1923.] Life and letters of Malik ‘Aynw'l-Mulk Mahra. 285 
The writer proceeds: ‘“‘ When His Majesty’s victorious 
standards and flags departed towards Lakhnauti, the Rai. 
of course, did not behave himself quite loyally, and darkened 
his prospects with fraud and deceptive tricks. He declined to 
deliver elephants in foto and put in motion the chain of 
hypocrisy by one or two elephants, and kept His Majesty four to 
five months on the way; and said that the journey from where 
His Majesty was encamped to the /g/im of Jajnagar was too 
long and tedious and unpracticable. It was, he imagined, im- 
possible for the army of Islam to traverse this distance, full 
of difficulty and darkness (rivers and forests), and invade the 
Rai’s country. Owing to these, the Rai shook his head from 
the yoke of allegiance.”’ The object of the expedition was, says 
‘Aynu’l-Mulk, to break the idols, to shed the blood of the 
enemies of Islam, to hunt elephants, which were in abundance 
in the darkness (dense forests) about Padamtak Unal (2) 
(Padam Talao or Padmavati of Badayiun and Yahya), as 
no one from the beginning of the world, till the present age, 
or since the morning of His Majesty’s sovereignty, had 
found sc much shikar (game) as those, to view the beauty 
of the deep sea, and to visit that beautiful Jajnagar whose 
beauty was told by intrepid travellers of sea and land with 
great exaggeration. Besides, as all the divisions and parts 
of the Indian Empire, from east to west, near and distant, 
has come under His Majesty’s prosperous rule, and all are 
happy and contented and as the Arabian Sea (Sy cglye); 
(meaning here the Bay of Bengal) has been always under his or 
his minister’s (Governor’s) rule, so His Majesty started on the 
expedition, relying on God, and the first victory was gained 
Over Jajnagar. And the fort of the Rai, was pu down as 
Writing wiped out from the paper. In the twinkling of an eye, 
such a stronghold with its surroundings were taken possession: 
f by the sword of the valiant soldiers. A large number of. 
the slain ‘and an immense pile of the ruins were the result. 
Secondly, the conquest of the city up to Siram which is one 
of the chief tracts, whose citadel is the strongest in Jajnagar, 
and whose kingdom is called Tebya (?) was brought under 
subjugation. They have never been reduced by any force, 
nd have never paid tribute to anyone; but they were 
reduced by His Majesty’s invincible army, and the booty 
ground. He then stood up and presented 230 pils 
Copper coins) to His Mafesty’s threshold. 
