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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(NOVEMBER, 1898.
tress, which was the general highway for all, was clear of Mughals; consequently Miran Shah Ali and Abhang Khân, with a force of their warriors always eager tor battle, at the close of Saturday, the 28th Rabi. II. [21st December, 1595] started towards the fortress by the road which the spy pointed out.
It was a wonderful coincidence that on the morning of this same day Prince Shah Murad started to examine the surroundings of the fortress, and to inspect and distribute among the unirs of his army the various batteries and trenches; he went about like a travelling star in the revolving heavens, and with the eye of confidence and attention observed the surroundings of the fortress. The east side, which was the general highway and the road of the avenging army, he entrusted to the charge of the Khan-Khanan. At the close of the same day the Khan-Khênîn marched from the neighbourhood of the namár-gáh, and alighied in the garden of the 'abádat-khánah [house of worship), which is situated directly on the road of the force of His Highness Miran Ali Shah and Abhang Khan. The whole of the Khấn-Khânân's army pitched their camp round that garden ; and as they were not aware of the arrival of the hostile army, on this dark night both great and little of the Khân-Khânân's army slept the sleep of carelessness, and observed no vigilance or caution. After two watches of the night had passed, His Highness Miran Shah 'Ali and Abhang Khân, with their formidable force like a powerful torrent and raging river, reached the army of their opponents and became aware of the encampment of the Mughal army; and as it was an exceedingly dark night, and the opposing force was wrapped in the sleep of negligence, they threw themselves on those incautious ones and attacked them; and falling on them like distracted lions in the midst of sleeping wild asses, they put those negligent sleepers to the sword. When the Khan-Khanan's troops opened their eyes from sleep, they saw standing round them a formidable crowd like a sudden calamity; they found the road of escape blocked on every side, and the gates of death open in the face of their desires ; consequently they saw no remedy but fighting, so they hastened to the field of battle and the acquisition of a Dame and reputation. Some at the doors of their tents and sleeping places travelled on the road of obliteration and oblivion, and a few, abandoning their property, went to the KhanKhanan's pavilion.
When the rank-breaking army of the Dakhan found the tents freed from the existence of their enemies, abandoning all caution, they hastened to plunder the property of their enemies. Abhang Khân, with a body of his troops like savage lions, took up a strong position like the mountain of Dama wand near the Khan-Kbârâp's tent, and for Learly two hours fought with that amy. The Kbán-Khanan with a body of expert archers, who on a pitch dark night could have sewn up the eye of a spake or an ant (with their arrows], got into the house by the roof of a very lofty building, and made Abhang Khan and his followers the target of their arrows. From the fire of the stone-splitting arrows they set fire with it to the plain of battle, and dried up with it the bodies of the brave pien, till time after time as the Khan-Khânân's force increased in numbers, the Dakhani force, through lust of plander, diminished. Since Abhang Khân saw that the enemy having become strong, the affair had gone beyond the bounds of rashness, he, with the body of troops which he had with him, carried off the son of Miran Shah 'Ali and gallantly made for the fortress, whilst Ebah 'Ali with some of his men returned by the way they had come. Daulat Khan Ladi, one of the amirs of the Khan-Khánân's army, followed Shah 'Ali, took about two hundred prisoners, and killed a great puniber. But Abhang Khan with the sons of Mfrån Shah 'Ali and a great number of men, on that dark night reached the gate of the fortress, and made up the strength of the garrison to 1,000. The chamberlains of the court, by order of Her Highness Chånd Bibi, admitted A bhang Khin with the sons of Miran Shah
Ali to the fortress, and brought them before her. Her Highness was much pleased at the account of the excellences and good qualities of the great anir, and suitably acknowledged his virtuous efforts in the cause of the State, and confirmed the signs of his intrepidity and boldness. By her gratitude and condescension as well as by general rewards and countless royal kindnesses she showed her appreciation of his services.
Since Abhang Khân had shown such superiority over the Mughal army, and displayed such valour, extreme terror of the rank-breaking army of the Dakhan obtained ascendancy in the minds
