While at Champaneer in 1527, ambassadors came from Baber, padishah or emperor of Delhi, demanding homage and tribute for Guzerat, as part of his dominions.  At first Badur was disposed to have slain these unwelcome messengers; but he dismissed them, saying that he would carry the answer in person.  He accordingly drew together an army of 100,000 men and 400 elephants, with a great train of artillery.  But he was prevented from carrying his designs into execution, in consequence of a great town called Doitabad being taken by Nizam-al-Mulk; and though he recovered it, he met with great loss of men, chiefly by the weather, it being winter, some of his men being slain by a shower of stones as large as oranges[196].  Certain men came to Badur, from the kingdom of the Colii[197], who demanded tribute; but he flayed them alive.  In 1529, Badur marched with 70,000 horse and 200,000 foot into the dominions of Nizam-al-Mulk, where he did much damage.  In the same year Baber padishah of the Moguls of Delhi, marched with an army for the reduction of Guzerat; but met with so much loss in a battle with the king of Cheitore in Agimere that he was forced to retire to Delhi.

[Footnote 196:  The story in the text is difficultly intelligible.  I am apt to believe that the great army belonged to Baber, the Great Mogul, designed for the reduction of Guzerat, but turned aside for the recovery of Dowlatabad in the Deccan, and that the shower of stones of the text is to be understood of hail.—­E.]

[Footnote 197:  Who these were does not appear.—­E.]

Badur invaded the kingdom of Mandou[198], and killed the king by treachery.  He then imprisoned all the kings sons, and distributed the wives and daughters of the deceased king among his officers. Salahedin, one of the principal officers of that kingdom fled to Raosinga, a place almost impregnable by nature and art, but was inveigled into the power of Badur and forced to turn Mahometan.  Badur then besieged the mountain fort of Raosinga, and commanded the women belonging to Salahedin to come out; but they sent word that they would not do so unless along with Salahedin, who was accordingly sent into the fort for that purpose.  His women, about 500 in number, exclaimed against his becoming a Mahometan, saying they would rather be all burnt alive than delivered to the enemy.  Whereupon Salahedin, with 120 men who guarded his zenana, slew them all upon a pile of wood, where they were burnt with all his riches.  After this Badur went against Chitore with an army of 100,000 horse, an innumerable infantry, and 600 cannon, and besieged Chitore for two months, at the end of which it surrendered.  By this conquest Badur was in possession of three considerable kingdoms.

[Footnote 198:  Probably Malwa.—­E.]