The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c25.17

v3.c25.17

In 1420 Ahmad marched to Songarh¹, and thence, in a north-easterly direction, towards Māndū, ‘punishing,’ on his way, ‘the infidels’ of the Sātpūras. Hūshang, dreading another invasion, sent envoys to crave pardon for his past conduct, and Ahmad retired, and in 1422 reduced the raja of Chāmpāner to vassalage. In 1422, during Hūshang’s absence on his famous raid into Orissa, Ahmad invaded Mālwa, capturing Maheshwar on the Narbada on March 27. He appeared before Māndū on April 5, and besieged it ineffectually until the beginning of the rainy season, when he retired into quarters at Ujjain. In the meantime Hūshang returned to Māndū, and on September 17 Ahmad reopened the siege, but, finding that he could not reduce the fortress, retired by Ujjain to Sārangpur, with the object of continuing his depredations in that neighbourhood, but Hūshang, marching by a more direct route, met him near Sārangpur on December 26. Neither was anxious to risk a general action and after desultory and inconclusive hostilities of two and a half months’ duration Ahmad began his retreat on March 17. He reached Ahmadābād on May 15, and in consideration of his army’s labours refrained for more than two years from embarking on any military enterprise and devoted himself to administrative reforms. From 1425 until 1428 he was engaged in hostilities against Īdar, which ended in the reduction of Harī Rāi, the raja, to the condition of a vassal of Gujarāt.