1923.1] Life and letters of Malik ‘Aynul-Mulk Mahri. 269 
elephants, and the fertile fields, and everything, else were with 
‘Aynu’l-Mulk, and the Imperial forces were scattered. The 
Emperor, in the circumstance, wanted time to be ready, but 
his nobles, including Nasiru’d-Din Mutahhar’u‘l-‘ Auhari, with 
whom all agreed, said in his words, ‘‘ O Lord of the World do 
act promptly, and do not give further opportunity to the 
rebel.’’ 
The Sultan acted according to their advice. On the very 
night letters were despatched to all the army heads and 
soldiers that were near, who arrived without delay and the 
following stratagem was devised: If one hundred horse, 
for example, arrived at the head quarters, the Sultan sent 
thousands of them during night to meet them, and they then 
entered the camp all together, as if the whole lot of them 
were new reinforcements. The Sultan moved to the bank 
Sultan’s troops stood in battle array, in one line, with arms 
in front, and horse by the side of each man. Each had a 
case (knapsack), out of which to eat and wash, and then 
return to his place. The bigger quarters were at a distance 
rom them. For three days the Sultan did not enter his tent 
or repair to a shady place. No women were allowed to 
remain with anyone, those that were there, were removed to 
a fortified spot, called Sambal. There remained no women, 
even with the Sultan. On the second day, the forces were 
arranged in battalions (fauj). With every battalion were 
elephants, wearing armour with towers on them : 
Information was brought on the third day, which was 
later confirmed, that ‘Aynu’l-Mulk had crossed the river! 
thousand soldiers. With His Majesty’s Minister, Khwaja- 
Jahan, were Persian, Turki, and Khurasainian forces. Malik 
Ibrahim Banji of Tatary, whom the Sultan had given the fief 
of Sandila, under the governorship of ‘Aynu’l Mulk, was one 
of the rebels, and was with the latter. ‘Aynu’l-Mulk asked 
Ibrahim how to save himself, as most of the force had deserted. 
Ibrahim said to his comrades in their language,® that if ‘Aynu’l- 
Mulk should flee, he would seize him by his ‘stickers’ and 
asked them to strike the horse, that he may fall on the ground, 
pa gS 
' That is, recrossed the Ganges and arrived on the side, where the 
Sultan was encamped. : 
? Probably the Tartary language, which *‘Aynu’l-Mulk, did not 
understand. : 
