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SEPTEMBER, 1899.]
HISTORY OF THE BAHMANI DYNASTY.
239
Chandan-Wandhan and Satara besides many other fortresses and walled towns (barah) fell into the possession of the Sultan's army; and after successfully accomplishing his desires he returned to his capital.
After he had finished suppressing the sedition of rebels and killing and plandering the idol-worshippers he spent his time in pleasure and enjoyment'in gay society.
In the midst of these affairs His Highness Malik-ul-Musha, fkh Shah Khalil-Ulláh bin Shah Nûr-ud-Din Ni'mat-Ulláh died. This illustrious man of high origin left two sons: one of them - Shah Habib-Ulláh - Was son-in-law of Sultan Ahmad Shah ; and the other - Shah Muhabb-Ulláh - Was son-in-law of Sultan Ala-ad-Din, the latter having given him his eldest daughter in marriage.
Massacre of Saiyids in the fort of Chakanah (Chakan). In this year (858 = A. D. 1454) Khalf asan contemplated the conquest of Sankisar (Sangameshvar) which is one of the greatest of the forts on the sea coast; his reason being that a great number of infidels under the protection of this strong fortress, and relying upon the thick jungle and difficult obscure places used to engage in highway-robbery by sea as well as by land, and on account of the wickedness of these people Musalmans passing to and fro used to be in a continual state of terror.
Khall Malik-ut-Tujar first laid siege to and took the fortress of an infidel who was called Sirkah ; and the cursed Sirkah, who had been made prisoner by the army of Islâm was given the option of embracing the faith of Islam or being sent to hell. The accursed one having come into the Faith by the door of pretext and duplicity voluntarily made the following proposal :"I have always been familiar with this mountainous and forest-covered district of Sangameshvar; and now that I have embraced the Faith of Islâm, to protect any longer the professors of paganism and infidelity would be anathema maranatha to me. If you will proceed in that direction that fortress also will easily fall into your hands, especially as I shall be in close attendance on you, and the difficulties of the road and the intricacies of the jungle will be no obstacle to you; for I shall lead your force to the foot of the fortress by such a road that they will experience no inconvenience, and you will attain the object of your desires.
Khalf Hasan, deceived by the speech of his villainous enemy, taking him as guide of the vanguard of his force, proceeded in that direction. However much the army showed to Khalf the evil of that action, which was of unswerving regret, yet - according to the verse
"When Fate hangs down its wing from heaven
All the sagacious become blind and deaf"the veil of predestination had hung down the curtain of negligence over his arrangements, and the speech of his monitors made no impression on him till the black-faced depraved guide took the army by a road, from terror of the ups and downs of which even the devil would have been confounded. At last they arrived at a place where from three sides lofty mountains reared their heads to the revolving heavens, and the depth of its valleys extended below the earth; the skirt of that mountain as well as the plain was filled with a jungle extremely difficult to pass through owing to the intricacy of the trees, and one side of it was connected with an encircling sea creek. In this dreadful and deadly place nearly thirty or forty thousand cavalry and infantry were crowded together ready for battle, and to make matter worse Khalf Maliknt-Tijár was at that time afflicted with a dangerous illness, so that he could scarcely move. In this state of affairs the infidels threw themselves on the army of Lalêm, and Khalf and a great number of saiyids and pious men suffered martyrdom. The remnant of the routed force, who with a hundred thousand difficulties escaped with their lives, hurried to the town of Chakan which was the permanent abode of Khalf, whilst the amirs of the Dakkhan, who from olden times had been the deadly enemies of foreigners, picturing this affair in an infamous manner, reported it to the Sultân. The latter on hearing their version, in his anger, without thinking
