The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c13.46.2

v4.c13.46.2

When the emperor at last made up his mind to recall the envoys Shāh Husain sent with them an ambassador with the cunning suggestion that Humāyūn should occupy a tract described as rich which lay east of Sind and would prove a convenient place from which Gujarāt could be conquered. Though Humāyūn was easily dazzled by this prospect, his followers realised that it wanted in substance, as the inhabitants of the area named had never been subdued by Shāh Husain and were not likely to allow the Mughuls to occupy their country. Humāyūn's delay at Bhakkar and the indulgence of hopes which were patently empty in the eyes of all his advisers disgusted Hindāl, who had long been demanding permission to attack Sehwān, a richer portion of Sind lying south of Bhakkar, and had some intentions of deserting his brother and capturing Qandahār. When finally Hindāl was allowed to move against Sehwān Shāh Husain had strengthened its garrison and repeated his scheme of destroying the villages and cultivation in its neighbourhood. To ensure his brother's good faith Humāyūn marched to join him and while in his camp nearly caused an irrevocable breach by insisting on marrying (in 1541) Hamīda Begam, the daughter of Hindāl's spiritual guide, who afterwards became the mother of the emperor Akbar. The girl was probably in love with somebody else and herself displayed the strongest objection to the match.