SHEE KHAN THE AFGHAN 233 Khan, or " Tiger-lord, " so called because he killed a tiger that leaped suddenly upon the King of Bihar, at first nominally sided with the conqueror, although this did not prevent him from joining in Mahmud Lodi's attempt to recover the throne, nor from treacherously deserting the pretender at the battle with Humayun near Lucknow which dispelled the Lodi's hopes. Despite the fact that he was then again nominally reconciled with the Moghuls, and made his submission to Humayun when Chunar was besieged in 1532, the Afghan chief never abandoned his dream of sovereignty. During Humayun 's long absence in the west, he skilfully en- larged his territories and strengthened his army, and while the emperor was busy for six months in a second siege of Chunar, its master was conquering G-aur, the capital of Bengal. With unusual energy Humayun immediately pressed on to eject him before conquest ,had been consolidated into permanent rule in the wealthiest agricultural prov- ince of Hindustan. Sher Khan would listen to no over- tures, though the emperor offered him pardon and the government of Jaunpur if he would submit. Leaving his son Jalal Khan to hold the pass which leads from Bihar into Bengal at the foot of the Rajmahal hills, the Afghan hurriedly conveyed his booty, treasure, artillery, and family into the impregnable fort of Rohtas, which he captured from its Hindu chief by the familiar strata- gem of introducing armed men in women's litters. As soon as this manoeuvre was accomplished and all was safe in Rohtas, Jalal, who had held the pass as long as
