The History of Fīrūz Shāh (ʿAfīf) 20: Second Mukaddama.—The Sultán lays siege to Lakhnautí.

20

Sháh Fíroz marched triumphantly through Hindústán and reached Bengal in great strength. * * * When he arrived on the banks of the Kosí, after resting for a short time, he found the army of Shamsu-d dín posted in force on the other side of the river, near its junction with the Ganges. The passage appeared difficult, so the Sultán marched 100 kos up the Kosí, and crossed it below Champáran, at the place where the river issues from the mountain. Here a ford was found, but the waters ran with such force that stones of five hundred mans weight were borne along like straws. The Sultán ordered a line of elephants to be drawn across the river, both above and below the ford, to facilitate the passage. The upper line was to break the force of the current; the lower line was furnished with ropes, to which men carried away by the stream might cling. * * *
When Shamsu-d dín heard that the Sultán had succeeded in crossing the river, he fled in great alarm with all his forces to Ikdála, and the Sultán followed by way of Champáran and Rachap. Shamsu-d dín abandoned the town of Pándwah, and shut himself up in Ikdála, pursued by the Sultán, who closely besieged the place and threw up batteries (kungura), and dug entrenchments all round it. The forces of Shamsu-d dín came out daily from Ikdála to make a display, and were received with showers of arrows. They were at length compelled to take shelter in the islands (jazáir) of Ikdála. The country was overrun by the troops of the Sultán, and all the ráos, ránas, and zamíndárs of Bengal, who joined the Sultán, were favourably received. Many people of the country of Bengal also came over to him.
When hostilities had thus gone on fiercely for some time between the two sovereigns, unfriendly weather sowed the seed of heat in the moist earth, and the sun was about to enter the sign Cancer. The Sultán therefore called a council, and after much secret debate it was resolved that Shamsu-d dín had taken refuge and fortified himself in the islands of Ikdála, with the belief that when the rains came on, and the country became inundated, the Sultan would be obliged to retreat. It was therefore expedient that the Sultan should fall back strategically a few kos and see what would happen. This plan was approved, and accordingly next day the Sultan retreated seven kos towards Dehli. Some kalandars were then craftily sent to Ikdála, with instructions that if they were brought before Shamsu-d dín, they were to report that the Sultan was in full retreat, with all his forces and baggage, towards Dehli. The kalandars, being captured, were taken into the presence of Shamsu-d dín, to whom they told the story they had been taught, and he, believing it, * * * determined to go out of Ikdála and harass the retreat.