Indian Antiquary Vol 27

SR No.: 032519
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 404
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 291

NOVEMBER, 1898.]
THE SIEGE OF AHMADNAGAR:
285
ing-place of the Khân-Khânân, which at that time was the Farah-bakhsh Garden ; and as the air of that garden was pleasing to the Prince, he moved from the village of Bhingår 3 to the building in that Paradise-like garden ; and for ten or fitteen days he employed himself in pleasure and amusement in that delightful building. At that time Sadik Muhammad Khân -- no longer engaged in the business of administrator (wakil] - used to be in the village of Bhingår ; but there was secretly a constant correspondence between the Prince and the amirs.
In the midst of these affairs the sp:es of the Mughal army brought them news that Ikhlas Khân, with all the Habshi anirs who used to be in Daulatábad, and a persou nanied Moti, whom they had named Moti Shah, with about five or six thousand cavalry, were advancing towards them. The KhânKhânån on the surety of Şadiķ Muhammad Khân (who had contemplated repelling Sa'adat Khân, but had not advanced the work), appointed Daulat Khin Lüdi Afghân - who was the most warlike of his army - with about 8,000 well-trained mounted archers selected from the army of the Prince and Shahbaz Khan and his own Army, to repel Ikhlas Khan and the other Habshi amirs. On the bank of the river Gang (Godavari] a battle took place between the two forces : at the close of the day they kindled the world-consuming fire of battle.
When Ikhlas Khan and the Habshi unirs saw the Mughal army, they sent on the advanced guard of their army towards Daulatâbâd, and they themselves drew up their force in battle array in a central positionlt on the bank of the river Gaug [Godavari] ; but immediately on the arrival of the Mughal rank-breaking army, their firmness gave way, and without fighting or striving for their reputation, they took to flight. A few of the Mughal force pursued the flying army for some distance, and killed several of the stragglers; then halted in that same place, and passed the night there. Next day they marched from that place, which was near the town of Patan, 15 and moved towards the above-mentioned town, in which a number of poor merchants and some helpless and poor peasants, relying upon the promise of security, had remained. Immediately upon arriving in the town of Paithan, they threw the fire of rapine and plunder among the houses and inhabitants, and by tyranny and glaring injustice forcibly removed all the stuffs, money and goods of those people. All the females and males of the above-mentioned town they stripped of their borrowed raiment, to such an extent that they did not leave in that town even the veil of a woman - whether plebeian or noble ; after that they returned. A crowd of those oppressed persons, without a stich of clothes, limped after them and reached the Khân-Khanan's army, and loudly complained in his darbîr of this tyranny. But since Daulat Khan and the other amirs of the Khan-Khanan had brought the plundered property, the KhanKhanan, who throughout the world had earned a false reputation for generosity and manliness, through covetousness of those stuffs, sprinkled the dust of inhumanity in the eye of generosity, and took no pity on the state of those wretched oppressed people. Most of the staffs of the unhappy merchants he divided among his own troops. A few, with naked heads and feet, who were the owners, used day and night to weep and bemoan in that court ; but out of their stuff's he did not give them a single article of apparel. Prince Shah Murad was much disgusted at this, and moved back from the Faral-bakhsh Garden to the village of Bhingar ; on the way two of the intimates of the KhânKhânân having arrived near the army of the Prince, the rage of the latter was all at once excited against the Khân-Khânân, 16 and he reinstated Şadiķ Muhammad Khan in the office of wakil.
18 A small town about one mile east of the Ahmadpagar fort. 14 Or on a rugged difficult piece of grouud.
16 This is evidently Paithan or Pratishthin, N. Lat. 19° 29', E. Long, 75° 27', an extremely ancient town on the left bank of the Godkvarl, celebrated for its silk and fine muslin manufactures. - Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XVII. p. 351.
18 Details of this occurrence are given as follows by Mirza Raff-ud-Din SŁfrAzt :- "At this juncture, one day Sultan Murad went out for a ride, and from a distance seeing a number of people who were going along quickly, he asked who they were, and was told it was one of the Khan-Khanan's sardars, who had also the rank of l'inhua. He said, "Why is it that he neglected to come and salute me P Bring him to me." When they brought him, Prince Murad ordered him to be beaten with & stick for not salating him. When newe of this reached the Khân. Khanan he sent the following message to Sultan Morta, - "In the same manner as your father and your elder brother treat me and respect me, you also must treat me; I cannot spbmit to such disrespect. Akbar PC dehih will be a judge between me and you."