Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/149

 ULUGH IN COMMAND AGAINST THE MOGHULS 115 warfare, Ulugh Khan appointed guides to lead the way, so that the marches might be made with the greatest celerity. In ordinary cases eight leagues would be one day's march, but under his arrangements twelve leagues, or even more, were accomplished. The army arrived on the banks of the Biyah, crossed the river, and reached Lahore on the banks of the Ravi. There Ulugh Khan showed great energy and bravery in push- ing forward the expedition, and incited the Sultan and the nobles to be zealous in the repulse of the infidel Moghuls. On Monday, the twenty-fifth of Sha'ban, 643 A. H. (Jan. 15, 1246 A. D.), word was brought to the royal camp that the Moghuls had raised the siege of Uchh. The reason of their retreat was that when Ulugh Khan had reached the Biyah, he had sent messengers bear- ing letters from the Sultan to the garrison of the fort, announcing the approach of the royal army and dilat- ing upon the vast numbers of the soldiers and elephants and describing the great valour and spirit of the forces which followed the royal standards. He also sent an advance force to reconnoitre. When the messengers came near Uchh, some of the letters fell into the hands of the besiegers, and some reached the garrison of the