The History of Shēr Shāh (Tārīkh-i Shērshāhī) 3.12
Táríkh-i Sher Sháhí of 'Abbás Khán Sarwání (extracts) 3.12
- Language
- English
3.12.1
When Nasib Shah, the ruler of Bengal, died, the nobles of Bengal made Sultan Mahmud his successor; but he was not able to manage the kingdom, and it fell into disorder. Sher Khan conceived the desire of seizing the kingdom of Bengal, and took from the Bibi 300 mans of gold to equip his army; and gave her two parganas for her support (madad-ma'ash), besides leaving her some ready money for her immediate expenses. But Jalal Khan having, against the Bibi's consent, wished to espouse her daughter Mihr Sultan, Sher Khan, on hearing of it, forbade Jalal Khan; and she married her daughter to one Sultan Sikandar, a relation of her own. This Sikandar proved very unworthy. During Mihr Sultan's life he lived in comfort; and in the reign of the Emperor Akbar, in the year 975 A.H., Mihr Sultan, on her way to the pargana of Kayat, in the direction of Sind, died in the house of Muzaffar Khan. Sher Khan having equipped his army with this money, attacked the kingdom of Bengal, and got possession of all of it on this side Ghari (Sikri-gali).
3.12.2
When the Emperor Humayun came back from Gujarat, the Khan-khanan Yusuf-khail (who brought the Emperor Babar from Kabul to Hindustan) said to him: "It is not wise to neglect Sher Khan, for he is rebelliously inclined, and well understands all matters pertaining to government; moreover, all the Afghans are collected round him." The Emperor Humayun, relying on the vastness of his forces, and on the pride of Empire, took no heed of Sher Khan, and remaining the rainy season at Agra, sent Hindu Beg to Jaunpur, with directions to write a full and true report regarding Sher Khan.
3.12.3
When Sher Khan heard that the Emperor Humayun intended himself marching towards Bihar, he sent magnificent presents to Hindu Beg, governor of Jaunpur, and gained his goodwill. At the same time Sher Khan wrote thus: "From what I promised I have not departed. I have not invaded the Emperor's country. Kindly write to the Emperor; and assuring him of my loyalty, dissuade him from marching in this direction; for I am his servant and well-wisher." When Hindu beheld Sher Khan's presents, he approved of them, and was well pleased, and he said to the vakil, "So long as I live, let your mind be easy. No one shall injure you." And in the presence of Sher Khan's vakil, Hindu Beg wrote a letter to the Emperor Humayun, saying: "Sher Khan is a loyal servant of Your Majesty, and strikes coin and reads the khutba in your name, and has not transgressed the boundaries of Your Majesty's territory, or done anything since your departure which could be any cause of annoyance to you." The Emperor, on receipt of Hindu Beg's letter, deferred his journey that year. Sher Khan, meanwhile, detached Jalal Khan, Khawas Khan senior, and other chiefs, to conquer Bengal and the city of Gaur. On their entering Bengal, Sultan Mahmud, unable to oppose them, retired to the fort of Gaur. The Afghans, having made themselves masters of the surrounding country, invested and besieged that fortress, before which daily skirmishes took place.
3.12.4
The following year the Emperor marched towards Bihar and Bengal. When he arrived near Chunar, he consulted his nobles whether he should first take Chunar, or march towards Gaur, which the son of Sher Khan was besieging, but had not yet taken. All his Mughal nobles advised that he should first take Chunar, and then march on Gaur, and it was so determined; but when Humayun asked the Khan-khanan Yusuf-khail for his opinion, he (having previously heard that the Mughal nobles had agreed it was advisable first to take Chunar) said, "It is a counsel of the young to take Chunar first; the counsel of the aged is, that as there is much treasure in Gaur, it is advisable to take Gaur first; after that the capture of Chunar is an easy matter." The Emperor replied: "I am young, and prefer the counsel of the young. I will not leave the fort of Chunar in my rear." The author has heard from the Khan-khanan's companions, that when he returned to his quarters, he observed: "The luck of Sher Khan is great, that the Mughals do not go to Gaur. Before they take this fort, the Afghans will have conquered Gaur, and all its treasures will fall into their hands." Sher Khan left Ghazi Sur and Bulaki, who was the commandant of Chunar, in that fortress, and removed his family and those of his Afghan followers to the fortress of Bahrkunda; but as he had many families with him, that fort could not hold them all.
3.12.5
There existed a friendly connexion between Sher Khan and the Raja of the fort of Rohtas, and Churaman, the Raja's naib, was on particular terms of intimate friendship and alliance with Sher Khan. This Churaman was a Brahman, and was a person of the highest rank, and had formerly shown kindness to the family of Mian Nizam, own brother to Sher Khan, and procured them shelter in the fort of Rohtas; and when all danger had gone by, the family again quitted the fort, and made it over to the Raja. On the present occasion, Sher Khan wrote that he was in great straits, and that if the Raja would give him the loan of the fort for a short time, he would be obliged to him all his days, and that when all danger was past, he would again restore the fort. Churaman replied, "Be of good cheer, I will manage it, so that the Raja shall lend you the fort." When Churaman went to the Raja, he said, "Sher Khan has asked for the loan of Rohtas for his family. He is your neighbour. This is my advice, it is an opportunity to show kindness ; you should admit his family." The Raja agreed. When Sher Khan sent his family from Bahrkunda, the Raja retracted his promise, and said, "When I admitted Mian Nizam into the fort, they had but a small force. I was the stronger. Now they have the larger force, and I a small one.
3.12.6
If I admit them into the fort, and they will not restore it, I cannot take it from them by force." Churaman wrote to Sher Khan, saying: "Certain persons, my enemies, have given very evil counsel to the Raja, and persuaded him to violate his promise, and to decline giving you the fort." Sher Khan, on receiving this news, was much grieved and anxious, and he wrote to the Raja, and said : "On the faith of your promise, I have brought my family from Bahrkunda. If the Emperor Humayun hears this news, he will send his army, and all the families of the Afghans will be taken and enslaved. This misfortune will rest on your head." Sher Khan also gave to Churaman a bribe of six mans of gold, and said : "Persuade in any way you can the Raja to give me the loan of this fort for a few days, for my family ; but if he will not give it, then I will go and make my peace with the Emperor Humayun, and will revenge myself on everything belonging to the Raja." Churaman said, "Be of good heart, I will procure admittance for your women and children." So Churaman then went to the Raja, and said : "It is not becoming your dignity to break your promise. Sher Khan, on the strength of it, has brought his family from the fort of Bahrkunda. If the Emperor hears that his family is not in safety, he will attack and destroy them, and the blame will rest on my shoulders.
3.12.7
Moreover, if Sher Khan be in extremities, he will make peace with the Emperor, and will attack you, and you are not strong enough to oppose him. Why do you thus heedlessly provoke his hostility, and throw your kingdom into confusion? I am a Brahman, and since Sher Khan came here relying on my word, if his family be slain, the blame will rest on me. If you do not admit him into the fort, I will take poison and die at your door." When the Raja saw Churaman thus determined, he agreed to admit the family of Sher Khan into the fort. Sher Khan had not heard of the permission, when he received intelligence that Khawas Khan senior had been drowned in the ditch of the fort of Gaur, and that the fort of Chunar had surrendered to the Emperor Humayun. He became very depressed and anxious, and bestowing on the younger brother of Khawas Khan, whose name was Musahib Khan, the surname of Khawas Khan, detached him with urgent instructions, that since Chunar had fallen, and that the Emperor Humayun would in a few days march towards Bengal, he was to press the siege of Gaur with all possible despatch.
3.12.8
Khawas Khan arrived at Gaur, and said to Jalal Khan, "My orders from the king are to take the fort of Gaur without delay, as the Emperor is coming up in our rear." Jalal Khan said: "Wait yet to-day." But Khawas Khan replied, "I cannot disobey my orders; we must at once make the attack." Jalal Khan said: "Be it so! go to your post." Khawas Khan, taking his leave of Jalal Khan, came to his brother's post, and encouraged his brother's force, saying, "My orders are these: The instant I arrive to use every endeavour to take the fort and not in any way to delay." He directed the heralds to command the army to prepare themselves with all haste, as there was no time to lose; and arming himself, he sent to Jalal Khan to say, "I am ready with my whole force in obedience to the orders of Sher Khan, and only wait for you. Do you array yourselves also; it is not good to delay. By God's grace we will be victorious." Jalal Khan, Shuja'at Khan, and the rest were displeased, but, nevertheless, got ready. Khawas Khan personally displayed such energy and gallantry, that he succeeded in mastering the fortress even before Jalal Khan arrived. From that day his valour became celebrated, and after that he conquered wherever he went, so that in all Sher Khan's army there was none like him for intrepidity as well as liberality.