about one kos, more or less, from Mungir, and about twelve kos from Patna, and there 'Adali was defeated and slain, in consequence of the paucity of his numbers, in the year 968 H. (1560 A.D.), after a reign of eight years. When the news of this calamity reached his son at Chunar, the Afghan nobles unanimously seated him on the Masnad. He assumed the title of Sher Shah, and all the sipáhis and nobles renewed their oaths of allegiance. They represented that if they were now to go out and demand vengeance for the death of 'Adali, the Mughals would spread over Hindustan, and subjugate the whole country. They should first of all conquer Jaunpur, and having repulsed the Mughal armies from that quarter, after that, please God!
14.3
they would inflict condign punishment upon Sultan Bahádur. With this intent, having first read the fátiha, the son of 'Adali set forth, with 20,000 cavalry, 50,000 infantry, and 500 elephants, to capture Jaunpur. At that time Khan Zaman held the government of that place under Akbar Badshah, and conceiving himself quite unable to cope in the open field with so large a force, he collected all the means necessary for defensive operations, and suffered himself to be invested without opposition. The Afghans, seeing the distress of the Mughals, crossed the river Sye, on which Jaunpur is built, in full force. Hasan Khan Bachgoti and Rukn Khan Lohani leading the advance, made an immediate attack upon Khán Zaman; who, putting his trust solely on Him who could defend him in the hour of need, sallied from the fort, with 4000 cavalry, and fell upon the Afghans. Fortune had so far entirely deserted the latter, that their splendid army of 20,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry fled before the 4000 Mughals in such a crippled state that not a vestige of them remained. Immense booty fell into the hands of Khan Zaman. The son of 'Adali adopted the life of a recluse after this signal calamity, and no one knew anything further about him.
14.4
The tribe of Afghans was dispersed—some became fakírs, and some attached themselves to Mian Sulaimán Kiráni. The Mian styled himself Hazrat 'Ali, and brought the greater portion of Bengal under his sway. Kings and other chiefs sent offerings to him, and Akbar Badshah offered no opposition to his claims. On the death of Sulaimán, his eldest son Báyazid succeeded his father. This prince, being of a haughty disposition, not only neglected to imitate his father in his kindly method of treating his self-sufficient Afghans, but did his best to distress and humiliate them. He showed a desire of getting rid of his father's courtiers. On this account, several of the nobles joined themselves with the son-in-law and nephew of Hazrat 'Ali, the latter of whom, by name Hasu, was of weak intellect, and put Mian Bayazid to death. Mian Lodi, a grandee of Mian Sulaiman, who held the chief authority in the State, gained over the Afghans, and raised Daud, the youngest son of Hazrat 'Ali, to the throne, with the title of Daud. Daud Shah, having opened the door of enjoyment, indulged in intoxicating drinks, and thus sowed the seeds of dissension. He would often repeat this verse: "If my father is dead, I am the guardian of the world! I am the inheritor of the crown of Sulaiman."
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He then proceeded to attack Jaunpur with his Afghans, and despatched Lodi before him with an innumerable force. Lodi first attacked Zamania, which had been built by Khan Zaman. It was reduced to a desert, and no signs of cultivation remained. Mun'im Khan quitted Jaunpur, and when he saw that the Afghan army was large, and the Mughals few in number, he opened, by way of augury, the Diwan of Khwaja Hafiz, who is called the Lisanu-l Ghaib, or "tongue of the inscrutable," and found this verse: "O King, amongst the beautiful, render justice to the grief of my loneliness, My heart is sorely distressed through your absence, it is time that you should return." Mun'im Khan sent this couplet, together with an account of what had occurred, to King Akbar, who despatched an immense army to Mun'im Khan's assistance, and also followed it in person. Daud Shah arrived in Mungir from Bengal, and there he allowed unjustifiable suspicions to enter his head. Many persons endeavoured to impress on him that Lodi would certainly try to make Táj, the nephew of Hazrat 'Alí, king, because Lodi had been long attached to that family, and had, moreover, betrothed his own daughter to him. Dáni Sháh caused his own cousin Yusuf to be slain at Mungír, and became very suspicious of Lodi. When Lodi perceived the evil disposition of Ddud, he made peace with Mun'im Khan, and expressed a wish to be taken to King Akbar.
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Jalál Khan Sadhauri, and Ráju, surnamed the "Black Mountain," deserted Lodi, presented themselves before Dáud, and related what had happened. Dáud Sháh then opened his father's treasury to the army, and, by the advice of Gujar Khán, addressed a farmán to Lodi, in which he said, "You are in the place of my father Mián Sulaimán. All my power depends on your wisdom and valour. My army, treasury, and artillery are all at your command. Endeavour by all the means in your power to put this race of Mughals to shame." When Lodi learned the contents of this farmán, his heart was moved by the soft and flattering words of Dáud, and he again joined his party. Thus deceived Lodi left the Mughals, and allied himself to Dáud, who being a young and hasty man, possessed of but little sense, desired to kill him, and thought that his doing so would be beneficial to the State. After a short time, Dáud wrote to Lodi, and told him that he required his presence immediately, as he wished to consult him on some important business, and that he must come quickly, accompanied only by his two vakíls. On receiving this letter, Lodi said to his friends, "I perceive an odour in this summons which portends no good to me." Having said this, he went to Dáud, who at first treated him with great respect, but afterwards determined to imprison him, which he effected by treachery.
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* * * Dáud Sháh thoughtlessly listened to the advice of Katlu, who recommended the death of Lodi, and causing that pillar of the State to be put to death, he thus destroyed his empire with his own hands. A still greater dispersion of the Afghans took place after the murder of Lodi, and Mun'im Khan took advantage of the opportunity to advance against the Suba of Bihar. Shah Akbar proceeded from Agra to Patna, the inhabitants of which place he put to the sword. Shah Daud remained a few days in the fort of Patna. At last Katlu gave him some narcotic draught, put him into a boat, and then escaped with him on the river Ganges. At this period Akbar captured many elephants. Many Afghans, who were with Gujar Khan, were drowned in the Panpan river, about two kos from Patna. Akbar pursued Daud as far as Daryapur, and returned from thence, having first laid the foundation of a mosque in that place; whilst Mun'im Khan, accompanied by the best officers, continued the pursuit of Daud. Several encounters took place between Shah Daud and Mun'im Khan. My heart urges me to give a detailed relation of these events, but I must be brief. At last Daud and Mun'im Khan made peace, and met at Mun'im Khan's tents, confirming the truce by the grasping of hands.
14.8
The changeful climate of Bengal caused the plague to break out in the Mughal army which remained at Gaur; many distinguished officers gave up their lives into the hands of the angel of death. Mun'im Khan also died of that epidemic. Shah Daud again issued forth after the death of Mun'im Khan, in whose place Khan Jahan Khan was appointed governor. War again broke out between these two chiefs; and on the 15th day of the month Rabi'u-s sani, in the year of the Hijra 988, the army of the Mughals being firmly determined either to slay Daud or fall themselves, met him in the battle-field; where, after many valiant rencontres, the Kala Pahar, or "Black Mountain," who led the advanced guard of the Afghans, was repulsed and slain. The Afghans were then put to flight. Daud Shah Kirani was brought in a prisoner, his horse having fallen with him. Khan Jahan, seeing Daud in this condition, asked him if he called himself a Musulman, and why he had broken the oaths which he had taken on the Kur'an and before God. Daud answered that he had made the peace with Mun'im Khan personally; and that if he had now gained the victory, he would have been ready to renew it. Khan Jahan ordered them to relieve his body from the weight of his head, which he sent to Akbar the King. The date of this transaction may be learnt from this verse. — Mulk i Sulaiman zi Daud raft (983 H., 1575 A.D.).
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From that period the dominion of Hindustan departed from the tribe of Afghans, and their dynasty was extinguished for ever. In lieu of which arose the star of Akbar Shah's supremacy over the whole country.