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298
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(OCTOBER, 1887.
enormously, and leaving the office in disgust, he king to inform him of how well he had obeyed started to report to the king the insane acts his orders! of the new 'ámildar.
In the early morning he reached the preTwo out of the three bits of advice from sence of His Majesty only & nimisha (minute) the king had now been duly obeyed, but after the assistant had arrived. Seeing the the third--that the locks of all the people must 'Amildar the poor wretch was too afraid to be in his hands-remained unfulfilled, and lodge any complaint, but his swollen ear drew Gandappa wished to carry out that also quick the attention of every eye in the assembly. ly. Night had now set in, and as the *dmildar Gundappa now stood before the king with still remained in his seat all his officers were the charcoal still on his face and said compelled to do the same. In this way the "Most noble king, you ordered me to blacken tenth ghatiká of the night approached, and still my face for my new duties. See, I have not even the 'ámildúr would not get up, but sat with his yet removed the dye! You ordered me dert black face secured in his cloth, now and then only to speak while biting an ear. Look, please, peeping out to see whether they were all at my assistant's ear, who stands before you asleep or awake. The fact was he was waiting and tell me whether I have not obeyed you ! ! for an opportunity to have all the locks of his And as for having the locks of my officers in my officers in his hands! As soon as all his hands; why here they are in this bundle! ! ! officers fell asleep he intended to cut off all their Never before had the king seen an instance locks, understanding as usual the words of the of such remarkable stupidity, and the thought king in their literal sense! At about midnight, that Gundappa had shorn so many respectable never dreaming of the stupid act that the heads of their locks, and had really bitten the '&millár was contemplating in his mind, every ear of a worthy gentleman, brought much one fell asleep, and Gundappa rose up and shame to his heart. He begged the pardon of with a pair of scissors cut off all the looks of the injured man and from that day forward his officers. He then tied them all up in a was ever careful in the choice of his officers ! bundle and returned to his assistant's house Poor Gundappa was dismissed even from the late at night, where the servants gave him priestship, and his belly grew lean from having something to eat; after which he started with no longer the privilege of eating rich food at his bag of mohars and bundle of locks to his another's cost!
THE REIGN OF AHMAD SHAH DURRANI. Translated from the Tarikh Sultáni of Sultan Muhammad Khan Báruksai.
BY E. BEHATSEK.
(Concluded from p. 274.) The Marathis being unable to come out of surrounded 'Inayat Khan, a Hindustani Sardar their sangar for fear of being attacked and and son of Dóndi Khan, like bunted game, plundered by the Muslims, there was a great and would have finished him, had not Ahmad scarcity of provisions in their camp; and when Shih Durrani noticed his plight, and despatched the siege had been protracted during five lunar “Ata Khan Qandahart at the head of some months, the famine increased to such a height, cavalry to rescue him; but as by the decree that they were under the necessity of grinding of fate the provision of food and drink to be the bones of most of the animals they could consumed on this earth by the last named get hold of, like flour, and consuming them. Khân had come to an end, death had taken Their cattle were also starving for want of hold of his skirta and dragged him gradually grass. At last they concluded that it would until he was struck by a lethal bullet, and be better to perish in battle than by hunger, surrendered his life to the grasper of souls. After and, preparing for a sally, marched out from that Ahmad Shah Durrant quickly sent three or the sangar, whereon the army of Islam rushed four large detachments of troops after each other upon them. In the first encounter the infidels to succour 'Inkyat Khân, and as they gradually
1" Both armies aufered great privations, the Mark enabling the king, although with more slender means, to th As were however the most tried, the wateful habits of provide by comparison more effectually for his army." their soldiers, and the imprudence of their general Zoid.
