[Text, vol. i. p. 356.] 'Azam Khán was in the neighbourhood of Parenda,* intent upon the reduction of that fortress, and the capture of the elephants and stores which had been sent there. * * He sent Rájá Jáí Singh with a detachment to ravage the town and petta. The Rájá first plundered the petta, which was about a kos distant on the left of the fortress. He then attacked the town, which was surrounded by a mud (khám) wall five gaz high and three gaz thick, and by a ditch of three cubits (sih zará') broad (?). He broke through the walls by means of his elephants, and the musketeers of the garrison then fled into the ditch of the fort. The town was plundered. 'Azam Khán then arrived, * * * and entered the town, to secure the elephants belonging to the enemy, which had been taken into the ditch of the fortress. Seven elephants were seized and brought out, and much other booty was secured. * * 'Azam Khán pressed the siege, and the troops drove zigzags* up to the edge of the ditch in three places, and began to fill it up. He raised a battery exactly opposite the gate of the fortress, at the distance of an arrow-shot from the moat. He then pushed his zigzags to the very edge of the moat, and there raised a battery, to which the men in the Sher-Hájí* found it very difficult to reply.
It now became evident that 'Ádil Khán, through his tender years, had no real power, but that the reins of government were in the hands of a slave named Daulat, who had been originally a minstrel (kuláwant), and whom the King's father, Ibráhím 'Ádil, had ennobled with the title of Daulat Khán, and had placed in command of the fortress of Bíjápúr. This ungrateful infamous fellow, after the death of Ibráhím, assumed the title “Khawáss Khán,” and delivered the government over to a mischievous turbulent bráhman, named Murárí Pandit. This same Daulat put out the eyes of Darwesh Muhammad, the eldest son of Ibráhím 'Ádil Khán by the daughter of Kutbu-l Mulk, and demanded his daughter in marriage, thus bringing to infamy the name and honour of his indulgent patron. The 'Ádil-Khánís and the Nizám-Sháhís had now made common cause and were united.
The siege of Parenda had gone on for a month. Provender had throughout been difficult to procure, and now no grass was to be found within twenty kos. So 'Azam Khán was obliged to raise the siege, and to go to Dhárúr. * * * The 'Ádil-Khánís retreated before 'Azam Khán, and he encamped on the banks of the Wanjira. Next day he captured the town and fort of Bální, which the inhabitants defended in the hope of receiving assistance. After plundering the place, he marched to Mándú,* and from Mándú to Dhárúr.
[Text, vol. i. p. 362.] During the past year no rain had fallen in the territories of the Bálághát, and the drought had been especially severe about Daulatábád. In the present year also there had been a deficiency in the bordering countries, and a total want in the Dakhin and Gujarát. The inhabitants of these two countries were reduced to the direst extremity. Life was offered for a loaf,* but none would buy; rank was to be sold for a cake, but none cared for it; the ever-bounteous hand was now stretched out to beg for food; and the feet which had always trodden the way of contentment walked about only in search of sustenance. For a long time dog's flesh was sold for goat's flesh, and the pounded bones of the dead were mixed with flour and sold. When this was discovered, the sellers were brought to justice. Destitution at length reached such a pitch that men began to devour each other, and the flesh of a son was preferred to his love. The numbers of the dying caused obstructions in the roads, and every man whose dire sufferings did not terminate in death and who retained the power to move wandered off to the towns and villages of other countries. Those lands which had been famous for their fertility and plenty now retained no trace of productiveness. * * * The Emperor in his gracious kindness and bounty directed the officials of Burhánpúr, Ahmadábád, and the country of Súrat, to establish soup kitchens, or alms-houses, such as are called langar in the language of Hindústán, for the benefit of the poor and destitute. Every day sufficient soup and bread was prepared to satisfy the wants of the hungry. It was further ordered that so long as His Majesty remained at Burhánpúr 5000 rupees should be distributed among the deserving poor every Monday, that day being distinguished above all others as the day of the Emperor's accession to the throne. Thus, on twenty Mondays one lac of rupees was given away in charity. Ahmadábád had suffered more severely than any other place, and so His Majesty ordered the officials to distribute 50,000 rupees among the famine-stricken people. Want of rain and dearness of grain had caused great distress in many other countries. So under the directions of the wise and generous Emperor taxes amounting to nearly seventy lacs of rupees were remitted by the revenue officers—a sum amounting to nearly eighty krors of dáms, and amounting to one-eleventh part of the whole revenue. When such remissions were made from the exchequer, it may be conceived how great were the reductions made by the nobles who held jágírs and mansabs.
[Text, vol. i. p. 370.] Sipahdár Khán, after obtaining possession of the fort of Taltam (by the treachery of the garrison), laid siege to Sitúnda* by command of the Emperor, and pressed the place very hard. Sídí Jamál, the governor, offered to surrender on terms which were agreed to; so he and his family came out, and the fort passed into the possession of the Imperialists.
[p. 374.] Nasírí Khán had been placed in command of a force,
with instructions to conquer the kingdom of Telingána. He resolved
upon reducing the fort of Kandahár,*
which was exceedingly
strong, and the most famous one of that country. It was under
the command of Sádik, the son of Yákút Khudáwand Khán,
and was in full state of preparation. On the 23rd Jumáda-l
awwal he encamped one kos from the fortress. Next day he
prepared to attack the town of Kandahár; but before reaching
the place he was opposed by Sarfaráz Khán, the general
commanding in that country, who had taken up a position
between the fort and the town, and having covered his front with
artillery, awaited the attack. He was protected also by the guns
and muskets of the fortress. The royal army attacked with
great vigour, and killed a great many of the enemy. Sarfaráz
Khán with a few followers fled to the Nizám-Sháhís. After
this Nasírí Khán pushed on the siege. * * * Randaula,
Mukarrab Khán, and others, with a united force of 'Ádil-
Out of twenty-one mines which had been opened, six were complete; three were charged with powder, and three were kept in reserve. 'Azam Khán, who had marched to support Nasírí Khán, now approached, and Nasírí Khán went forth to meet him, and to bring him to see the springing of the mines and the assault upon the fortress. The match was applied to the three mines; one failed, but the other two brought down the wall of the Sher-Hájí with half a bastion. The garrison kept up a discharge of rockets, mortars, stones and grenades, but the storming parties pressed on. The conflict raged from mid-day till sunset, but the wall of the fortress was not sufficiently levelled, and the defenders kept up such a heavy fire that the assailants were forced to retire. At night the trenches were carried forward, and preparations were made for firing the other mines. The garrison saw that the place must fall, and * * * made offers of surrender, which were accepted, and the Imperial troops took possession of the fortress. * * The siege had lasted four months and nineteen days, and the place fell on the 15th Shawwál.