[1] Sir A. Phayre thinks this may have been Vikrampur,
for some
time the capital of Eastern
Bengal before the Mahomedan conquest.
Vikrampur was some miles east
of Dacca, and the dynasty in question
was that called Vaidya.
(See Lassen, III. 749.)
Patteik-Kara is apparently
an attempt to represent some Hindi
name such as Patthargarh,
“The Stone-Fort.”
OF THE BATTLE THAT WAS FOUGHT BY THE GREAT KAAN’S
HOST AND HIS SENESCHAL, AGAINST THE KING OF MIEN.
And when the Captain of the Tartar host had certain
news that the king aforesaid was coming against him
with so great a force, he waxed uneasy, seeing that
he had with him but 12,000 horsemen. Natheless
he was a most valiant and able soldier, of great experience
in arms and an excellent Captain; and his name was
NESCRADIN.[NOTE 1] His troops too were very good,
and he gave them very particular orders and cautions
how to act, and took every measure for his own defence
and that of his army. And why should I make a
long story of it? The whole force of the Tartars,
consisting of 12,000 well-mounted horsemen, advanced
to receive the enemy in the Plain of Vochan, and there
they waited to give them battle. And this they
did through the good judgment of the excellent Captain
who led them; for hard by that plain was a great wood,
thick with trees. And so there in the plain the
Tartars awaited their foe. Let us then leave
discoursing of them a while; we shall come back to
them presently; but meantime let us speak of the enemy.
After the King of Mien had halted long enough to refresh
his troops, he resumed his march, and came to the
Plain of Vochan, where the Tartars were already in
order of battle. And when the king’s army
had arrived in the plain, and was within a mile of
the enemy, he caused all the castles that were on
the elephants to be ordered for battle, and the fighting-men
to take up their posts on them, and he arrayed his
horse and his foot with all skill, like a wise king
as he was. And when he had completed all his
arrangements he began to advance to engage the enemy.
The Tartars, seeing the foe advance, showed no dismay,
but came on likewise with good order and discipline
to meet them. And when they were near and nought
remained but to begin the fight, the horses of the
Tartars took such fright at the sight of the elephants
that they could not be got to face the foe, but always
swerved and turned back; whilst all the time the king
and his forces, and all his elephants, continued to
advance upon them.[NOTE 2]
