Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 80

72
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ APRIL, 1922
this juncture, the amirs of Berar, Jamshid Khân, Khudåvand Khân, Bahri Khân, Tir Andaz Khân, Shir Khân, Dastûr Khân, Chanda Khân and Rustam Khân, arrived with a numerous army, and Bihzâd-ul-Mulk, with the amirs subordinate to him, joined the army of Sayyid Murtaza
When the amirs of the Niyam Shahi army which was besieging Bidar heard that the Adil Shahi army had defeated the forces under Bih zâd-ul-Mulk and was marching on Bidar, they retreated from Bidar into the Nizam Shahi dominions, and when the 'Adil Shahi army heard of their retreat, they turned aside and encamped before Naldrug, which is one of the most important fortresses in the 'Adil Shabi dominions.
Meanwhile the royal command reached the amirs of the army which had been besieging Bidar, that they should at once join the army under Sayyid Murtaza, and since they were quite ready to place themselves under his orders, being convinced that he had the best interests of the kingdom at heart, Mirza Yadgår and the other amirs, with their troops,, at once obeyed the order and marched rapidly to join the amir-ul-umard, who was thus in a very short time joined by troops from all sides as the scattered forces reassembled, and their perplexity was changed to content. The amir-ul-umara and the amirs with him then resolved to avenge the recent defeat, and marched, with their great host, against the 'Adil Shâhî army.
On the way Sayyid Shah Mir with nearly 10,000 Qutb Shahi horse, who had been detached to aid the army of Ahmadnagar, joined the army, and Sayyid Murtaza and Sayyid Suau Mir met with joy. The two armies then marched on Naldrug, resolved on avenging themselves on the Bijapuris.
The allies arrived before Naldrug and spread fear among the army of Bijapûr, which, however, relying on the strength of the fortress, prepared to oppose the invaders. That night, there being nothing but the fortress between the opposing armies, each army lay under arms in case of a night attack from the other. The next day at daybreak the armies took the field and the marshals drew up the forces in battle array. The two armies then advanced simultaneously against each other and joined battle. The fight was fierce and taged without advantage to either side from daybreak until noon, when a body of Nizam Shâhî horse made a dashing attack on the enemy's front. This was followed by an attack by a thousand picked horsemen on the enemy's centre. A number of war elephants preceded the cavalry attack, and the whole attacking force advanced with the impetuosity of
mountain torrent. This attack broke the enemy's centre, and his right and left wings, seeing that the centre had been broken, also broke, and the attack thus swept the enemy from the field. 243
The army of Ahmadnagar at once pursued the enemy with such vigour as not even to give them time to look back, and drove them to take refuge in the fort of Naldrug, where they had some respite from the pitilegs sword. So headlong was the flight of the enemy towards the fortress that many threw themselves into the ditch which encloses two of its sides, and were drowned. Those who escaped into the fortress at once opened from its walls a heavy fire of artillery and musketry on the attacking force which caused it to retire from under the walls. After this daily combats were fought between the Nizam Shahi and the Adil Shâhi troops, victory usually declaring for the former, when the latter would flee again into the fortress.
248 Firishta does not mention this defeat of the amfrs of Bijapur and it is very improbable that the army of Ahmadnagar gained any important success at Naldrug, or they would not have been so easily discouraged. As a matter of fact they suffered very heavy losses before the fortress,