Indian Antiquary Vol 60

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

Page 17

JANUARY, 1931)
SIDI ALI SHELEBI IN INDIA, 1554-1556 A.D.
a general massacre of the infidels as a punishment. The number of fighting men in the fortress exceeded 8,000. Some of them repaired to the idol temple, and there fought to the last. In every street and lane and bazar there was desperate fighting. Every now and then a band of infidels, having thrown away all hope of life, would rush from the temple with swords and shields towards their own homes, and so were the more easily despatched by the warriors they encountered. By midday, nearly 2,000 had been slain. Under the favour of heaven, Zarb 'Ali Tawâchî was the only person of note in the imperial army, who was killed, which was a very marvellous fact. Those of the fortress who escaped the sword-men and womenwere made prisoners, and their property came into the hands of the Musalmâns. The place being cleared of infidels, His Majesty remained there three days, and then departed, leaving the government of the country in the hands of Aşaf Khan."
From the above account we see how Chitor was conquered by the emperor Akbar in 975 A.1. (1567 A.D.), though there is, no doubt, a certain amount ofexaggeration, as is usually tho case with the historians. The fact is that the garrison was reduced to extremities not only by the death of its leader Jayamal, but also by scarcity of food. The two Rajput leaders, Jayamal and Patta, the ancestors of the present rulers of the Badnor and Amet estates in Mewâr, respectively, died a hero's death after showing extraordinary bravery, in appreciation of which Akbar caused statues of Jayamal and Patta seated on two large elephants of stone to be placed at either side of one of the principal gates of the fort of Delhi. This was the last great attack on the fortress.
(To be continued.) SIDI ALI SHELEBI IN INDIA, 1554-1656 A.D. BY C. E. A. W. OLDHAM, C.S.I., I.C.S. (Retired.)
(Continued from vol. LIX, page 241.) Sidi Ali had arrived in Sind just at the close of the long reign of Mirza Shah Husain (Arghûn). The old king, now infirm both mentally and bodily, had fallen under the influence of favourites of low origin. The insolent behaviour of these persons when thrust into high appointments had disgusted and exasperated the high-born and proud Argbûns and Tarkhåns.38 Dissatisfaction culminated in rèvolt, Mirza Muhammad Isa Tarkhân, governor of Tatta, being chosen to lead the movement. The senile king, who had made Bukkur his headquarters, was then on his way down the Indus with his army and fleet to quell the rebellion. Sidi ‘Ali gives a very brief acoount of the political situation, in the details of which he is fully borne out by the Muhammadan historians. When Mirza Husain heard of the arrival of the Turks, he at once sent an envoy with assurances of goodwill. Subsequently Sidi 'Ali had an audience, was presented with robes of honour and was offered (the governorship of) Bandar Lahori, 39 "otherwise Diali Sind." In declining this offer he asked that he might be permitted to proceed. Firmly, though politely, the king replied that he must await the successful
74 Elliot, History of Indiu, vol. V, pp. 169-175. Soe also Akbarnáma (English translation by H. Beveridge), vol. II, p. 466 f.
16 Bernjer's Travels (Constable and Smith). pp. 256-57. 88 For the Arghûns and Tarkt ans, 8e Ain-t-Akbart. Blochmann's trans., vol. I, pp. 361-62.
39 Dioz gives us y and in vxs as the spelling found in the MS. used by him. The mention of a place known in 1555 as Bandar Lahori "otherwise called Diali Sind" is of importance in connexion with the identification of the site, or eites, occupied by places of thege names, which occur so often in the old records, but which up to date have never been satisfactorily located. It is interesting to know that in the middle of the sixteenth century both names were applied to the same port. The original name would appear to have been Lahori Bandar, sometiines called simply Lahori. Ibn Batuta, who spent five days there more than two centuries earlier (circa 1333-34), calls it Lahari, "a fine place situated on the shore of the ocean, near which the river of Sind (i.o., the Indus) falls into the sea." It seems probable that the name Diall Sind was given to this port by the Portuguese during their early intercourse with western India, a name that was also used by the English traders at the beginning of the seventeenth century, who some. times referred to this port of Sind as Didli Sind and sometimes as Larre Bunder, etc. (various spellings, representing Lahori Bandar) meaning apparently one and the game place, tho then port of Sind,