[1] Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate, defeated the Sena king Lakshman Sen at his capital, Nabadwip in 1203–04 and conquered most of Bengal.

[1] The chaotic shifts in power between the Afghan and Turkish rulers of that sultanate came to an end when Mughal rule became established in Bengal during the sixteenth century.

Akbar who was in Gujarat when he received the news of Daud's audacity, at once dispatched orders to Munim Khan and the representative of the imperial power in Jaunpur to chastise the aggressor.

[1] Munim on receipt of his sovereign's instructions assembled a powerful force and marched on Patna where he was opposed by Lodi Khan an influential Afghan chief who had placed Daud on the throne and now served that prince as minister Munim Khan who was then very old had lost his energy and after some skirmishing was content to cease hostilities and grant Daud extremely lenient terms.

[1] Munim Khan stung by his master's censure returned rapidly to Patna and laid siege to the city.

[1] But he soon found the task of taking it to be beyond his powers and begged Mughal Emperor Akbar to come in person and assume charge of the campaign.

The whole movement evidently had been thought out and executed with consummate skill in the face of tremendous difficulties due to the weather.

[1] The ladies and children were sent to Jaunpur and Akbar in response to urgent entreaties from Munim Khan that he would be pleased to come in person with all speed to the front, advanced to the famous ferry at Chaunsa where his father, Emperor Humayun, had suffered a severe defeat in 1539.

After taking counsel with his officers and ascertaining that the besieged city relied for the greater part of its supplies on the town of Hajipur situated on the opposite or northern bank of the Ganges he decided that the capture of that place was a necessary preliminary to the successful accomplishment of the main design.

The difficulties caused by the flooded state of the huge river many miles in width at that season and the strenuous resistance of a strongly posted garrison were overcome and the fort was captured by the gallantry of the detachment appointed by Akbar to the duty.

[1] The heads of the Afghan leaders killed were thrown into a boat and brought to Akbar who forwarded them to Daud as a hint of the fate which awaited and in due course befell him.

[1] The same day Akbar ascended the Panj Pahari or Five Hills a group of extremely ancient artificial mounds standing about half a mile to the south of the city and thence reconnoitred the position.

Daud, although he still had at his disposal 20,000 horses, a large park of artillery and many elephants, came to the conclusion that he could not resist the imperial power and decided on flight.

An enormous amount of booty including 265 elephants was taken and the common people enjoyed themselves picking up purses of gold and articles of armour in the streams and on the banks.

[1] The capture of so great a city in the middle of the rainy season was an almost unprecedented achievement and a painful surprise to the Bengal Sultan.

[1] He had reckoned on Akbar following the good old Indian custom of waiting until the Dasahara festival in October to begin a campaign.

Accordingly, he organised an additional army of more than 20,000 men entrusting the supreme command to old Munim Khan who was appointed governor of Bengal.

Late in September while he was encamped at Khanpur in the Jaunpur district he received dispatches announcing the success of Munim Khan.

Feeling despondent, he considered fleeing, but his colleagues encouraged him, and Shaham Khan continued to conduct the war with full vigor.

When Todarmal received the news of Munim Khan's escape, he remained undisturbed and motivated his army to fight with all their might, saying:[3] The breeze of victory is about to blow and the light of success is emerging from the horizon of hope.These two generals, Todarmal and Shaham Khan, continued to confront the enemy with immense valour.