Indian Antiquary Vol 51

SR No.: 032543
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1985
Total Pages: 374
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[ OCTOBER, 1922
still be praiseworthy in so far as he had made every effort on behalf of his master and benefactor, and for not having been dismayed even by a king so great and an army so powerful as those which had against him.
When the amir-ul-umard and the rest of the amirs had read Vazir-ul-Mulk's reproachful letter they gave up all idea of a peaceful termination to the siege and determined to reduce the place by force. The artillery maintained a steady fire against the place, rolling large masses of the wall down on to the berm and into the ditch, while the whole army was employed day and night in filling up the ditch and thus making an approach to the fortress. In a short time a breach 40 şar' in length had been made in the wall, and the ditch opposite to the beach had been filled in.
At this time a force of nearly 1,500 horse and 1,000 foot which had come from Bijapur to reinforce the garrison boldly attacked one flank of the besieging army in the last third of the night and large numbers of them were killed and 300 were made prisoners. Others of them fought so bravely that they succeeded in making their way into the fortress the defenders of which were so much cheered and strengthened by their arrival that they presented & bolder front than ever to the besiegers. XCIV.-AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE FOUGHT BY MUŅAMMAD QULI QUTB SAH AGAINST
THE GARRISON, AND OF THE KING'S LACK OF SUCCESS. On the following day, before sunrise, the allied armies armed themselves and prepared for battle waiting for the dawn to attack. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in person led his army while the army of Ahmadnagar with its elephants was led by the amir-ul-umard and both armies advanced as far as the counterscarp with trumpets sounding and drums beating. The commandant and the garrison of the fortress, on hearing the peparations for the attack and seeing the allied armies drawn up, lined the walls and then, advancing, repulsed the allies from the edge of the ditch. The allies replied with flights of arrows, volleys of musketry. and a hot artillery fire, which drove the enemy back, and so the fight continued, with much slaughter on both sides.
The writer had then but recently come from 'Iraq and was in the Qutb Shahî service, being on that day in attendance on Muhammad Quli Qutb Shâh on some rising ground close to the fight, and witnessed this dreadful battle with his own eyes. The garrison of Naldrug displayed the greatest bravery but as the sloping berm from the edge of the ditch to the foot of the wall was nearly 100 yards wide and high and was very steep, and the artillery fire had brought the greater part of the wall down on it, its ascent was very difficult, and although the attacking force climbed with great determination to the foot of the wall using their fingers and even their nails, the defender threw hand grenades among them, which hurled them back into the ditch and when they would have fled from the ditch they had the greatest difficulty in climbing the counterscarp and when one slipped he would clutch at the others and thus bring them headlong back into the ditch with him. In this way many were killed. many were scorched and burnt by the hand grenades and many were siain by musketry fire and arrows so that a hundred picked-foreigners were slain, and of the Dakanis and others the game proportion. The battle lasted from before sunrise until the afternoon and was still in progress when some spies brought news that a force of Hindus had halted in the neighbourhood of the besiegers' camp and had prepared for battle with the object of plundering the camp. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah therefore drew off his army, without having gained any advantage and returned to camp, and the amir-ul-umard followed his example. After this a council of war was held, at which it was agreed by all the amars that it would be best