Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 265

DECEMBER, 1930 ]
SIDI ALI SHELEBI IN INDIA, 1564-1566 A.D.
239
despatched them for the siege of Chitor. He ordered Muhammad Khan Asîrî and Khudawand Khan to proceed with his army from Mândů to Chitor. When they reached Mandasor, they were met by the vakils of the Rånå, who stated that the Rånd was prepared to offer his submission to the Sultan, if the siege of Chitor were abandoned. This proposal was conveyed to Bahadur Shâh at Manda by Shajâ'at Klan. Bahadur Shah, however, remembering the Râna's bold action in sending aid to Silhadi, and being bent upon investing the fortress of Chitor, rejected the Rana's offer, and sent Tatár Khan with veteran troops for the subjugation of the place. On the 5th Rajab 939 A.H. (1533 A.D.) Tatar Khan took and plundered the Buburbs of Chitor. Next day he attacked the outer gate and carried that also. On the 8th of the month, Muhammad Shah and Khudawand Khân came up with heavy cannon and a siegetrain, and the fortress was completely invested. The Sultan started from Mandû with an escort of five horsemen and reached Chitor in 24 hours. His large army came up behind him. He gave directions for bringing up and placing in position the battering guns. The great gun which had been brought from Diu sent"rooks tumbling down on rocks and build. ings upon buildings." The exertions of the Sultan in pressing on the siege were unprecedented. It is said that he had sufficient men and artillery to have besieged four such places as Chitor.
(To be continued.)
SIDI ALI SHELEBI IN INDIA, 1554-1556 A.D. BY C. E. A. W. OLDHAM, C.S.L., I.C.S. (Retired.)
(Continued from page 224.) Before going on to relate his further travels, Sîdî 'Ali remarks that among the Banians of the country, by whom, we know from a subsequent passage, he refers to the Hindus in general, as there is a literate class called Bat (i.e., Bhat), whose duty it was to guide and protect and stand surety for merchants and travellers. These Bata accompanied the caravans, and if robbers attacked them on the way, drew their daggers and, pointing them to their own breasts, threatened to kill themselves on the spot if any harm were done to the travellers.26 Accompanied by two of these men Sidi 'Ali and his companions set out from Ahmadabad about the middle of the month of Safar A.H. 962 (January 1555) on their long overland journey to Turkey. In five days they reached Patan 27 (the ancient Anbilvada), the chief town of western India until superseded, under Muhammadan rule, by Almadabad, from which it lies about 63 miles NNW. Here the Pul&di brothers, Sher Khan and Mash Khân, 38 who were making preparations to attack the ruler of Radhanpur, tried to prevent them from proceeding to the latter place. Sidi 'Ali insisted upon moving on, and in five days more he arrived at Radhanpur, which lies about 40 miles to the west of Patan. Here the Bats were sent back to Ahmadabad and the journey continued to Nagar-Parkår, then in the possession of Rajpûts (probably Sodas, still dominant in tbat district). As the distance from Radhanpur
35 The use of this word in this general senso is interesting as indicating the important position bold by merchante in Western India in those days. It is the Marathi uimi and Gujarati viniyo, reproduced by the Portuguese in their intercourse with the west coast as 'Bancano'; and this has given us our word 'Banyan.'
26 Compare the account given in Tod's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, edited by W. Crooke, vol. II, p. 814. See also Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, edited by Sir J. M. Campbell, vol. IX, p. 200 f.
37 Vambéry failed to identify the place. He writes Patna, instead of Patan (ul), as road by Diez.
28 For some account of these brothers, see pajji ud-Dabir's History of Gujarat and the Mirát al. Sikandari.