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286
THE INDIAN ANTIQUABY.
(NOVEMBER, 1898.
The Khân-Khânên waited some days in the Farah-bakhsh Garden, employing himself in pleasure and amusement, and did nothing whatever towards the taking of the fortress ; but the Prince from inorning till evening used to go round the fortress, intent upon arrangements for its reduction. Then a number of the reformers of the State advised the Khan-Khânên, and brought him from the Farahbakhsh Garden to the houses of the city of Ahmadnagar, when outwardly he was in all things attending to the siege of the fortress, and reducing the besieged to extremities; he posted a pariy of his own troops in the vicinity of the Kala Chautarah, which is opposite the gate of the fortress.
As there was a firm alliance of long standing between RAJA 'Alt Khan, wall of Burhanpur, and the people of the fortress, they continually kept up communication with him, and through his agency their requirements used to be conveyed to the fortress. And when a number of artillerymen from all the forts and districts came to the assistance of the people of the fortress, they made their way into the fortress from his side, and caused the strength of the garrison to be doubled. But the Prince having observed this, caused Raja Ali Khan to march away from there and gave his battery in charge to Raja Jaganath, who was one of the greatest of the Rajput umirs ; so the road of coming and going of the people of the fortress became entirely blocked.
In the days of the siege of the fortress and the flaring up of the fire of battle, Raja Ali Khan, wali of Burhânpur, at the instigation of Akbar's amirs, sent a letter to Chand Bibf to the following effect :- "I, knowingly, and for the sake of the honour of this high dynasty, have come to these frontiers in company with the Mughal army, and I know for certain that in a few days more, the fortress will be reduced by this army. Take care in the fighting not to exercise caution but to save your reputation surrender the fortress to the Prince ; then any fort and any district which you wish for, they will let you have in exchange for this. Since, on account of the affinity between us my reputation is in truth bound up in that of Your Highness, I have determined with myself, regardless of arrows and musketry fire, to come to the gate of the fortress and convey Your Highness to my own camp."
When this communication reached the people of the fortrebe, it became the cause of increased perturbation and helplessness among them, and they were on the point of agreeing amongst themselves to surrender the fortress. Afgal Khan stroke to assuage their hearts, and wrote as follows in reply to Râjâ ‘Ali Khân :- "It is surprising that with the perfection of Your Highness' understanding and planning you should write such a letter as this, and endeavour to ruin this high dynasty, seeing that you hastened to go forth to meet the Mughal amírs, and brought them into this country. The kings of the Dakban will not forget this. By the aid of God Almighty the Mughal anirs will shortly be made to return, and Your Highness will again be subject to the kings of the Dakhan, and must fear the vengeance of the ferocious warriors of the Dakban, and take thought for your reputation and that of your own kingdom."
. When this answer reached RAJA Ali Khan, he was ashamed of what he had written ; and the Mughal amars also, on the arrival of this letter, became hopeless of taking the fortress. But Miyan Manjů, who together with Ahmad Shah, in the beginning of the Mughal invasion, had taken refuge in the territory of Ibrahîm 'Adil Shah, had sent to the foot of the throne of that monarch petitions founded on self-abasement and despondency, representing their weakness and imploring assistance, That king, looking to what was good for the State and the integrity of the kingdom, striving his utmost to repel the enemies of the country and to reinforce the people of the fortress, issued farmáns about sending a force to those well-wishers of the State, and made prudent arrangements for repelling the ar ny of Akbar Shah. From the Adil-Sbâbi court, Suhail Khan - who at that court held the title of Ayin-ul-Mulk - with a number of celebrated amírs and about 3,000 well-trained cavalry, was appointed to go to the assistance of the Nigam-Shîh kingdom, that with the world-consuming sword he
At this speech Sultan Murad made use of very harsh language, and the diepute was the origin of much trouble. Temptors and tale-beaters used to widen the breach between them. One day Sultan Murid was saying to thono noar him, "As long as the Khan-Khanan and ShAbbaz Khan Kamb exist they will not lot mo attain to the sovereignty of the Dakhan, but, please God, after taking Abmadnagar " They replied, "Do what you please After taking Aḥmadnagar, if you can take it."
