The Sultán at hearing this intelligence was much encouraged and determined now to take the fort of Adhooni, and to punish the governor who had so contumaciously refused to listen to his sugges­tions or advice, and in consequence issued orders to his officers to breach the walls, and they occu­pied themselves in battering the defences and assaulting the fort, one month and twenty days.

The site of the fort, however, and the strength of the walls (which were built by Musaood Khán an Amír of the Adil Sháhi dynasty, as has been detailed in the author’s work, Tuzkirut il Beladwa il Ahkam, in the second Ourung) were of that descrip­tion, that the dust was not shaken upon one of its dunghills by the fire of the guns, nor were the walls to be breached by cannon or mortars, the fire therefore was of no avail. After some parts of the walls, however, were in a slight degree injured by the fire of the guns, the lions of the forest of valour, according to the Sultán’s orders, made a vigorous assault on several sides; that is to say, Syud Sáhib and Kotabuddín Dowlut Zai, from the bury­ing ground of Busálut Jung; Monsieur Lally and Imám Khán Sipahdár from the Tamool gate, and Hussein Khán, Boozai; and Muhammad Hulím from the hill of Huzar Zeena. These having planted ladders against the wall attempted to esca­lade the fort. The garrison who were famous for the obstinacy of their resistance, and for their hardy endurance of the labours and hardships of the siege, crowded round the works to oppose them and man­fully repelled their assailants, and a great number of them fell by the sword: the cause being that the ladders which had been made according to the instructions of the Hurkurus, or spies, were found too short compared with the height of the walls, and the brave soldiers, although they abandoned the ladders and strove to mount the walls by driving in iron pegs or spikes, still failed, and that day were entirely unsuccessful, for the garrison with the sword, arrow and musket, effectually stopped their progress, and near two thousand brave soldiers lost their lives on that occasion. At the result of this assault the Sultán was much grieved, and several of the Hurkuras and spies were put to death.

For some days after this, therefore, the troops did nothing but light up the fire of war, and from morn till night the flames of contention blazed high, and again ladders were prepared long and strong, and they with iron pins and ropes were all in readiness, when Mushír ul Moolk and Syfe Jung, &c. accompanied by the Mahratta army, arrived to the succour of their fort. The Sultán on becoming aware of their arrival, not liking war on both flanks (or rather in his front and rear) aban­doned his batteries, and changed his ground, encamping with his rear to the Black mountains, and there having stationed guards and pickets on all sides, remained in readiness for action. Two days after a severe action was fought between the outposts, or advanced parties, of the Sultán and the Mahrattas;— the cause being the folly and incapacity of Hydur Hussein, Bukshi Silahdár, who with a body of seven hundred horse belonging to Gházi Khán, Bede (an officer who never authorized any such movement), from conceit attacked a force of ten thousand Mahratta horse, but at length finding he could not resist this mighty force, he was obliged to retreat.

The brave Gházi Khán, however, with the same body (seven hundred horse), still kept his ground against the ten thousand, and for two hours dis­played the utmost gallantry, but from apprehension of disgrace, he despatched the rash Bukhshi to the presence, in charge of his son Kudr Khán, and in the mean time, after distinguishing himself in the most heroic manner without aid or succour, and being wounded, he was obliged reluctantly to quit the field:— The Mahrattas, however, followed him and killed some of his party, and two or three hundred of his men with their horses were taken prisoners by them, and they then returned. Kudr Khán, however, with two hundred Janbazes, after escorting the Bukhshi to the camp, charged the enemy and recovered eighty horse of his own troop, and made prisoners of fifty of the enemy’s horse, and brought them to the presence. In the course of this action, Lumchur the Kuzzak, and Manna Chowdhuri, made a sudden Chuppao attack, and captured two elephants, eight camels, and fifty ponies, from the Moghuls of Hydurabád. The Sultán on hearing this, immediately beat to arms, and with all his troops marched rapidly, on their heels the fire of his artillery opening so suddenly that the outposts of the enemy fell back on their main bodies, and both their armies fell into great confusion, and sought refuge under cover of the city, and fort, and from that time never returned to the field of battle. The Sultán, therefore, remained until evening, with his troops formed in order of battle, expecting their advance; but, at length, leaving two Kushoons as pickets in front of the enemy, he returned to his ground of encampment.

The morning of the next day, Mushír ul Moolk and the others having consulted, after a great deal of contention, took the governor of Adhooni (he being persuaded to consent) with his property and family to the fort of Raichore— when the spies reported this to the presence, the Sultán immedi­ately detached Mír Sadik with a body of troops to take possession of the fort and stores, while he him­self followed the steps of the confederates to the river Tungbhudra, eight fursungs distant, and took some of their stragglers prisoners and some baggage which had been left behind; and then returned and encamped on the north side of the fort. The Mír before mentioned, having taken pos­session of the fort and the palace of Mohábut Khán, placed all the valuable property left by that chief with some boxes locked up with great care, on his camels and elephants, and sent them to the presence. When, however, the Mutsuddies (civil servants) of the Tosha Khána opened these boxes, they found nothing in them but old slippers and shoes (intended as a manifestation of contempt for the Sultán) they, therefore, surmised that perhaps the governor of the fort, among his other avoca­tions exercised the profession of a churum doze or cobler, or that he had collected some tax (in kind) from the houses of the shoemakers; or, perhaps that he had collected them in the way of trade, to send them for sale to Hydurabád.

On the representation of these circumstances to the Sultán, he was much displeased at the stupidity and folly of the Mír, and ordered him to examine with his own eyes, all the property and articles of value, and select only such as were worthy, and send them to the Sultán, and to leave those belong­ing to the shoemakers or leather dressers where they were. The whole, therefore, of the wardrobe, the armoury and the tents, &c. of Busálut Jung, were taken and deposited in the stores of the Sultán. After the accomplishment of these measures, the lower fort was laid in ruins, and Kotub uddín Khán Dowlut Zai, was appointed to the charge of that Souba.