Several detachments which had been sent out to make collections had rejoined him, and as he had heard of the arrival of the Imperial army at Páthrí, he had made up his mind to move off as soon as it came nearer to Bír.

'Azam Khán left a detachment in charge of his camp at Machhlí-gánw to follow him quietly while he marched off after night-fall to attack the rebels. Four gharis of night remained when he reached Pípalnír, six kos from Bír, when he directed Saf-shikan Khán to make a demonstration with his force on Khán-Jahán's flank, so that he might think this small force to be the whole of the royal army, and refrain from moving away. Saf-shikan Khán accordingly drew out his force upon a ridge about a kos in front of the rebel army, which had taken post at the foot of the hills about four kos from Bír. 'Azíz, son of KhánJahán, advanced to attack Saf-shikan with a body of his father's troops, and at this juncture 'Azam Khán came up with the main body of the royal army, and 'Azíz was compelled to fall back in disorder to his father, whom he informed that the force which had first shown itself was Saf-shikan Khán's division, and that the whole of the royal army was coming up with all possible haste. Khán-Jahán, when he found that his retreat was cut off, determined to fight it out. But the royal troops forced their way to the top of the hill. Khán-Jahán sent away the elephant litter with his women to Síú-gánw,' and then rallied his troops for a struggle. He sent his nephew Bahádur, in whose courage and daring he had great confidence, against Bahadur Khán and some others of the royal army, who, being few in number, were very hard pressed. They dismounted, and, resolving to sell their lives dearly, they kept up a desperate struggle, and slew many of the enemy. Bahádur Khán received two wounds from arrows, one in his face, the other in his side, and several of his comrades were slain.2 Narhar Dás also and

*

1 About 40 miles N.E. of Ahmadnagar.

2 Or as the author grandiloquently expresses it: "The field of battle having been made dark as night by the clouds of dust, his companions cast themselves like moths upon the flames of the fire-flashing swords."

many Rájpúts fell.

Sipahdár Khán and others, who had mounted the hill on the right, seeing the state of the battle, took shelter behind a stone wall, and kept up a discharge of arrows. Rájá Bihar Singh Bundela now came up from the right wing to support Bahadur Khán. He joined valiantly in the struggle, and many of his men were killed. Rájá Jáí Singh and other rájás who were on another part of the hill, also joined in the fight. 'Azam Khán next came up in haste, and ordered a part of the left wing to advance. At this time, when many of the Imperial officers had fallen, and the result seemed doubtful, the favour of Heaven fell upon the royal forces. The ill-starred Bahádur, observing the successive arrivals of reinforcements for his adversaries, lost heart, and turned to flee with his Afgháns. His father also fled. As the discomfited rebels hurried down the hill, they were harassed by showers of arrows and bullets. A ball struck Bahadur Khán, and he was unable to continue his flight. Paras Rám, a servant of Rájá Bihár Singh's, came up and despatched him with his dagger; then he cut off his head, and sent it with his ring, horse and weapons, to Rájá Bihár Singh, who forwarded them to 'Azam Khán. The Khán gave the horse to the man who had slain Bahádur, the ring he sent to the Emperor, and the head he caused to be set up as a warning over the gate of Bír. The royal forces pursued the fugitives for three kos, and put many of them to the sword. But as the victors had been in the saddle from the first watch in the evening of one day to the third watch of the next day, and had marched more than thirty kos, men and beasts were both worn out, and were unable to go further. 'Azam Khán then called a halt, to allow of a little rest, and to give stragglers time to come up.

Khán-Jahán and his followers, whose horses were fresh, took advantage of this to improve their distance; but 'Azam Khán sent Muhammad Dakhni and the forces that were in Bír to maintain the pursuit, and he himself, after a brief interval, followed with the main force. When Khán-Jahrán learnt that

the victors were in full pursuit, he removed his ladies from the

howda in which they had been carried by a female elephant, and mounting them on horses rode away with them. Darwesh Muhammad, with a party of pursuers, captured the elephant and howda, and made a number of Afgháns and their women prisoners. Most of Khán-Jahán's men who escaped were wounded, and in their panic they were able to carry off nothing but the clothes they wore and the horses they rode. Khán-Jahán, with a few faithĐẶC ĐẶC ’Azam Khán Khán-Jahán

ful followers, escaped into the hill-country. halted at Bír, to give his army a little rest. then proceeded from Síú-gánw to Bízápúr1 and Bhonsla, in the Nizám-Sháhí territory, with the design of going to Daulatábád. On hearing of this movement, 'Azam Khán marched from Bír towards Síú-gánw with 20,000 horse.

At this time, Sáhú-jí Bhonsla, son-in-law of Jádú Ráí, the Hindu commander of Nizám Sháh's army, came in and joined ’Azam Khán. After the murder of Jádú Ráí, which has been mentioned above, Sáhú-jí broke off his connexion with Nizâm Sháh, and, retiring to the districts of Púna and Chákna, he wrote to 'Azam Khán, proposing to make his submission upon receiving a promise of protection. 'Azam Khán wrote to Court, and received orders to accept the proposal. Sáhú-jí then came and joined him with two thousand horse. He received a mansab of 5000,2 a khil'at, a gift of two lacs of rupees, and other presents. His brother Mina-jí received a robe and a mansab of 3000 personal and 1500 horse. Sámájí son of Sáhú-jí, also received a robe and a mansab of 2000 personal and 1000 horse. Several of their relations and dependents also obtained gifts and marks of distinction.

Khán-Jahán and Daryá Khán, when they heard of the march of the Imperial forces towards Síú-gánw, quitted Bízápúr and Bhonsla, and went to the village of Lásúr, ten kos from Daulatábád. Nizám Sháh also, on being informed of this advance, withdrew from Nizámábád, which he had built outside of the fort

1 About 25 miles W. of Aurangabad.

2 “ 6000 personal and 5000 horse.”—Kháfi Khán, p. 435.

of Daulatábád, and around which his adherents had built various houses and edifices, and entered into the fort itself. KhánJahán and Daryá Khán, no longer deeming it safe to remain at Lásúr, went to Ir-Kahtala, half a kos from Daulatábád, and a few days later Khán-Jahán removed his family to Aubásh-darra, a place within cover of Daulatábád. Daryá Khán, with a thousand Afgháns, separated from Khán-Jahán, marched towards Chándor, and the ghát of Chálís-gánw,' with the intention of attacking Andol and Dharan-gánw.

This movement being reported to the Emperor, ** he appointed Abdu-lla Khán, whom he had summoned from the Bálághát, to act against Daryá Khán, and sent him off on the 10th Jumáda-l awwal. Daryá Khán had ravaged Andol, Dharan-gánw, and , sundry other places of the Páyín-ghát of Chálís-gánw; but on hearing of the approach of 'Abdu-lla Khán, he turned back to the Bálághát. Want of rain and the ravages of the NizámSháhis and Afgháns, had made provisions very scarce about Daulatábád; so 'Azam Khán did not deem it prudent to advance in that direction, but thought it preferable to march against Mukarrab Khán and Bahlol, who were at Dhárúr and Ambajogáí, in which plan of operations he was confirmed by a letter from Yamínu-d daula, who was at Ojhar. So he marched towards the ghát by way of Mánik-dúdh. (After some fighting) the royal forces ascended the ghát and took the village of Dámangánw, twenty kos from Ahmadnagar. Next day they marched to Jamkhír,2 in the Nizám-Sháhí territories. ** Leaving a force there, he next day proceeded to Tilangí. The garrison of the fort there had set it in order, and opened fire upon him. ** But in the course of one watch he took it by assault, put many of the defenders to the sword, took nearly five hundred prisoners, and captured all the munitions of the fort. When the royal forces reached the banks of the Wanjara,3 twelve kos from the fort of

1 About 25 miles E. of Chándor, and the same N.W. of Aurangabad.

2 About 30 miles S.E. of Aurangabad.

3 Called in the maps "Manjira."

Dhárúr, they found that Mukarrab Khán and his confederates had passed down the pass of Anjan-dúdh, and had gone to the neighbourhood of Bír. 'Azam Khán then sent Sáhú-jí Bhonsla to take possession of the districts around Junír and Sangamnír, whilst he himself, with the main force, went through the pass of Ailam to the town of Bír, and proceeded from thence to Partúr, on the bank of the river Dúdna. The enemy then fled towards Daulatábád. But 'Azam Khán learnt that scarcity of provisions prevented them from remaining in that vicinity, and that they had moved off towards the Bálághát, by way of Dhárúr. He then determined to intercept and attack them. But he found that the enemy, having placed their elephants and beggage in the fort of Dhárúr, had the design of descending the Páyín-ghát. So he went through the pass of Anjan-dúdh, and encamped three kos from Dhárúr.

Capture of the Fort of Mansur-garh.

[Text, vol. i. p. 332.] In the course of the past year, Bákir Khán had proceeded to the pass of Kherá-pára, two kos from Chhatardawár. This is a very narrow pass, between the territories of Kutbu-1 Mulk and Orissa, and a small force of musketeers and archers might hold it in security. He ravaged the country round, but when the rains set in, he retired without making any attempt upon the fort of Mansúr-garh, which a slave of Kutbu-l Mulk's, named Mansúr, had built about four los from Kherá-pára. After the rains, under the royal orders, he again marched to Kherápára. Sher Muhammad, and other officers of Kutbu-l Mulk, had collected about 3000 horse and 10,000 foot, and having strengthened the fort with guns, muskets, and other implements of warfare, they made ready for battle. On the 8th Jumáda-1 awwal, Bákir Khán arrived in the vicinity of Mansúr-garh, and found the enemy drawn up in a plain north-east of the fort. ** The enemy were unable to withstand the assault of the royal forces, but broke and fled. Flushed with victory, Bákir Khán

VOL. VII.

2