The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c21.10

v3.c21.10

In the following year he was reminded of his early misfortunes by the appearance in Bajwāra, near Hoshiārpur, of an impostor who pretended to be that Sārang Khān who had expelled him from Multān. The real Sārang Khān had died in captivity shortly after his surrender to Pīr Muhammad, and this fact must have been widely known, but interest may lead the intelligent, as ignorance leads the vulgar, to espouse the cause of a pretender; and the name of the man who had driven before him, as chaff before the wind, the occupant of the throne of Delhi was well chosen by the impostor. Khizr Khān was, however, well served. A family of the Lodī clan of the great Ghilzai or Khaljī tribe had recently been domiciled in India, and its leader, Malik Sultān Shāh Bahrām, subsequently styled Islām Khān, by which title he may now conveniently be known, had been appointed governor of Sirhind. He was dispatched against the pretender, who marched to the Sutlej to meet him but was defeated and compelled to retire. After the battle Islām Khān was joined by Zīrak Khān of Sāmāna and Malik Tughān of Jullundur, and before their overwhelming force the impostor fled, by way of Rūpar, which he had made his headquarters, into the mountains. He was ineffectually pursued but emerged and fell a victim to the perfidy of Malik Tughān, who inveighed him into his power and treacherously put him to death, being prompted to this act rather by cupidity than by loyalty, for the impostor had amassed great wealth.