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DECEMBER, 1922] HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAHT KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR
the army of Berar arrived, when they would be rewarded. The soldiers believed what Mirak Mu'in told them and armed themselves for battle. Nasir Khân, with a large force of cavalry and infantry surrounded their quarters and a fight ensued. The Berar infantry, ignorant of the flight of the amirs, bravely defended their quarters, keeping off the attacking force with spears and arrows. While the combat was at its height, Mirak Mu în fled by a secret way to the house of one of his friends who lived near, then changed his clothes and fled, in the guise of a faqir, and joined Sayyid Murtaza's arm
Mirza Husain and Chaghatâi Khân had been left to protect the country and Mîrza Husain had not yet heard of the defeat and flight of the amirs, when Chaghatâî Khân, on the pretext of bringing his family, left him at Elichpûr and went to his own jagtr. Meanwhile. news of the flight of the amirs had reached the kotwal of the fort of Gawil, who, assembling the whole garrison of the fortress to oppose Mirza Husain came forth from the fort. In the morning, while Mîrzâ Husain and his army tad still no inkling of the enemy's design, the defeated army of Berar appeared and Mirza Husain and his immediate companions mounted in great confusion and prepared for battle.
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A body of the amirs of the Dakan who had been told off to assist Mirza Ḥusain came up in the rear and thus surrounded Mirza Husain, whom they put to death. Mirza Husain's brother, Mirza Hasan, extricated himself from his perilous position with great difficulty and joined Chaghatâî Khân. The two men fled together to Burhânpûr, believing that they would thus save themselves from impending calamity, forgetting that all things are ordered by fate. When they arrived at the environs of Burhanpûr they were met by a force which had been sent by the ruler of Khandesh to seize them, and these men arrested Chaghatâî Khân and Mîrzâ Ḥasan and plundered all their property.
Sayyid Murtaza and the rest of the amirs of Berar, after fleeing from the field, reached the town of Paithan where they were joined by about 10,000 horse, who came in from all sides, so that they were numerically a strong army but they were so disorganized and demoralized by fear and panic that they halted nowhere, and could not make a stand even against the contemptible force (of Kolis) which had been sent off to pursue them, but fled straight on to Burhanpûr. When they reached Burhânpûr they placed reliance on the friendship of its ruler for them and considered themselves safe from their enemies and halted in that country in all confidence, but the Sulțân of Khandesh, altogether forgetting his former friendship with them, sent a force to attack them. The amirs of Berar were halted and were carelessly taking their ease when they discerned the approaching army of Burhanpår afar off. Sayyid Murtaza, who over eighty years of age and had suffered much in his flight through Berar had no longer the power to flee and resolved to remain where he was and surrender himself to the attacking force, and gave his army leave to disperge. Khundâvand Khan's brave spirit could not endure this and he therefore compelled Sayyid Murtazâ, against his will, to mount, and with the help of Shir Khân, Tîr Andâz-Khân, Chandâ Khin, and several soldiers, carried him away from his position of peril. The rest of the property of the army of Berar, horses, and elephants, which had escaped Salâbat Khân's army, now fell into the hands of the army of Burhanpûr.
After this Babri Khân, having obtained a safe conduct from Salibat Khân, hastened to 'the capital.
Sayyid Murtaza and the other amirs fled from Burhanpûr towards Karkawan, which is a dependency of the dominions of Akbar Pâdshah, halting not for three days in their fear of the army of Burhanpûr. They suffered much before they reached Karkawan, but, having arrived there, took some rest and proceeded towards Akbar's capital, which they reached in due course,
