Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/242

 200 TIMUR'S ACCOUNT OF HIS INVASION It now occurred to me that I would cross the Jumna with a small party of horse to examine the palace of Jahan-numa, and to reconnoitre the ground on which a battle might be fought. I accordingly took an escort of seven hundred horsemen clad in armour and started off, sending Ali Sultan Tawachi and Junaid Bur-uldai forward as an advance-guard. Crossing the Jumna, I reached Jahan-numa and inspected the whole building, and I discovered a plain fit for a battle-field. Mean- while, Ali Sultan and Junaid, my advance-guard, each brought in a man belonging to the vanguard of the enemy, and when I had interrogated Ali Sultan's cap- tive about the matters of Sultan Mahmud and Mallu Khan, I ordered him to be put to death as an augury of good. My scouts now brought me information that Mallu Khan with four thousand horsemen in armour, five thousand infantry, and twenty-seven fierce war ele- phants, fully accoutred, had come out of the gardens of the city and had drawn up in battle array. I left Sayyid Khwaja and Mubashar Bahadur with three hun- dred Turkish horsemen on gray horses in the Jahan- numa and withdrew toward my camp. Mallu Khan ad- vanced boldly toward Jahan-numa, and Sayyid Khwaja and Mubashar went forth to meet him. A conflict ensued, in which my men fought valiantly; and as soon as I heard of the action, I sent Sunjak Bahadur and Amir Allah-dad with two regiments to their sup- port. At the earliest practicable moment, they assailed the enemy with arrows and then charged them. At