Two Muslim historians, Vakayat-e-Mushki (page 103) and Tarikh-i-Dawdi (page 253), write that once Sher Shah, while traveling between Sarangpur and Ujjain, narrated the early events of his life to Mallu Khan while accompanying him. He told that once he fell in the trap of thieves and robbers and joined them and kept looting the villages all around. This initial training with the bandits made Sher Shah capable of arbitrary loot and rape for those seven years (1538–45).
Sher Shah's real name was Farid Khan. His Afghan father Hassan Khan did not believe in moral values at all. Therefore, one of his many wives and sons, Farid, was also like him and that too from his father, Tu Tu Main Main Main Main (Iliad and Dawson p. 310, Vol-5). He was not satisfied with the jagir given by his father, so he first opened a front against his father and brothers. He demanded to establish complete dominance over the family estate of Bihar.
Historian Purushottam Nagesh Oak writes, "Farid Khan, fed up with his father, went to the foreign Afghan dacoit and chieftain of Jaunpur. There he was given training to attain Islamic paradise, which included breaking Hindu idols, converting temples into mosques, looting Hindu property, driving away Hindu students, kidnapping children, cruelly converting people etc….and so forth. Farid Khan devoted his whole life to these works.”
Terrified by the increasing hooliganism of Farid Khan, his father gave him the seized Hindu property which was a Hindu pilgrimage center named Sahastrarjun which is now called Sahasram or Sasaram. Sher Shah and his other foreign robber ancestors are buried in these ancient Hindu palaces."
This property, which was looted from the Hindus, had become such a hideout of Farid, from where he used to commit terrible robberies in most of North India. Farid demanded from his father the right to treat the Hindus living in that area as he wanted. And then Farid said clearly, "When the time comes for payment he will show no favors and will collect revenue with absolute strictness" (Iliad and Dawson p. 313, Vol-4)
Farid Khan wanted to suck more and more money from the Hindus so that with his help he could collect more Muslim robbers and attack other territories. He said to his robbers, “There are some zamindars in these parganas who never came before the governor and did not pay full revenue….How to eliminate them?”
He sent all the jagirless (thieves, robbers) Afghans and caste people saying that I will give you food and clothes. Whatever goods or money you take from these rebels (Jagirdars) is yours. I myself will give you the horse. I will give a good manor to those who do good work in this. Hearing this, they were very happy. (same page 314)
Sher Shah was fanatic, cruel and rapist
Purushottam Nagesh Oak writes, “Paji Sher Shah was a very cunning. He ordered his goon Muslims to take the rest of the Hindus as slaves by snatching the horses along with the furnishings of the Hindus of his parganas. Soon they plundered the villages of the Hindus, taking away their children, livestock and property. Sher Shah's life thus began with the looting and rape of India.
He used to give all the property to his robber soldiers but kept children and women with him. He would have initiated children into Islam and forced women into his harem for rape and sent the chiefs to say, "Give me my rights; If you don't, I will sell your wives and children and then I will not allow you to be established anywhere." Thus that Sher Shah, who is portrayed as a great benefactor in Indian history, becomes a very lowly, dacoit, robber, thief, rapist, kidnapper and murderer. He also said, "Wherever you go, I will follow you and I will order the chiefs of the village where you go to catch you and hand them over to me, otherwise I will attack him too." In this way Sher Shah harassed the Hindus of his parganas and forced them to become Muslims and those who did not become Muslims were looted from there and made Muslims settle in their homes.”
“Very early morning, Farid Khan attacked the (Hindu) landlords, killed all the rebels (Hindus) and took all their women and children captive and ordered his people to sell them or make them slaves (ie in harem) Put it) and bring other people (Muslims) and settle them in the villages (Tarikh-e-Shershahi, author Abbas Khan)
“He ordered his cavalrymen to go around the villages, kill all the men and take women and children captive, let no one cultivate and destroy the crops that were already sown, some from the neighbourhood. Do not bring and do not let anything be taken out of the village. ….he would have ordered his pawns to cut down all the forests. When it was completely cut, he would go ahead from the old place and encircle another village and take possession of it. (same page 316, part 4)
"Thus, instead of cultivating more, Sher Shah deserted India by cutting down all the forests, killing all the men, raping women, burning agricultural land, doing many dacoities."
Mahadhurt Sher Shah Suri
Distracted by these terrorist acts of Farid Khan, his father deprived him of the jagirs given to him. Then Farid Khan reached Agra and patronized Daulat Khan and sought his cooperation against his father. When Daulat Khan asked Ibrahim Lodi for permission in this regard, Ibrahim Lodi refused saying that "he is a very bad man, complains against his own father."
After a few days when Farid's father died, he got his old jagir after fighting. When Ibrahim Lodi was defeated and killed in the battle of Panipat with Babur, Bihar's vassal Bihar Khan declared himself as the independent ruler of Bihar. Then the sly Farid Khan befriended him. Once while hunting with Bihar Khan, it is said that he had killed a lion, since then he came to be called Farid Sher Khan.
Purushottam Nagesh Oak writes, “Sher Shah served Babur in Agra to know how the Mughal robbers destroy and corrupt India. It did not take long for Babur to understand that Sher Shah's tricks were full of suspicion and his actions were criminal. Babur ordered the arrest of Sher Shah, but he had already come to know about it, so he fled to Bihar. At the same time, Sultan Muhammad of Bihar died… he made peace with the Lohani Muslims and attacked the Muslim ruler of Bengal. Sher Shah was victorious…. It is clear that he was a mixture of rigor and trickery, cruelty and deceit, and yet this bastard, brutish crazed Sher Shah has been given the form of a lion in Indian history.”
Sher Shah fraudulently captured the fort of Chunar and attacked the palace of a widow named Kusain whose husband Nasir Khan was dead and put it in his harem and the 60 mana of gold that her husband had looted from Hindu houses, have done. Similarly, another helpless young widow Fatah Malika was also put in her harem, she took possession of three hundred maunds of gold which her robber father and husband had looted from Hindu houses.
Sher Shah captures Rohtas fort by deceit
When Humayun surrounded Chunar fort, he left the fort along with his wives, concubines, children and fled to Bihar and sought refuge from the Hindu chieftain of Rohtas fort. Emotional Hindus became fools and the deceived Hindu Wazir gave them shelter. King Harikrishna Rai was suspicious of Sher Shah's activities, but his minister, whom Sher Shah had given in gold bribe, was adamant on keeping his promise. Sher Shah knew that once he entered the fort, he would not only take it back but would also take possession of the entire Hindu fund and their women. And the same thing happened.
Tarikh-i-Khan Jahan Lodi describes how the ungrateful Sher Shah, like all his Afghan ancestors, misused Hindu hospitality. He sent some palanquins by making young women sit. The Hindu guards saw him and gave orders to go away. Then Makkar Sher Shah said that he does not like to see all his women uncovered, so the rest of the palanquins should be allowed to enter without checking. Armed Afghans inside them were treacherous. When all the palanquins reached inside, the burqa-clad Afghan soldiers secretly came out in the night, subduing the Hindu gate guard and opened the gate for Sher Shah's army standing nearby. The treacherous Afghan army cut the Hindu army, seized all the Hindu properties and property and converted all the inner temples into mosques.
Sher Shah's loot of Varanasi
When Humayun attacked Sher Shah, he pretended to surrender and by putting Humayun in the enjoyment of luxuries and robbed women, he himself attacked Varanasi and there was terrible massacre, looting and desecration of temples. Then Sher Shah's army crowded with the Mughals in Kannauj and Sambhal and defeated them. Then Humayun got intoxicated and started a military campaign against Sher Shah.
A devastating decisive battle for Humayun took place between Chausa and Buxar in 1538 AD in the village of Shatay, in which Humayun was defeated and Sher Shah emerged victorious. Thinking that his army should not be used to suffer 4000 captive women and the security would be weakened, he ordered all the captive women to be kept in Sher Shah's camp till nightfall. After this victory, the robber Sher Khan was declared the emperor Sher Shah.
Dreaded Lootera Sher Shah Suri
After this victory, the robber Sher Shah became even more dreadful. The Iliad and Dawson write on page 378 of the sixth part of their treatise, "Instead of doing anything good, Sher Shah ordered the destruction of Delhi and Agra."
Purushottam Nagesh Oak writes, “Humayun fled out of India after being defeated in the battle of 1540 AD. Now Sher Shah took over the throne of Hindustan in his place as a great robber and started settling the Afghans by expelling the Hindus from the plots he had won."
Sher Shah badly looted the land of Hindu Rajput Gakharas (Khokhars). Not only this, the young daughter of Hindu Gakhar emperor Sarang was kidnapped and handed over to Khawas Khan for rape. Shershah's Afghan army inflicted unprecedented atrocities on the subjects of the Hindu king Puranmal of Raisen, forcing him to accept the subjugation of the wild and dacoit Sher Shah. Concerned about her husband's safety, his sincere, devoted, beautiful wife Ratnavali decided to sit on the fort's bastion until the return of her beloved Hindu husband. He was allowed to go back only when he agreed to give 6000 horses to Sher Shah's service and to leave his brother-in-law as a surety.
Purushottam Nagesh Oak writes, “After that Sher Shah looted Mandu, Dhar, Ujjain and performed the orgy dance of destruction while converting temples into mosques. Historian Ahmed Yamar writes that in the midst of this struggle, an army was sent under Wali Dad Khan to march against the Raja of Chanderi. The kingdom was won by joining the king's nephew on his side. Sher Shah's army got his elephants, horses and other property. Sher Shah raped the beautiful daughter of the king.
Lumpt Sher Shah betrayed Raja Puranmal
Sher Shah wanted to corrupt the chastity of Ratnavali, the Sugrihini of the Hindu King Puranmal of Raisen, for a long time. He surrounded Raisen. The brave Hindu army of Puranmal successfully cut off those besieging Afghan robbers that they were very afraid of him. On capturing the fort and unable to defeat the Hindu fortress guards, Sher Shah adopted the same old Mlechha tips - harassing the Hindu people, raping their women, burning their crops and houses and causing great suffering to their children. Moved by these hair-raising atrocities, Puranmal promised to vacate the fort. On the condition that his family and the fortress guards will be allowed to leave safely.
He made a promise by taking the oath of the Quran. But according to the natural betrayal, “Insa Khan Habib was ordered to gather his army including elephants at a certain place at night. He ordered Haseeb Khan to keep an eye on Puranmal so that he does not escape. (Same, page 402, Part 4).”
When King Puranmal got the news of Sher Shah's betrayal that Sher Shah had decided to kill people and corrupt women by keeping the oath of Quran, "Go to the camp of his dear wife Ratnavali and beheaded her. And came out and said to his companions, I have done this, will you also do the same to your wives and families? Then all of their women, sisters, daughters got martyrdom while fighting with Sher Shah's soldiers, showing great valor and bravery by cutting their own necks. जो अपनी स्त्रियों के गर्दने नहीं काट सके उनकी स्त्रियों को पकड़ लिया गया. पूरनमल की एक कन्या एवं उसके अग्रज के तिन पुत्र जीवित पकड़ लिए गये. शेष को मार डाला गया. शेरशाह ने पूरनमल की कन्या को कुछ अफगानों को दे दिया ताकि वे उसे बाजारों में नचायें तथा बच्चों को नपुंसक बना देने का आदेश दे दिया गया ताकि अत्याचारियों (यानि हिन्दुओं) की वंश-वृद्धि न हो पाए. राय सेन के दुर्ग को उसने मुंशी शाहबाज खां को दे दिया. (अब्बास खां की तारीख ए शेरशाही, पृष्ठ ४०२-४०३, भाग-४, इलियट एवं डाउसन)
शेरशाह को सबसे बड़ा दुःख इस बात का था की उसकी पूरनमल की पत्नी रत्नावली का सतितत्व भंग करने की इच्छा पूर्ण नहीं हुई. राजपूत सरदार वासुदेव तथा राज कुंवर राजपूत जाति के विरुद्ध भी शेरशाह ने ऐसे ही घोर क्रूर कृत्या किये.
हिन्दुओं का कट्टर दुश्मन शेरशाह
शेरशाह को कुछ दरबारियों ने दक्षिण भारत पर आक्रमण करने की सलाह दिया तो उसने कहा कि “तुम्हारी बातें सही है पर इधर सुल्तान इब्राहीम लोदी के समय मूर्तिपूजकों ने इस्लाम के देश (भारत) को काफिरों (हिन्दुओं) से भर दिया है तथा मस्जिदों (मन्दिर को भ्रष्ट कर बनाये गये) में पुनः मूर्तियाँ रख दी है. दिल्ली एवं मालवा प्रान्त पर अधिकार कर लिया है. इन काफिरों (हिन्दुओं) से देश को जबतक मैं साफ नहीं कर लेता, मैं अन्य किसी ओर नहीं जाऊंगा….सर्वप्रथम मैं इस पतित (हिन्दुओं) को निर्मूल करूंगा.” (वही, पृष्ठ ४०३-४०४)
फतेहपुर सिकड़ी पर हमला
अब शैतान शेरशाह ने फतेहपुर सिकड़ी पर हमला किया. इससे पहले की वे गाँव वालों का कत्लेआम करते और स्त्रियों को भ्रष्ट करते दो वीर राजपूत योद्धा अपने दल बल के साथ उसके सामने आ डटे-एक थे जय चन्देल और दूसरा गोहा. इन्होने अपने अपने शौर्य से शेरशाह के ३००००० की समुद्री सेना को तहस नहस कर दिया परन्तु संख्यां बल में अत्यधिक कम होने के कारण वे वीरगति को प्राप्त हुए. शेरशाह ने कहा, “एक बाजरे के दाने केलिए हम दिल्ली की सल्तनत ही खो दिए होते” और वह आगरा लौट गया.
कालिंजर का युद्ध और शैतान शेरशाह की मौत
कालिंजर हिन्दुओं का बहुत बड़ा गढ़ था. इसका वीर हिन्दू राजा कीरतसिंह था. शेरशाह ने कालिंजर दुर्ग का घेरा डाला. घेरा डालने वाले अफगानों ने खोदी हुई मिट्टी का टीला बना लिया और उस पर चढ़कर कालिंजर के घरों तथा सड़कों पर हिन्दुओं पर बाणों तथा बन्दूकों से हमला कर दिया. अब्बास खां की तारीख ए शेरशाही में लिखा है कि “कीरतसिंह की स्त्रियों में एक बालिका थी. शेरशाह ने उसकी अत्यधिक प्रशंसा सुनी थी; वह उसे प्राप्त करने की ही सोचता रहा क्योंकि उसे भय था की ऐसा न हो की वह जौहर कर ले.”
नाश्ता करते वक्त शेख निजाम ने शेरशाह से कहा, “इन काफिरों (हिन्दुओं) के विरुद्ध जिहाद छेड़ने के सामान और कुछ नहीं है. यदि आप मर जाते हैं तो शहीद कहलायेंगे, यदि जीवित रहते हैं तो गाजी.” (वही पृष्ठ ४०८)
शेख की बातों से उत्तेजित होकर शेरशाह ने दरया खां को गोले लाने के लिए आदेश दिया तथा टीले के ऊपर चढ़कर स्वयम अनेक बाण छोड़ते हुए दरया खां को आवाज लगाया. दरया खां गोला ले आया. शेरशाह टीले से निचे उतरकर गोलों के समीप ही खड़ा हो गया. जब वे लोग गोले दाग रहे थे दीवार से टकराकर आये एक गोले ने शेरशाह के समीप रखे गोले के ढेर में ही आग लगा दिया. गोले के ढेर में बिस्फोट हो गया और वह निर्दयी डाकू शेरशाह, जिसने अपना समूचा जीवन विश्वासघातों एवं व्यभिचारों में व्यतीत किया, जीवित ही झुलस गया. उसका चेहरा अत्यंत विकृत हो गया था. वह एंठने और बुरी तरह चिल्लाने लगा. इस परिस्थिति में भी वो हिन्दुओं के कत्लेआम का ही आदेश देता रहा और उसी अवस्था में मर गया.
इतिहासकार पुरुषोत्तम नागेश ओक लिखते हैं, “मई १५४५ की भरी दोपहरी में गोलों के बिस्फोट के तुरंत पश्चात शेरशाह का शरीर भुनकर समाप्त हो गया था. इस प्रकार अफगान लुटेरे तथा डाकू शेरशाह, जो अपने कुकृत्यों के करण मानवता पर बहुत बड़ा कलंक था, के जीवन का समुचित अंत हुआ….सत्य की मांग है कि शेरशाह को नर-संहारक, महिला सतीत्वहर्ता, लुटेरा तथा डाकू एवं पाशविक अपराधी से न्यूनाधिक कुछ न समझना चाहिए.”