Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 270

254
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ SEPTEMBER, 1923
Nûr-ud-din Isfahânî, Mir Muḥammad Hasan Tabâțabâ'i, and Mir Husain Gilâni crept into holes and hid themselves from the sight of the violent and bloody men. The others, such as Mirza Khân, the Khânkhânân, Jamshid Khân with his son and brother, Amin-ul-Mulk with his two sons, Sayyid Murtaza Shirvânî, Bahadur Khân Gilânî, Bâî Khân, Sayyid Muhammad Samnânî with his brother, and a number of other men famous for their bravery who were not entirely enfeebled by fear, made some efforts in one direction or other, but as the army was pressing upon them both within and without, this wretched gang, though they sought in every direction for a way of escape, found none. They therefore made a stand in an open space between the two gates and opposed the troops as they came from the direction of each. The force which had entered by the Daulatâbâd gate ran hither and thither, plundering and slaying all whom they met, so that the broker of death was selling at one price the old man of 80 and the boy of 8, while the fire of their wrath burnt up young and old, rich and poor, alike.
Mirza Muḥammad Taqi, Mîrzâ Şâdiq, Mîr 'Izz-ud-din, Maulânâ Najm-ud-dîn, Qâzi Nûrud-din, and Mir Muḥammad Husain, each of whom was among the most learned and accomplished men of the age, were all slain by the sword on that night. When about seven hours of that night had passed and the fire which had been lighted at the gate of the fort was some. what abated, the band which from fear of their enemies had taken up their stand between the two gates, ignorant of the consequences of drawing the sword of strife from the scabbard and of urging the charger on into the field, and of the bragging tongue of sword and spearhead, gave vent to their feelings and emotions and raised loud cries. Mîrzâ Khân then asked Bahadur Khân Gilânî what plan could be devised for an escape, and who might be expected to help them in the extremity of their peril. Bahâdur Khân, who was one of the most eloquent of men, answered in poetry to the effect that there was nothing for it but to fight to the end, and at length all of them agreed to make a determined dash for the gate, trusting in God and treading the fire like Ibrâhîm the Friend. They 'then threw themselves on their enemies to fight valiantly for honour and a good name, and to lose, with good name and honour, their heads, or to escape from that whirlpool of destruction and to bring the bark of their hopes safely to shore. This gang, therefore, mounted their horses and charged out through the burning gate, attacking the army, which with its elephants was drawn up like Alexander's barrier along the edge of the ditch. Some of them, such as Bâ'în Khân, Sayyid Murtaza and others, were slain at once, and the dust of the battlefield was their shroud, while others managed to break through their enemies and to free themselves, by a hundred stratagems, from their immediate danger, but of these some, such as Amîn-ul-Mulk, the Khân khánân, and others and Muḥammad Samnânî and Aqâ Malik Mazandarânî, were slain that night Bahadur Khân and some others, whom fate was by the rabble of the city and the suburbs. less rapid in overtaking, escaped from their dreadful position, crept away into hiding places and, a few days later, managed to escape to a place of refuge. Mirza Khân, although ho escaped from the slaughter on the battlefield, could flee no further than a village in the environs of the city, where, as the reward of his treason, his horse was stopped by the wall of fate, and he fell into the hands of the villagers.814
314 Firishta's account of the capture of the fort is as follows:-While the Dakanis and Africans under Jamal Khan and Yaqût Khan were surrounding the fort, a hundred oxen laden with dried cowdung and millet stalks for sale passed. Jamal Khân had their loads piled against the gate of the fort and lighted. Towards evening the gate was destroyed, but none could pass over the hot ashes for some time. At length Mirza Khan and his followers, Bâ'ini Khân, Amin-ul-Mulk Nishâbûrî, the Khankhânân, Sayyid Muhammad Samnânî, Bahadur Khân Gilâni, Nûr Tahir Alavi, Aqa Mir Shirvânî, Shahbaz Khan Dakani, and Ismail Khan the Kurd, drawing their swords, spurred their horses over the hot ashes and cut their way through the besiegers. Some were slain in the streets of the city and some in the suburbs-Mirza Khan himself fled towards Junnar and could not be found for some days, but was eventually captured and put to death.-F. ii, 292.