Note 129 — Chapter I

As Lahore is one of the greatest places in Hindustan, a great number of people gathered in six or seven days. It was reported on good authority that 10,000 or 12,000 horse were collected, and had left the city with the view of making a night attack on the royal vanguard. This news was brought to me at the sarāy of Qāẓī ʿAlī on the night of Thursday the 16th. Although it rained heavily in the night I beat the drum of march and mounted. Arriving in Sult̤ānpūr at dawn I remained there till noon. By chance, at this place and hour the victorious army encountered that ill-fated band. Muʿizzu-l-mulk had brought a dish of roast meat,129 and I was turning towards it with zest when the news of the battle was brought to me. Though I had a longing to eat the roast meat, I immediately took a mouthful by way of augury and mounted, and without waiting for the coming up of men and without regard to the smallness of my force I went off in all haste. However much I demanded my chiltah (wadded coat), they did not produce it. My only arms were a spear and sword, but I committed myself to the favour of God and started off without hesitation. At first my escort did not number more than fifty horsemen; no one had expected a fight that day. In fine, when I reached the head of the bridge of Gobindwāl,130 400 or 500 horse, good and bad, had come together. When I had crossed the bridge the news of a victory was brought to me. The bearer of the good news was S͟hamsī, tūs͟hakchī (wardrobe man), and for his good news he obtained the title of K͟hūs͟h-k͟habar K͟hān. Mīr Jamālu-d-dīn Ḥusain, whom I had sent previously to advise K͟husrau, came up at the same time and said such things about the number and bravery of K͟husrau’s men as frightened his hearers. Though news of the victory came continuously, this simple-minded Sayyid would not believe it, and expressed incredulity that such an army as he had seen could be defeated by S͟haik͟h Farīd’s force, which was small and not properly equipped. When they brought K͟husrau’s litter131 with two of his eunuchs, the Mīr admitted what had happened. Then, alighting from his horse, he placed his head at my feet and professed every kind of humility and submission, and said that there could be no higher or more lofty fortune than this.