The brief account is that he marched in excellent order with [[60]] 30,000 practised horsemen composed of Rajputs and Afghans who, on many occasions, had by their exploits increased his pride and arrogance. Musketeers and cross-bowmen were placed on the mountain-backs of those enormous elephants, which were furnished with suits of mail and defensive armour, and made ready for war. All the elephants had these war-panoplies, and had their trunks armed with spears and knives, and were intrusted to men of war and to courageous drivers. Every one had his place assigned to him. The elephant Ghalib Jang, which was one of the first-rate elephants, was assigned to Hasan Khan Faujdar; the elephant Gaj Bhanwar, which was one in a thousand, was assigned to Maikal Khan; the elephant Jor Banyan, which was a powerful one, was given to Ikhtiyar Khan; the elephant Fauj Madar was assigned to Sangram Khan; and the elephant Kali Beg, which had in many battles been ridden by Hemu himself, was on that day entrusted to a driver of the name of Chapan. He conciliated these leaders, who were lions of the jungle of war, and were the confidants of Sher Khan and Selim Khan, and other haughty ones, and made them zealous for battle....

    [[62]] When Hemu became aware that the standards of glory were far off, and that some of the officers had come in advance, he rapidly marched against them, thinking that if he dispersed these men, who were the choice troops, the rest of his task would be easy. He relied upon the numbers of his experienced troops, and on his many strong elephants, and advanced with immeasurable pride. In the drunkenness of infatuation, he could not understand that he who is supported by the driver of the elephant will assuredly prevail over him whose trust is in the elephant. How then can the superiority of him be denied, who is in the confidence of the Creator of the elephant?; and what effect against him can be procured by calling upon elephants for help? However that moribund, ill-fated one carried on hot war, and the brave men on each side made noble endeavours and like [[63]] the thunder of April, and tigers in a reed-bed, rushed upon each other with shouts. They served well with courage and devotion, and gathered glory.

Two armies so collided
That they struck fire out of water;
You'd say the air was all crimsoned daggers,
Their steel had all become solid rubies.

[[64]] ... Hemu the ill-fated rode proudly on an elephant named Hawa'i, which was one of his best, and glanced from side to side at the brave swordsmen, and at the onset of the rank-breaking of ghazis. He beheld with apprehension the combats of the warriors of fortune's army, and gathering together a band of fierce elephants he showed every stratagem which his powerful capacity could conceive, and every daring deed which lurked in his seditious soul. He made powerful onsets and performed many valorous acts, and dislodged many strenuous soldiers of the sublime army. Bhagwan Das, one of his leading men, and who was distinguished for his bravery in the field of battle, was cut to pieces in front of him, and Shadi Khan was trampled under the feet of the swift horses of fortune's army. Suddenly, in the midst of the contest, an arrow from the bended bow of Divine wrath reached Hemu's eye, and piercing the socket, came out the back of his head. Seemingly, the wind of the pride and the arrogance of that black-fated, inwardly darkened one passed out by that window. When those who were fighting around him saw that fortune's arrow had hit the target, the arm of their courage grew slack, and they lost heart. They became handless and footless, and no more girded up the loins of courage. His army was defeated and every man strewed the dust of defeat on his head, and scattered the glory of courage on the ground, and turned to flee.

Just then Shah Quli Khan and some brave men came up to the elephant on which Hemu was riding. He did not know that Hemu was on the elephant, and sought to kill the driver in order that he might make the elephant his spoil. The helpless driver, who had neither the helmet of loyalty nor the cuirass of courage, from fear of his leaf, pointed out [[65]] his master. When Shah Quli Khan heard of his great fortune, he blessed his stars and tossed the cap of joy to the skies. He gave quarter to the driver and made him hopeful of a royal reward. He then separated that and some other elephants and left the battle-field.

.... The number of those fallen on the field was calculated at 5,000. Who could count the numbers of those who were trampled down on the roads during their flight? 1,500 noted elephants fell into the hands of the imperial servants. A force of victorious heroes pursued the fugitives, and after putting many to the sword returned successful to the foot of the throne. The ruler of the age returned thanks for the great boon and distinguished the combatants by endless favours. Whilst every one of the heroes was being brought into the presence and was receiving rewards temporal and spiritual, Shah Quli Khan brought in Hemu bound. Though they questioned him, he out of uncouthness made no reply. Perhaps he was unable to speak, or he was overwhelmed by shame and indisposed to say anything. Bairam Khan Khan-Khanan begged H. M. the Shahinshah to slay with his own sacred hand this stock of sedition, and to acquire merit by a holy combat. That lord of wisdom and master of sages, [[66]] who regarded his youth as the veil of his divinely-bestowed wisdom, and abode under the screen of incognito and so obtained a respite from the vexatious disbelief of infidels and the faith of the sincere, replied in words that were the intepretation of truth and were for the instruction of the wise, that his lofty spirit did not permit him to slay a captive and that it seemed to him that in the justice-hall of the Only One there was nothing meritorious in such an act. Though simple loyalists importuned and pressed him, the Shahinshah showed himself more and more averse to the proceeding....

At last Bairam Khan Khan-Khan, when he perceived that H. M. was not inclined to take his view, withdrew from the attempt, and under the influence of hereditary beliefs which take their place in men from imitation of fathers and teachers, himself became engaged in the acquisition of this fancied merit, and with his sword cleansed the world from the contamination of his existence. Would that H. M. had come out of his veil and given attention to the matter! or that there had been some far-sighted master of wisdom in [[67]] that court, so that they might have kept Hemu in prison and madehim desirous of serving the threshold of fortune. Certainly he was a most excellent servant, and he had a lofty spirit. If he had been instructed by such a great one (as the far-seeing sage, or perhaps Akbar) what works might he not have performed? In order to display the Majest of the Shahinshah, and to give a lesson to the superficial, they sent his head to Kabul, while his trunk was conveyed to Delhi and placed on the gibbet of warning. The world had rest from strife and tumult, and mortals obtained happiness and tranquillity....

    [[71]] At this time it came to H. M.'s ears that Haji Khan, a slave of Sher Khan Afghan, who was distinguished for courage, prudence, and skill in collecting troops, was acting independently in Alwar, and also that the father and the wife of the ill-fated Hemu, and his goods and chattels, were in that Sarkar. Nasir-al-Mulk was appointed to that service along with a number of trusty and devoted followers. Haji Khan was frightened by the strength of the victorious army and fled before its arrival, and Alwar and the whole of Sarkar Mewat came into the possession of the imperial servants.

From there they proceeded to Deoti Machari, where was the residence and family of Hemu. The place was strong and there was much fighting, and the father of Hemu was captured and brought alive before the Nasir-al-Mulk. The latter called upon him to change his religion. The old man answered, "for eighty years I've worshipped my God, according to this religion. [[72]] Why should I change it at this time, and why should I, merely from fear for my life, and without understanding it, come into your way of worship?" Pir Muhammad [the Nasir-al-Mulk] treated his words as if he heard them not, and answered him with the tongue of the sword. After being victorious there, he came away with much plunder and fifty elephants and did homage at the Court, and was the recipient of royal favours.

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