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JANUARY, 1877.]
THE HILL FORTRESS OF PÅ WÅGADH.
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shown on an abutting spar of the hill scarped by singh, because in A.H. 887, during which year rocks at least a thousand feet in height, and there was a scarcity in Gujarat owing to a small only accessible by a narrow neck from the main fall of rain, Malik Asad, the Thànâdâr of Momass of the hill. Here are the remains of the râmli under the Sultan, having made a foray into palace from which the devoted garrison watch- Champâner territory, was attacked, defeated, ed the construction of the Jâmât Masjid at and slain by Rawal Jayasingh, and two eleChâmpaner, and here it was that Jay a singh phants and all his baggage also fell into the himself and his minister fell wounded into the Châmpa ner chieftain's hands. Although the hands of the Gujarat Sultân's army; neither Rawal had acted strictly in self-defence, and he nor his minister would seem to have ever although the foray into his territory by Malik gone to the modern Pâwâgadh at all. Both the Asad was wholly unjustifiable, the Sultan was Mirat-i-Sikandri and the Tabal:dt give a very exceedingly enraged and determined to conquer interesting account of the siege by Mahmud. Châmpaner, and collecting a powerful army he
But this was not the first time Châmpâner and advanced to Baroda. On hearing of the SulPå wagadh had been besieged by the banners of tân's arrival at Baroda thu Rawal became seriIslâm. In A... 821, according to the Tabakút-
i ously alarmed, and sent ambassadors with most Akbari and Mirat-i-Silcandri, Ahmad Shah submissive messages and humble apologies, but unsuccessfully besieged the fortress. Ferish- the Sultan refused to listen to any overtures for tah places this siege in A.H. 822. In A.H. peace, saying to the ambassadors, according 853 according to the Tabakát-i-Akbari, and A.H. to the Mirat-i-Sikundri, “Except the sword 855 according to the Mirat-i-Sikandri, Sultan and the dagger, no other message should pass Muhammad Shah, son of Ahmad Shah, besieged between me and you." The Tabakåt-i-Akbari the fortress, and invested it so closely that the represents him saying, “The sword of ada. garrison, had they not been relieved by a diver- mant will answer your message to-morrow." sion made in their favour by the Sultan of The Sultan then sent in advance Taj Khan, Malwa, Sultan Mahmud Khilji, which caused Azîu'l-Mulk, Bahram Khan, and Ikhtiyar the king of Gujarat to raise the siege, might Khân, and there were daily conflicts between have been reduced to estremities. The Malwa the besieged and the army commanded by these Sultâns appear always to have been allies of the nobles. Shortly afterwards the Sultan himself Riwals of Champâner until the time of the moved his camp to the vicinity of Champaner bigot Ghiya su'd-din, who, though appealed and pressed the siege. After the siege had lasted to for help by Jayasingh in his extremity,
about a year the Rawal again made overtures through fear or bigotry neglected to aid him. of peace, offering to pay nine mans (or 360 It is clear that the fortress of På wågadh, as it ibs.) of gold if the siege were raised, but the was in the time of the Rawals of Chêmpâner, Sultân declared that he would not leave the though proof against a sudden attack, was not place until the fortress was conquered. The calculated to stand a long siege by a superior Råwal now, seeing that no submission would force, and when an enemy once got a footing on avail him, sent his vakil to Sultân Ghiya su'. the hill they could easily dominate the fortressd-d în of Malwa, imploring aid, and proand render it untenable; and, indeed, as will be mising to pay one lakh of tankas for every seen hereafter, this is what eventually happened. murch made to his aid by the Malw army. After the conquest of the Girnar fortress and Sultân Ghiyasu'd-dîn at once marched from Junagadh, Sultan Mahmûd Begadha was al-Mandu to Nálchah, a few kos distant from his ways determined to conquer Chimpaner, and capital and purposed advancing on Châmthough the conquest of Dwarka, and the sup- pâner vid Dohad. As soon as the Gujarat pression of the disturbances created by the Jats monarch got news of his intention, he entrusted and other turbulent tribes in Kachh and on the the conduct of the siege to his nobles, and Sindh frontier, and other warlike operations, himself advanced to Dohad to oppose Sultan delayed him for some years, yet eventually he Ghiyâsu'd-din. The Malwå Snltán, however, found no difficulty in picking a quarrel with Jaya- alarmed at his advance, consulted the Muham
J&mk or Jâmša, 20h
