________________
820
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1898.
-
fort, with the intention of seizing it, came with 20,000 cavalry, and, surrounding the fort, commenced the attack. The garrison, true to their compact, refrained from fighting, but some of the amirs and soldiers reaisted to the best of their ability and displayed much valour. When the fight waxed furious in front of the gate of the fort, the Nawwâb Bahadur Shah, in spite of his youth, sat on top of a bastion of the fort encouraging his men to fight. At this juncture the people of the army shot three or four arrows in the direction of Bahadur Shah; one arrow struck the handle of his umbrella, passing within a span from him; another struck the throat of a eunuch who was standing behind. Bahadur Shah, and came out at the back. He fell dead on the spot, and two or three other persons were wounded; but in spite of this, Bahadur Shah continued encouraging his men. From above some of the soldiers fired cannons and guns at the enemy, and some of the letter were killed, and others turning about went to their camp. Again those most contemptible of people advanced, — that shameless crew who had besieged their own sovereign cut off the supply of water and food and even aimed at taking his life. With admonitions and threats I stepped forward and reminded them, saying:Sultan Murâd with a countless force is stationed near you on your flank, and will take possession of the whole of your country. Why do you strike an axe at your own feet and overthrow the master of your own house? This disgrace and ingratitude will for years to come be recorded as a blot on the page of your history." By these impressive words I smoothed matters and again made peace. But on this occasion Chând Bibi was not willing for peace, and would not acquiesce. She said: "Abhang Khân, the Habshi slave is the purchased slave of my father, and in the time of my father and brothers, owing to his vicious disposition, he was thrown into prison, and after the death of my younger brother (Burhan II.) I took him out of prison and exalted him to this rank, yet, in the face of these kindnesses, he requites me by wanting to take my life; he has no other object. All this fighting and sedition is aimed at my life, so what confidence can I have in him, and how can I make peace with him? In this blessed month of Ramazan he has laid siege to the fort and cut off our supplies. During this month we have not even seen meat, and have had nothing with which to break our fast but the bitter water which is inside the fort and old and rotten grain. After behaviour such as this, how can my heart reconcile itself to peace with him? Now I have consented to become a slave of the Mughals, but I will not submit to the lordship of this Abyssinian slave, Abhang Khân."
One of Chând Bibi's people had written to Sultan Murâd a detailed account of all that had occurred. He communicated this by letter to his father, Akbar Pâdshah; and the latter, after reading the letter, threw it down before Sultan Salim, who is commonly known as Jahangir, and said :"Great is my good fortune, which is increased by these results which have occurred. Wherever my army goes; whatever they do, they do of themselves, and my desires are accomplished without effort."
After many and strenuous endeavours, with the utmost difficulty I persuaded Chand Bibi to agree to a reconciliation, and the peace was announced to the amirs outside. For some days the sedition and disturbance was quelled. Most of the amirs and soldiers went out of the fort and took up their abode in the camp, with the object of uniting to oppose the Mughal army, and driving Sultân Murad out of the Dakhan.
At this juncture one day one of the private servants of Burhan Shah, having ascended to the roof of his house, saw a number of the troops of the fort sitting in a retired place, dividing among themselves a quantity of money which was spread out before them. He informed Chand Bibi of this, and when the matter was inquired into, it appeared the Abhang Khân, having sent some money for the soldiers, had induced them, when opportunity offered, to open the gate to him and his men and admit them to the fort, so that they might take possession of it. When the soldiers heard that Chând Bibi was aware of their compact, and was making arrangements to drive them out, being filled with fear, they sent word to Abhang Khân, saying: - "The plot has been discovered, therefore the first thing for you to do is, at dawn to-morrow morning, mount and come to the neighbourhood of the fort, and we will open the gates; thus our lives will be saved."
Next day, at dawn, Abhang Khan, with his army drawn up in battle array, came to the neighbourhood of the fort and awaited events. Since the gate of the fort had been completely built up
