The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c23.23

v3.c23.23

The fugitive ‘Ālam Shāh, Husain’s father-in-law, now died, and his death supplied Husain with a pretext for visiting Budaun, of which district he dispossessed his brother-in-law, ‘Ālam Shāh’s son. From Budaun he marched to Sambhal, captured Tātār Khān Lodī, who held the district for Buhlūl, and sent him a prisoner to Sāran, in Tirhut. He then again assembled his army for an attack on Delhi, and in March, 1479, encamped on the eastern bank of the Jumna. This appeared, of all Husain's campaigns, to offer the fairest prospect of success. He had been victorious on the east of the Ganges, his numbers were overwhelming, and Buhlūl Lodī and his officers were even more depressed than on former occasions. Qutb Khān was, however, enabled to serve his kinsman by appealing to Husain's filial affection. He invoked the memory of Bībī Rājī, Husain's mother, who had befriended him when he was a prisoner at Jaunpur, and conjured the invader to leave Delhi unmolested. Husain was so affected that he agreed to retire on obtaining Buhlūl recognition of his tenure of his new conquests to the east of the Ganges, corresponding to the modern province of Rohilkhand. The recognition was readily accorded and Husain began a leisurely retreat towards Jaunpur. He had so frequently violated treaties that Buhlūl considered himself justified in following his example, and perfidiously attacked the retreating army and captured a large number of elephants and horses laden with spoil and treasure, and the persons of Husain's minister and about forty of his principal nobles.