The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c15.157

v4.c15.157

Dr Vincent Smith is inclined to accept this story, which is mentioned by no Muhammadan historian, considering that the Muslim annals do not sufficiently explain the surrender and are not inconsistent with the Hindu story, but the legend must, we think, be discarded. Akbar's visit to Surjan Rāi, if it had ever been made, would have provided a panegyrist with a wonderful opportunity for extolling his courage, resource, romantic love of adventure and tenderness of human life, and we cannot conceive Abu-'l-Fazl missing such an opportunity. On the other hand the surrender is sufficiently explained by Badāūnī who, after relating the execution done by Akbar's mortars, adds, "Rāi Surjan, the governor of the fortress, when he contemplated the insufficiency of the fortress of Chitor and the misery which fell on its inhabitants, seemed to be contemplating his own fate, and sent his sons Dandā and Bhoj, by the mediation of some fief-holders [assignees], to wait on the emperor, and begged for quarter".