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here Muhammad MirzSi and Ulugh Mirza, who had been received into favour again by Humdyfin, deserted. Whether the scene of their former defeat embittered rankling memories, or whether they thought that their opiumeating monarch had no chance against Sher Shah, we know not, but their ingratitude was black and fatal to the Mughal cause. On the other hand the chivalrous E,dja of Arol, Partab Singh,* wrote offering to join the Emperor with all his forces. Desertions occurred daily, and merely to stop them the Mughal force crossed the river and encamped with the Ganges, at its rear a fatal tactical error. The battle which occurred is one of the most remarkable in the history of the world, and has yet its lessons for Indian strategists.

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It is perfectly clear that fourteen years in the Indian plains and unlimited indulgence in all the luxuries of the prostrate land had enervated the Mughal troops to a degree such as we can now hardly conceive.

There happened to be in the line a celebrated Chaghatai chief, Haidar MirzaDoghlat, a distant relative of Hum%un, who had recently come down from the hills of Farghana, had become Humdyun's brother after the fashion of the nation, accompanied him in the campaign, and novv witnessed with astonishment and disgust the effeminate and cowardly behaviour of his former companions in arms, the amirs who twelve years before had hurled back 50,000 of the bravest Chhattris of R^jplitina by their steady and disciplined valour; and 120 of whom had put to flight a whole army of those very Pathdns before whom they were trembling. Facts, which are only credible because they are confirmed by the concurrent testimony of several eye-witnesses, compel us to believe that the whole nature of the hardy Tartars had changed. Shortly before the battle of Chaunsa Humdytin found himself beset by the Path^ns. He actually appealed to his principal general, his cousin Askari Mirza, and promised to grant him any four boons he would ask, provided he would extricate him froin his difficulties by marching against the enemy. Askari Mirza summoned his officers and consulted them what he should ask for, saying his own affections were fixed, first oh money, second on the muslins and silks of Dacca, thirdly on handsome girls, fourthly on eunuchs ; his officers replied that the times were too risky for eunuchs and women, but that they would fight their bravest if the Emperor would raise each man a step in rank and give them a large sum of money in cash.

Imagine the brigade generals on the eve of a battle being invited by the commander-in-chief to state on what terms they would consent not to run away ; and answering that they loved women, but that gold and promotion were more preferable, because more portable on the march, and that he must pay down cash, as mere protnises were useless. Most df these mercenary and profligate chiefs had perished on the field of Chaunsa. Yet the same spirit survived.

In Samarqand Babar had maintained the sternest discipline, he had shot down soldiers who dared to pillage, he had caused to be restored every single article which had been plundered from a caravan passing • Jauber's

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