206 B. Bandyopadhyaya — Hamir Rasa, [No. 3, 



legions began to advance, it seemed as if an ocean, having left its boundary, 

 rolled on, sweeping everything before it with great fury. The cavalry, 

 consisted of 27,00,000 of excellent horsemen, of whom 700,000 were Hindus. 

 There were 10,000 messengers of war, 400,000 of pioneers, 100,000 of 

 writers, 200,000 of merchants, 400,000 of female cooks, 200,000 of mules 

 laden with treasure, 400,000 of grooms and 100,000 of mendicants, 200,000 

 of artillerymen, very able and powerful in the art of destruction, and 300,000 

 of camels, loaded with tents, furniture and powder bags. 5000 elephants, one 

 exceeding the other in strength, followed the camp. They seemed as if 

 the dark clouds of the rainy season advanced roaring and thundering in their 

 way. 



Drums and trumpets sent forth their warlike peals and stirred up spirit 

 and enthusiasm in every heart. 'All Khan headed the van of the army, 

 and Him mat Bahadur the rear. 3000 banners were unfurled. A space of 

 more than eighty miles was taken up by these innumerable hosts, so that 

 at every halt the pioneers had to clear such an extent of land of dense for- 

 ests. All wells and tanks which they happened to pass by were drained, 

 many a narrow valley was blown up and extended. 



The report of the expedition of Ala-uddin reached the temtory of 

 Hamh*. Many cowardly Bhumias (petty chiefs) fled, leaving their posses- 

 sions, to live amidst defiles and winding caves of mountains, whereas heroes, 

 nobles and soldiers made themselves ready for battle. There was a 

 bill-fort named Malarna from which descended a body of brave Rajputs. 

 They took by surprise a detachment of Muhammadan troops encamped 

 below in fancied security. 10,000 soldiers of the Shah of Kablanur were 

 cut off, and the camp pillaged. 



When the intelligence of this event reached the emperor, he ordered 

 his soldiers to. pursue the plunderers closely. They succeeded in overtak- 

 ing them on the bank of the Banas. A party of 20,000 Eawats, headed by 

 five heroes — Puanr Abhay Singh, Rattor Bharji, Bagel Hari Singh, Katch- 

 wa Bhim Singh and Chohan Sardul — hastened to the aid of the pursued 

 even without taking the orders of their liege-lord Hamir. The imperial 

 tents arrived there and had to halt for two days. 



A detachment of troops, commanded by Himmat Bahadur, came for- 

 ward. They were met by a body of Rajput soldiers under Hari Singh 

 Bagela and Bhim Singh Katchwa. 'Ali Khan, at the head of 200,000 sol- 

 diers, joined his brother Himmat's ranks. The Rajput warriors, although 

 surrounded on every side by the masses of the Muhammadan army, pressed 

 on and began to fight. Very great was the skill displayed by them. Now 

 they applied arrows to their bows, now they shot them, pulling the strings 



