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318
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1898.
THE SIEGE OF AHMADNAGAR AND HEROIC DEFENCE OF THE FORT BY CHAND BIBI -- A NARRATIVE OF AN EYE-WITNESS.
BY MAJOR J. S. KING, Indian Staff Corps (retired).
(Continued from p. 295.) THE Burhan-i-Ja,ásir here ends abruptly, without any conclusion. Probably the author died when he had written thus far.
As a supplement to the foregong history I shall now quote from the Tagkarat-ul-Mulak of Mirza Rafi'-ud-Din Ibrahim B. Nur-ud-Din Taufik Shirazi,23 the author's personal narrative of a diplomatic mission to Ahmadnagar about a year after the conclusion of the great sege. This account is quoted almost verbatim in the Basitin-us-Salátin, by Muhammad Ibrahim-az-Zubairi.]
*Alam-Panah [Ibrahim Adil-Shah II.) sends the author to Aḥmadnagar
to arrange the affairs of Bahadur Shah and the Amirs. In A, H. 1005 (A.D. 1596) Alam-Panah ordered me to hand over my duties to one of his ?) sons and go to Ahmadnagar, and by peaceable means to put an end to the dissensions which had arisen between Bahadur Shah and his amirs, and which had disoriganized the affairs of the State. AlamPanah added :-"They have so terrified Suhail Khan, now stationed on the frontier, that he has become dispirited. First see him, and re-assure him on our behalf, and consult with him as to the best means of settling the affairs of the people of Ahmadnagar ; and while doing the work of your mission you should avail yourself of the first opportunity to bring the matter to a conclusion."
It happened that at this time much important business had been intrusted to me, such as the governorship of the capital (Bijapur) and the office of Pishwa of the district under the government of the king's) eldest son, Fath Khan, the control of the royal mint and superintendence of about 200 elephants, 700 camels and 1,500 horses. For the keep of the horses nearly a lak of huns had been assigned from the revenue of ten large villages. Many papers and petitions which the larkuns of the districts used to send in, as well as the secret papers, used all to be laid before me, and I used to submit them to His Highness. Having handed over all these to one of the king's ?) sons, I proceeded on my mission.
When I arrived in the neighbourhood of Shahdurg,24 Suhail Khân met me about a faysakh out, and we asked after one another's health. When we arrived near his sleeping-place I found a commodious camp pitched. On all sides tents, screens and pavilions were erected, and carpets of the utmost magnificence were spread out in regal fashion. The great men, chiefs, nobles and amirs like servants were all standing or sitting each in his own place. He did not abate a jot or tittle in ceremonious treatment; but he was excessively afraid, for people had frightened him by saying that his glory and rank having exceeded that of the other amira, Alam-Pangh had become wanting in courtesy towards him, and had behaved so because he had no option in the matter. But when I repeated to him the ipec dwit of Alam-Panah; words full of clemency and kindness, all his timidity was driven away.
28 This work is extremely rare. Though I made speeial search for it in India for several years, I could only find one copy, and that a very mutilated one, in the Mulla Firaz Library of Oriental MSS. in Bombay. A description of it is given in Rehataek's Catalogue, pp. 73-5. It was so badly worm-eaten that there was great difficulty in finding anyone willing of compotent to undertake the work of copying it. At last I found a well-educated Persian gentleman, named Mirza Jawad Shirazi, who copied those portions of the book relating to the Muhammadan dynasties of the Dakhan; but the Bombay Government had to pay him a specially high rate for his latour. This copy now belongs to the India Office Library. The only other copy I know of is that in the British Museum Library. On a future occasion I hope to have more to say about this remarkable book and its author.
24 Naldurg, Lat. 17° 49' N., Long, 76° 21' E., situated on the Bori river, branch of the Bhim. The name Ehahdurg was given to it by 'All Adil-Sh& I. The Bijapur and Alimadnagar frontier line passed a little to the west of it. For description, see 4 Noble Queen, by Meadows-Taylor, also Imperial Gazetteer of India, VoL X.
