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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARI
[ DECEMBER, 1921
LXXXII.-AN ACCOUNT OF THE REBELLION OF MUZAFFAR HUSAIN MÎRZ IN BERAR,
AND OF ITS SUPPRESSION. After Muzaffar Husain Mirzà had been sent, as seemed good to the amirs, to the town of Daryapür, ambitious designs began to shape themselves in his heart and, with a party whom he had attracted to himself, he fled one dark night to the borders of Gujarât. Here he was joined by large numbers of men who had served in the armies of his father and his uncle, which were now scattered over the face of the land, but assembled around him on hearing that he was once more free. He thus, in a very short time, had command of five or six thousand good horse, Mughals and others, and marched with great pomp towards Berar. On the way thither he turned aside to the country of Mirza Yâdgår and captured several elephants and horses from his jágír. This exploit greatly increased his reputation and prestige and his approach caused great alarm among the amirs of Berar, who assembled round Sayyid Murtaza and busied themselves in making préparations for war. He, with his large army, marched to meet him. Muzaffar maintained a correspondence in which the latter professed himself the friend, and even the servant of the former, but this was a mere blind and Sayyid Murtaza never relaxed for one moment his preparations for battle, and was ever watching his opportunity. The armies met near the village of Anjangaon.209 Some of the troops of Muzaffar Husain Mirza, who had been seduced from their allegiance by Sayyid Murtazâ, had undertaken to desert and oppose their master in the fight, and as soon as the armies were drawn up, these troops, without attempting to strike a blow for him, marched across the field and joined Sayyid Murtaza. This occurrence completely cowed the rest of the Mirzâ's troops, and they broke and fled, pursued by the army of Berar, who slew large numbers of them and captured many more. Muzaffar Husain Mîrzà escaped from the field with much difficulty and fled to Burhanpûr, where he took refuge, but Miran Muhammad Shah. the ruler of Burhanpûr, as soon as he heard of his arrival, seized him and imprisoned him and shortly afterwards sent him to Jalal-ud-dîn Muhammad Akbar, his old enemy, by whom he was imprisoned for life in one of the fortresses of Hindüstån.210 The army of Berar returned from this expedition with niuch spoil, taking their prisoners with them. On their return the expedition was reported to the king and with the report went the prisoners and the heads of the slain. The amirs then dispersed to their jâgirs. The king was much elated by the joyful news of the result of this affair and bestowed robes of honour and other favours and honours on Sayyid Murtaza and all the amirs who had participated in the victory. LXXXIII.-AN ACCOUNT OF THE GENERAL MASSACRE ORDERED BY MURTAZA
NIZAM SHAH. A.D. 1577. In this year Murta à Nizam Shah issued orders for a general massacre in his capital.211 It is a matter for great surprise that such an order should have been issued by a king so merciful and so forgiving, and therefore accounts of the reasons which led to its issue display many discrepancies. Some of these accounts will, however, be related here.
In this year an order for a general massacre in the capital was issued by the king to Qazi Beg and the other officers of state. All the wise men of the time were astonished at this order, and each, as it liked him, endeavoured to find a reason to which he could attribute its issue, for such open and flagrant tyranny and injustice by a king who had hitherto been noted for his regard for human life, his good nature, and his clemency, appeared to be most strange and incomprehensible. Many reasons and grounds were assigned to the order by popular report and rumour, and I shall now mention a few of the less unreasonable.
209 In 21° 10' N. and 77° 22' E.
210 This is not quite correct. It was Raja Ali Khan of Khandesh who captured Muzaffar Husain Mirza and handed him over to Akbar. The Mirzê did not pass the rest of his life in prison, though he was constantly in trouble.
211 Firishta does not mention this massacre.
