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OCTOBER, 19211 HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAH KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR
281
After the amirs had assembled in Elichpâr, Khurshid Khân, finding himself unable to withstand the numerous army of Burhanpûr, withdrew to Gâwil and was besieged in that fortress. The amirs and chief officers perforce withdrew from the neighbourhood of Gâwil and marched against a corps of the army of Burhanpur which was besieging Narnâla. The two armies met before Narnâla and a fierce battle engued in which the amirs of Berar, who were under no responsible commander-in-chief, were defeated and lost all their baggage. They then retreated with a view to joining the royal army, but were pursued by the army of Miran Muhammad Shah, which came up with them on the banks of the Parandi river and again attacked them with great determination. The army of Ahmadnagar, though it fought with great bravery and several times repulsed the enemy, was unable, without a responsible head as it was, to withstand successfully a force which so largely outnumbered it, and the army of Miran Muhammad Shab was at length victorious. Maqsûd Aqa, the Sar-i-naubat, and most of the usually victorious army, were so overcome with panic and confusion, that they were drowned in the river, and the few who escaped and with great difficulty, reached the opposite bank, made their way to the royal camp in Udgir.
The king, on hearing of Miran Muhammad Shah's action, regarded the reconquest and pacification of Berar as more important than any other business which was before him and at once marched towards Berar. He placed all the Foreign troops, with several of the amirs, in the advanced guard under the command of Sayyid Murtava and followed this force towards Berar with the main body of the army, marching with great speed until he entered Berar.
Sayyid Murtaza, with the force under his command, reached the town of Bâlâpûr one morning and encamped there. When Sayyid Zain-ud-din heard of the arrival of the royal army in Berar, he became alarmed and, realizing that it would be folly on his part to remain in Borar, he set out for Khandesh. 196
On the following day at sunrise the main body of the royal army arrived at Bâlâpûr, and Sayyid Murtaza, with the advanced guard, set out in pursuit of the enemy who, in their terror, fled in all haste to Burhånpar, halting nowhere by the way. When the king heard of the flight of the enemy, he thought it well that there should be no delay in the matter of taking vengeance on the forsworn Miran Mubammad Shah, and marched, without halting, to the banks of the Tapti.
When Mîrân Muhammad Shah heard of the approach of Murtaza Nizâm Shâh he would tarry no longer at Burhanpur but, setting, his country and his goods, his crown and his throne, against his life, he fled with a few of his most intimate courtiers and took refuge in the fortress of Asir. The royal army then crossed the river and entered Burhanpur, which was a very paradise with its houris and its mansions, and sacked and burned the city. The king remained for daya in the city, enjoying himself, while his army plundered rich and poor, and took possession of the crown and throne of Miran Muhammad Shah, and of the goods of his army, and also of all hoards and treasures, whether open or concealed. All collected taxes were given to the army. The army received so much gold, jewels, precious stuffs, valuable merchandise, so many horses and elephants, and all manner of goods, that they could not gather and transport them. Among the plunder was a vast pit full of grain from which the whole of the royal elephants and horses were fed, while such large quantities were given to the amars for the use of their horses and troops that they were enabled, after satisfying all wants, to sell much of it; and the supply was not even then exhausted. The rest of the plunder was on the same scale.
198 According to Firishta, the army of Aḥmadnagar marched by way of Rohankhed. Muhammad Shah Faruqi II had not himself invaded Berar, but was halting on the frontier, awaiting events. On the approach of the army of Ahmednagar he fled to Asirgash-F. ii. 269.
