To return to our narrative. The Emperor, being arrived at B8rhanp8r, which is the first frontier of Decan, in the twenty-fifth year of his reign, detached forwards a young nobleman whom he wanted to train to war, and whose military grade he then advanced. This was Sheabeddin-qhan, son to Kyludj-qhan*. He had orders to make himself master of some fortresses of the Marhatta country; and he gave him a good army and every necessary for a siege. His instructions were to follow the plan once traced by Shah-djehan, and to commence, like him, by taking the fortress of Rameh, as the easiest of all. He at the same time instructed Nik-nam-qhan, Governor of the fortress of Malhar, and Fodjdar of the Buglana, to advance towards the strong fortress of Salir, in which he was to gain admittance, if possible, without a siege, by opening a negotiation with the Governor and garrison. After these arrangements, he, in the twenty-sixth year of his reign, quitted his Palace at Aoreng-abad, and advanced to Ahmed-nagur, where he encamped, and from whence he detached his son, Mohammed Ozm, to besiege that fortress, as well as to take possession of all the forts of the Dis­trict of G8l-shen-abad, whilst Nik-nam-qhan should be employed in negotiation with the Governor of Salir. He, at the same time, dispatched his other son, S8ltan-Muázzem, with orders to chastise the free-booter of Ram-derah, a valley contiguous to the C68can, and belonging to the House of Adel-shah. The Prince, being arrived before Salir, was going to open his batteries, and to attack the fortress; but Nick-nam-qhan, who had already opened a negotiation with the Governor, sent him word that, as his for­tress would certainly fall before Aoreng-zib’s victorious fortune, he had better spare him the trouble of a siege, as he would not fail in that case to represent his merits to the Emperor, who would make him ample amends for his loss. The Governor, sensible of the goodness of the advice, and persuaded that he could not stand a siege, made a merit of his submission, and The fortress of Salir sur­renders to the Imperialists. surrendered his place; and in this manner the strong fortress of Salir came to hand without a formal siege. The keys were surrendered to Nik-nam-qhan, who carried them, together with the Governor, to the Imperial presence. The Emperor accepted the keys, and bestowed on the Governor the grade of five thou­sand horse, with the effectual command of three thousand.

Hashem-aaly-qhan writes, that the Emperor, having in the beginning of his reign examined the lists of the pensioners and of some other people who enjoyed benefits from the treasury, whether of old standing or of new creation, confirmed all those grants, and made it a point to raise the incumbents successively to dignities and offices, and also to superior pensions, as they came to be vacant; they enjoyed Djaghirs, besides many free lands; so that their situation was of the happiest. But at the beginning of this campaign, and whilst the army lay encamped at Ahmed-nagur, things took another course; and he who had hitherto constantly abstained from admitting Afghans and Radjp8ts in his service, as well as Cashmirians, especially those of the tribe of Check*, now adopted another system. Obliged now to pass his life in countries inhabited by infidels, he found it his interest to gain the hearts of the Marhattas, and the subjects of the Kings of Bidjah-p8r and Haïder-abad; and he that disliked the Patans, and could not bear the presence of a Hindoo, now commenced to admit those of Decan in his service, and even to shew them some predilection; insomuch that even on any trifling service performed by them, they were sure of being raised to honours and dignities, much above their respective merits. On their turning Mussulmen, or barely taking service with him, or only siding with his forces, qhylaats, horses, elephants, jewels, as well as grades and dignities were lavished upon them, without reckoning surnames and titles of honour. These men, whether rewarded with Djaghirs in lands, or with Djaghirs in ready money, were so much caressed, that their rents and pensions never suffered more than three, or at most four months delay; and great connivances were shewn them in the collections of rents, until at last it was found that all the new conquests had been swallowed up in Djaghirs to the new comers. Moreover, as the Djaghirs of these were upon the spot, and most of them greatly under-rated, they had it in their power to bribe the penmen and heads of offices to much conniv­ance, or to procure good protectors and friends; whereas the old servants, and even those bred in the Imperial household could hardly support themselves; and thus, whilst new men, whom no body knew or had so much as heard of, were living in affluence and prosperity, ancient dignitaries, and ancient servants of the Imperial family were so far neglected for want of protectors, as to be ejected from those Djaghirs and possessions of theirs, which were far off; and this was the case with the great­est number, that is, with an infinity of persons; whilst others were sure of never recovering the balances due to them. It was even remarked, that the Emperor, on being presented every sixth month with the list of the pensioners and Djaghir-holders, used often to write at the bottom of it that a pomegranate was indeed an excellent remedy, but that it would never suffice for a hundred men; so that whenever he had to dispatch military officers, or to appoint to dignities and honours, he used to strike out a number of small Djaghirs in order to make up a large one, an expedient that ruined by the sword of the pen an infinity of people of middling stations, whom it turned out of their accustomed subsistence.—This is what Hashem-aaly-qhan-qhafi says. Let us now return to the thread of our narrative.

Sheab-eddin-qhan, who had been sent to take the incon­siderable town of Rameh, and who, with the army and artillery with which he had been furnished, and the character he bore for bravery and conduct, ought to have taken it by insult, found, on his arrival, matters very much altered from the account given him. The Governor Simbha was resolved to defend him­self to the last extremity. This man, who had for all artillery Strange artillery con­trived at the siege of Rameh. only three guns out of order and very old, but chanced to be master of a great deal of timber, contrived a number of wooden ones, which he covered with leather and which he planted every­where upon the ramparts; and these he never made use of but when an attack or an escalade was actually going on against his walls, at which time they fired once, and presently were unfit for further service, but they answered the purpose of keep­ing in awe an enemy that knew nothing of the secret. This Governor, by such a contrivance, and many others of the same kind, found means to protract the siege; and to so much art and contrivance he joined so much firmness and so much bravery, that Sheab-eddin, with his army and artillery, could not prevail. The siege drew to a length. The Emperor informed of this, sent to his assistance Cassem-qhan, an able and prudent General, avide of glory, and desirous of being employed. The new General went very briskly to work, and gave several assaults; but which were all repelled by the Governor, who seemed equally proof against open attacks and secret practices. At last the famous Qhan-djehan-cocaltash was sent thither; and repeated attacks were made, and assaults given, and all to no purpose. Qhan-djehan, repulsed everywhere, betook himself to the following expedient: He ordered a number of troops, supported by all the sutlers and followers of the army, to pre­sent themselves with great cries, as if with intention to give an assault, by which they would draw the attention of the garrison to themselves. He at the same time prepared a number of lad­ders, and a body of four hundred picked men, whom he encouraged by the promises of a high pay and several rewards. Their business was, as soon as the garrison should be taken up with the false attack, to advance silently to the foot of the wall, plant their ladders, and mount, unperceived, and before the garrison could think of them. Unfortunately the Governor, who had spies in camp and kept a sharp look-out, was informed of the whole scheme; and he counteracted it exactly in the same man­ner. He appointed a multitude of soldiers as well as useless people in opposing the false attack, but reserved a select body for the particular attack intended to take effect. These he ordered to squat themselves all along the parapet, and to hold them­selves ready with certain iron hooks, made of five branches of that species called Râih, in Decan, and Bagh-T8ia, or Tiger’s-paw, in Hindostan. Each of them, besides his spear and long sword, was furnished with one of these engines. They were directed to squat on the ground close to the parapet, and to observe so profound a silence, that the besiegers should not suspect there was a soul there. At the appointed time of the attack, two young men, who marched as the forlorn hope, advanced to the foot of the wall, planted their ladder, and got up, being followed by others upon the same ladder; the same activ­ity was made use of at the other ladders. But as soon as a certain number had got nearly to the top of the wall, those of the garrison, that waited but for them, got up at once from their hiding places, and tearing up with one hand the turbants of those that had reached the wall, gave them with the other so many strokes of their engine as tore hideously their heads and faces, and overthrew them all down the wall, over head and heels. These, by their weight, brought down those that were yet upon the ladders; and the whole of them being now sprawl­ing on the ground, presented a dreadful scene of mangled faces, and broken legs and arms. This stratagem of the besiegers having failed, another was set up; and this was of the super­natural kind.

Strange contrivance of the besiegers.