The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c13.14

v4.c13.14

The tumult of departure added to the explosion of cannon made the Mughuls believe that they were about to be attacked and their forces were drawn up in readiness. As daylight appeared the truth was known and they broke into the camp and divided the spoil. A body of horse was sent in pursuit of the fugitives and Humāyūn followed it to Māndū. This vast fortress with a battlemented wall 23 miles in length stands on an isolated plateau 2079 feet above the sea. Its size and the length of its defences have frequently enabled surprise attacks to penetrate its walls, though later it held out for six months when besieged by Akbar.¹ Bahādur Shāh opened negotiations for peace in which the cession of Mālwa to Humāyūn was proposed, but while the terms were still being discussed a small body of Mughuls forced their way over an unguarded part of the walls and opened the nearest gate. Mallū Khān at once warned Bahādur Shāh, who tried to escape and meeting a Mughul force cut his way through and reached the citadel. Despairing of his ability to hold this he ordered his horses to be raised and lowered over the wall and fled to Chāmpāner² while the Mughul army sacked Māndū. For the time being the whole of Mālwa lay at the mercy of Humāyūn, who followed up his success by a hasty pursuit of Bahādur Shāh. As the Mughul troops reached Chāmpāner, Bahādur Shāh, after setting fire to the town, fled north to Cambay where he halted only to destroy the fleet he had prepared to combat the Portuguese, and escaped thence to Diu, evading Humāyūn by only a few hours and outstripping the force which pursued him. Humāyūn at Cambay was the first of his house to see the ocean. During his halt there his small escort had a narrow escape from being overwhelmed by the local chieftains who were tributary to Bahādur Shāh, and who planned a night attack. Though they were able to plunder the camp during the night Humāyūn had been warned of the design by an old woman of the neighbourhood whose son had been enslaved by the Mughuls and who hoped by this service to gain his release. As light appeared the marauders were attacked and driven off with great slaughter.