The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c14.58

v4.c14.58

Islām Shāh wrote to his elder brother in Ranthambhor promising to surrender the crown, and urged him to hasten to Āgra, but ‘Ādil Khān was suspicious and required the guarantee and the personal escort of four great nobles. His request was granted and Islām Shāh, who at Kālinjar had put to death Kīrat Singh and seventy of his chief followers, marched to meet his brother. They met near Fathpur Sīkrī and marched to Āgra, where Islām Shāh’s behaviour, though he feigned to offer the throne to his brother, was so suspicious that ‘Ādil Khān declared that he required no more than a subordinate charge and permission to depart in peace. Islām Shāh was loth to let him go free, but the four great nobles who had guaranteed his safety insisted that faith should be kept, and ‘Ādil Khān went to Bayāna, the charge selected by him. Two months later ‘Ādil Khān fled from Bayāna in consequence of an attempt made by Islām Shāh to arrest and bring him to court. He took refuge with Khavāss Khān, who had always been a partisan of ‘Ādil Khān, and now openly declared for him. They marched on Āgra where they had hopes of support, but delayed on the way. In the meantime Islām Shāh had discovered the plot and marched against the rebels. Meeting them at a village about ten miles to the west of the city he defeated them, and ‘Ādil Khān fled, alone and unattended, towards Patna, where he disappeared. Khavāss Khān retired into Mewāt, and defeated at Fīrūzpur¹ an army sent in pursuit of him by Islām Shāh, but, being well aware that he could not long resist all the power of the crown, retired to his former assignment, Sirhind. Islām Shāh sent an officer in pursuit with 40,000 horse, but he and Khavāss Khān understood one another, and Khavāss Khān was permitted to retire through Katehr (Rohilkhand) to find a refuge on the lower slopes of the Kumāūn hills.