Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

After his initial defeat, Shaysta Khan witnessed the formidable strength of the Mughal cavalry and dared not venture out of the city for open battle again, relying instead on the city walls and fortified camps to hold out. The Mughal army, mostly cavalry, while skilled in open warfare, lacked siege equipment and, most importantly, was far outnumbered by the Mughal army. Alatan Khan, well-versed in military strategy, was unwilling to expend his elite cavalry in a brutal siege. Therefore, he only sent his men to harass enemy supply convoys and kill any enemy soldiers daring to leave the city or camps, without launching a direct assault on the city or enemy camps.

Time flies, and two months have passed in the blink of an eye. The weather has become hot. Many of the cavalrymen in the Guards Army came from the north and could not withstand the heat. Fortunately, Alatan Cang had made preparations in advance. The army had a large supply of medicines to relieve heat and prevent disease. He ordered his men to take off their iron armor and put on cloth armor from the south. He also personally patrolled the camp, showing concern for their well-being, which finally stabilized the morale of the troops. To deceive the enemy, this commander deliberately ordered the soldiers and scouts outside the camp gate to remove their armor and rest shirtless in the shade.

At noon on August 29, Shaysta Khan sat in his tent, listening to Asifja, who was in charge of logistics, report on the status of provisions and supplies.

“Regent, Prince Azam Shah refuses to lend us grain and even demands that Your Majesty abdicate and make him your sovereign. The grain reserves of Marwa, Kandesh, and Deccan are almost exhausted, forcing us to requisition grain from the people. Moreover, the guards are constantly attacking our supply convoys, and the grain being transported into the army is dwindling. Currently, the army's grain reserves are only enough to last for a little over a month,” Asfjah said anxiously.

Shaysta Khan, however, remained calm and composed. At seventy-six, he was a seasoned veteran of countless battles and had long since mastered the art of remaining unfazed even under immense pressure. He smiled and said, "Defeating the enemy is imminent. A month's worth of provisions is more than enough." Having said this, he summoned his generals for a meeting. "For the past two months, I have ordered you all not to engage in open battle, not out of fear of war, but because the time was not yet ripe. Now that the time is right, you must fight to the death for your country!" he told his generals.

"May I ask when the time will come for the Regent?" the young Bakhsh asked.

Shaistha Khan pointed to the sky and laughed, "It's getting hot. Most of the cavalry in the Guards are from the north, and northerners can't stand the scorching heat of the south. According to the scouts sent out, because of the heat, the enemy soldiers are even taking off their armor and resting shirtless under the shade of trees while on duty, completely lacking the vigor they had when they first arrived. Hmph, the signs of defeat are already showing; defeating them won't be difficult!"

"Even so, the enemy has a large number of cavalry, and our cavalry can hardly match them," Amir Khan said with some concern.

"Heh heh, our cavalry isn't just about warhorses. Have you forgotten those 1,600 war elephants? The reason we held back earlier was precisely for this moment!" Shaistha Khan sneered. He had always emphasized the use of war elephants in warfare. Seeing the large number of war elephants in the Marathas army of the Deccan, he specifically formed an elephant corps of 1,600 to suppress the enemy. Although he knew the Guards had a history of defeating elephant corps, he believed that was only because there weren't enough elephants. If over a thousand war elephants were concentrated for a single attack, even with the Guards' superior firearms, they wouldn't be able to stop so many behemoths. His confidence infected his subordinates, and all the generals excitedly declared their willingness to fight to the death alongside their old commander for their country.

At dawn on August 30th, the Mughal army marched out of the city and arrayed themselves on the west bank of the Yamuna River. More than 100,000 troops marched out, their banners obscuring the sun, stretching as far as the eye could see, their momentum capable of crushing mountains.

Upon hearing that the Mughal army was going into battle, Alatan Cang laughed heartily and said to his generals, "Everyone says that northerners cannot withstand the scorching heat, but I, the commander, do not believe it. This battle is a decisive one, and you must all advance bravely, or the military law will show no mercy!"

"Yes!" the generals responded in unison, each leading their troops out of the camp and into battle formation. With over 100,000 Mughal soldiers against 60,000 Imperial Guards, Shahstar Khan believed he held the advantage and issued the order to attack. Amidst the sound of gongs and drums, the elephant commander, Qamar, led 1,600 war elephants and over 10,000 elephant cavalry in the first attack. Behind him followed over 10,000 cavalry and over 70,000 infantry.

"Moo~ Moo~ Moo~" Sixteen hundred giant beasts roared and swung their long trunks as they charged forward, their hooves shaking the earth.

"Hmph~" Alatan Cang sneered and issued the order to change formation. The 60,000 cavalrymen were divided into three groups. The 20,000 in the center, commanded by the chief of the ten thousand households, Obo Dui Wulanghai, continued to gallop forward, luring the Mughal elephant cavalry and cavalry to pursue. The 20,000 guards on each side, commanded by Alatan Cang and Suhebalu respectively, turned left and right, galloping around to the enemy's flanks to launch an attack.

Rapid troop changes and turns on the battlefield, though easy to describe, require extremely rigorous training and real combat experience; only battle-hardened soldiers can accomplish this. The Guards did it! This caught the Mughal army completely off guard. When Alatanchan and Sukhbal each led 20,000 cavalry to charge their flanks, the unprepared Mughal flanks were quickly scattered and forced to push towards the central army formation. The death of Mirbaksh (military commander) Amir Khan, who was in charge of the left flank, from a stray arrow during the battle further threw the Mughal army into disarray.

"Not good! Form a circular formation! Elephant troops, return to reinforce!" Shaysta Khan hurriedly gave the order. The Mughal army hastily formed a circular formation and switched from offense to defense, but the routed troops on both flanks disrupted the formation. The elephant troops and cavalry in front tried to return to reinforce, but the guards of the Obodui Ulanghai tribe, who had originally "fled," turned their horses around and fired a barrage of arrows and musket bullets at them, temporarily holding them back.

"Haorui~ Haorui~ Haorui~" The Khorchin Prince Dushihuor, the Henjirig Prince Norbu, the Ongniud Prince Biligundala, and the chieftain Qimukur each led their troops into the Mughal central army. In the chaos, the Mughal general Asifja was cut in two by Qimukur's blade. After slaying the enemy general, this fierce warrior then charged towards the Mughal emperor's banner.

Seeing the enemy's overwhelming force, Shaysta Khan had no choice but to escort the ten-year-old Emperor Bakhsh to the left to avoid their advance. Seeing the emperor leave the center, the Mughal army panicked further, with countless soldiers fleeing. The guards quickly routed the Mughal infantry, then turned to attack their elephants and cavalry from both sides. Even with their numerous war elephants, the Mughal army could no longer exert their fighting power with their center broken and surrounded by enemies. They lost the will to resist, frantically riding their elephants and horses away from the battlefield, leaving their backs to the guards to shoot; countless died. The elephant commander, Qamal, was wounded by a stray arrow during the retreat and fell to the ground, trampled to a pulp by the frightened giants.

The battle raged from dawn till dusk. The Mughal army, at the cost of 5,000 casualties, killed over 20,000 Mughal soldiers, captured over 20,000, and seized countless supplies. Shaysta Khan, protecting the young emperor, dared not return to Agra Fort and retreated south to Kannu. Upon reaching Kannu, a headcount revealed only 50,000 men remaining. To his further dismay, the Mughal army, after capturing Agra Fort, continued their pursuit of Kannu without rest. Knowing the speed of the enemy cavalry, he ordered his men to abandon their baggage and retreat lightly. They finally crossed the Chambal River and retreated to Gwalior, only to find the Mughal army had also reached the north bank of the Chambal River and immediately began crossing. Shaysta Khan dared not resist and fled south again to the Malwa region, a plateau where they could defend themselves against the Mughal army.

Barely gaining a respite, Shaishta Khan recounted his forces and found only 40,000 men remaining. Worse still, all supplies and provisions were lost. Left with no other option, he ordered the garrisons along the Kandesh and Nag Rivers to urgently transport supplies as reinforcements. Despite knowing the chances were slim, the commander, in the name of Emperor Bakhsh, appealed to Emperor Azam Shah, who controlled the western coastal region of the Mughal Empire and possessed considerable wealth, for help. The young emperor's tone was humble, almost pleading with his third brother, completely unaware that his brother had also suffered a major setback and was in a precarious situation. (End of Chapter)