Fath Khán now woke up from his sleep of heedlessness and
security. He saw that Daulatábád could not resist the Imperial
arms and the vigour of the Imperial commander. To save the
honour of his own and Nizám Sháh's women, he sent his eldest
son 'Abdu-r Rusúl to Khán-khánán [laying the blame of his
conduct on Sáhú-jí and the 'Ádil-Khánis]. He begged for
forgiveness and for a week's delay, to enable him to remove his
and Nizám Sháh's family from the fortress, while his son
remained as a hostage in Khán-khánán's power. Khán-khánán
had compassion on his fallen condition, granted him safety, and
kept his son as a hostage. Fath Khán asked to be supplied
with the means of carrying out his family and property, and
with money for expenses. Khán-khánán sent him his own
elephants and camels and several litters, also ten lacs and fifty
thousand rupees in cash, belonging to the State, and demanded
the surrender of the fortress. Fath Khán sent the keys to Khán-
On the 19th Zí-l hijja Fath Khán came out of the fortress and delivered it up. The fortress consisted of nine different works, five upon the low ground, and four upon the top of the hill. These with the guns and all the munitions of war were surrendered. * * * Khán-khánán went into the fortress, and had the khutba read in the Emperor's name.
The old name of the fortress of Daulatábád was Deo-gír, or Dhárágar. It stands upon a rock which towers to the sky. In circumference it measures 5000 legal gaz, and the rock all round is scarped so carefully, from the base of the fort to the level of the water, that a snake or an ant would ascend it with difficulty. Around it there is a moat forty legal yards (zara') in width, and thirty in depth, cut into the solid rock. In the heart of the rock there is a dark and tortuous passage, like the ascent of a minaret, and a light is required there in broad daylight. The steps are cut in the rock itself, and the bottom is closed by an iron gate. It is by this road and way that the fortress is entered. By the passage a large iron brazier had been constructed, which, when necessary, could be placed in the middle of it, and a fire being kindled in this brazier, its heat would effectually prevent all progress. The ordinary means of besieging a fort by mines, sábáts, etc., are of no avail against it. * * *
Khán-khánán desired to leave a garrison in the captured fortress, and to go to Burhánpúr, taking Nizám Sháh and Fath Khán with him. The Imperial army had endured many hardships and privations during the siege. They had continually to contend against 20,000 horse of Bíjápúr and Nizámu-l Mulk, and to struggle hard for supplies. Nasírí Khán (who had been created Khán-daurán) was always ready for service, and he offered to take the command of the fortress. So Khán-khánán left him and some other officers in charge, and marched with his army to Zafarnagar. * * * After reaching that place, Murárí Pandit and the Bíjápúrís sent Farhád, the father of Randaula, to treat for peace; but Khán-khánán knew their artfulness and perfidy, and sent him back again. The Bíjápúrís, in despair and recklessness, now turned back to Daulatábád. They knew that provisions were very scarce and the garrison small. The entrenchments which the besiegers had raised were not thrown down, so the Bíjápúrís took possession of them, invested the fortress and fought against it. Khán-daurán, without waiting for reinforcements, boldly sallied out and attacked them repeatedly. By kind treatment he had conciliated the raiyats of the neighbourhood, and they supplied him with provisions, so that he was in no want. As soon as Khán-khánán heard of these proceedings, he marched for Daulatábád. The enemy finding that they could accomplish nothing, abandoned the siege as soon as they heard of the approach of Khán-khánán, and then retreated by Násik and Trimbak.
[Text, vol. i. p. 534.] On the 11th Muharram, [1043 A.H.], Kásim Khán and Bahádur Kambú brought * * * 400 Christian prisoners, male and female, young and old, with the idols of their worship, to the presence of the faith-defending Emperor. He ordered that the principles of the Muhammadan religion should be explained to them, and that they should be called upon to adopt it. A few appreciated the honour offered to them and embraced the faith: they experienced the kindness of the Emperor. But the majority in perversity and wilfulness rejected the proposal. These were distributed among the amírs, who were directed to keep these despicable wretches in rigorous confinement. When any one of them accepted the true faith, a report was to be made to the Emperor, so that provision might be made for him. Those who refused were to be kept in continual confinement. So it came to pass that many of them passed from prison to hell. Such of their idols as were likenesses of the prophets were thrown into the Jumna, the rest were broken to pieces.
[Text, vol. i. p. 540.] Islám Khán returned to Court, bringing
with him the captive Nizám Sháh and Fath Khán, whom Khán-
[p. 545.] The Emperor had never visited Lahore, one of his chief cities, since his accession. He now determined to proceed thither, and also to pay a visit to the peerless vale of Kashmír. Accordingly he set out from Ágra on the 3rd Sha'bán, 1043 H. * * * His Majesty's sense of justice and consideration for his subjects induced him to order that the Bakhshí of the ahadís with his archers should take charge of one side of the road, and the Mír-átish with his matchlock-men should guard the other, so that the growing crops should not be trampled under foot by the followers of the royal train. As, however, damage might be caused, dároghas, mushrifs and amíns were appointed to examine and report on the extent of the mischief, so that raiyats, and jágírdárs under 1000, might be compensated for the individual loss they had sustained.
[Text, vol. ii. p. 33.] The fortress of Parenda, belonging to Nizám Sháh, was formerly besieged by 'Azam Khán, but, as before related, certain obstacles compelled him to raise the siege. 'Ádil Khán [by cajolery and bribery] got the fort into his possession. * * * The reduction of this fortress had long been a favourite object with Khán-khánán, and, when Prince Sháh Shujá' came near to Burhánpúr with a fine army, * * * Khán-khánán waited upon him, and advised him to undertake the reduction of Parenda. So the Prince, without entering Burhánpúr, turned off and marched against that fortress. * * * On arriving at Parenda, he encamped on a stream about a kos distant, which is the only water to be found in the vicinity. Then he allotted the work of constructing the trenches, and placed the general direction of the siege works in the hands of Alla Vardí Khán. [Many conflicts and skirmishes in the neighbourhood.]
The efforts of the besiegers in the construction of mines were
not attended with much success. The enemy broke into some
and destroyed them, and water burst into others. One, constructed
by Alla Vardí, in front of the Sher-Hájí, was fired by the
Prince himself, who went to it by the covered way. It blew up
a bastion, but did not make a practicable breach. Moreover,
great ill feeling had sprung up between Khán-khánán and Khán-
[Text, vol. ii. p. 59.] On the 14th Jumáda-l awwal intelligence arrived of the death of Mahábat Khán Khán-khánán, who died of fistula, with which he had long been afflicted.