The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c19.18

v3.c19.18

Dāhir had meanwhile assembled an army of 50,000 horse, and marched from Bahmanābād to Rāwar to meet the invader. The armies lay opposite to one another for several days, during which some skirmishing took place, and on June 20 Dāhir mounted his elephant and advanced to the attack. The battle was sustained with great valour on both sides, but an Arab succeeded in planting an arrow, to which burning cotton was attached, in Dāhir's elephant, and the terrified beast turned and fled towards the river, pursued by the Arabs. The driver arrested his flight in midstream and induced him once more to face the enemy, and the battle was renewed on the river bank. Dāhir charged the Arabs, and did great execution among them until he was struck by an arrow and fell from his elephant. He contrived to mount a horse, but an Arab cut him down, and the Hindus fled from the field, some towards Aror, the capital, and others, with Jai Singh, to Bahmanābād, while Dāhir's wife, Rānī Bai, and her handmaids immolated themselves at Rāwar, to avoid falling into the hands of the strangers.