HUMAYUN AND BAHADUR 229 stronghold in Bihar, accepted a purely perfunctory sub- mission, and thus left the most capable, unscrupulous, and ambitious man in the whole Afghan party free to mature his plans and strengthen his power while the emperor was away at the other end of Hindustan. It was the fear of the King of Gujarat that induced this fatal retreat. Bahadur Shah undoubtedly was aim- ing at the conquest of Delhi, but he was not ready for it yet; and such raids or expeditions as he had encouraged the pretenders to the throne to lead against Agra and Kalinjar had been easily repulsed by the imperial troops. When Humayun, abandoning the fruits of his victory at Lucknow, arrived in Malwa at the close of 1534, he found Bahadur busily engaged in the siege of the great Rajput fortress of Chitor. Instead of attacking at once, and by his timely interference probably winning to his side the inestimable friendship of the Rajput chiefs, he must needs stand by till the quarrel was fought out. It was admirable chivalry to call a truce while his Mos- lem enemy was waging what might be termed a Holy War against Hindu " infidels," and one cannot help respecting Humayun 's quixotic observance of a Moham- medan scruple of honour; mais ce n'etait pas la guerre. Profiting by the emperor's fine feelings, Bahadur stormed Chitor; the Rajput women eagerly rushed upon the swords of their husbands and fathers to escape the shame of Moslem harems; the men sallied forth to be slaughtered; and the conqueror turned to meet his com- plaisant foe, who amiably awaited the issue. Flushed with recent victory, the Grujaratis might
