ebellion broke out in the autumn
of the year at Jaunpur, the governor of which the Uzbeks had secured
to their interests. Akbar was engaged in elephant-hunting at Narwar
when the news reached him.

He immediately despatched his ablest general with the troops that
were available to aid his loyal officers, whilst he should collect
further troops to follow. He marched about ten days later, reached
Kanauj, received there the submission of one of the rebel leaders,
remained there ten days, waiting till the river, swollen by the
rainfall, should subside. Learning then that the chief who was the
head of the rebellion had proceeded to Lucknow, he promptly followed
him thither with a small but chosen body of troops, and marching
incessantly for four-and-twenty hours, came in sight of that city on
the morning of the second day. As he approached, the rebels fled with
such speed that the horses of the Emperor and his retinue, completely
knocked up with their long march, could not follow them. The rebel
chief then fell back rapidly on Jaunpur, and joining there his
colleagues, quitted that place with them, and {101} crossing the
Gogra at the ford of Narhan, forty miles west-north-west of Chapra,
remained encamped there. Thence they despatched agents into Bengal to
implore the aid of the king of that country.

Meanwhile, one imperial army, led by a general anxious for a
bloodless termination to the dispute, had arrived in front of them,
whilst another, commanded by a fiery and resolute leader, was
marching up from Rajputana. The negotiations which the peaceful
general had commenced had almost concluded, when the fiery leader
arrived, and, declaring the negotiations to be a fraud, insisted upon
fighting. In the battle which followed the imperial forces were
defeated, and fled to re-assemble the day following at Shergarh.

Before this battle had been fought Akbar had confirmed the peace
negotiations with the rebels, and he was not moved from his
resolution when he heard of their victory over his army. He said:
'their faults have been forgiven,' and he sent instructions to his
Amirs to return to court. He then marched himself to Chanar, alike to
plan works for the strengthening of the fortress; to hunt elephants
in the Mirzapur jungles; and to await the further action of the
rebels he had pardoned with arms in their hands. The experiment was
not one to be repeated, for, flushed with their success, the rebel
chiefs broke out anew. Ak