There was then in camp an impostor, who had acquired much renown throughout the army, by incantations and conjur­ing up spirits. This man, having found means to introduce himself to Qhan-djehan, had the daringness to propose to him a new and strange way of taking the fortress. He obtained that he should order him a snake of gold, of about one hundred tolas weight*; and putting on a certain dress made of Bulgar-leather*, stuffed with cotton, he got upon a lofty scaffold of wood, made on purpose for the occasion, and com­manding the troops to mount to the assault, he commenced giving a variety of motions to his snake, and singing, and crying, and invoking his familiars. He had promised that at the end of his incantations, the fortress would be taken. Whilst he was agitating his body in such a frantic manner, a ball of stone, dis­charged from one of the wooden guns upon the wall, struck him in the stomach; and the man, tumbling down with his snake and leather dress, broke his arm and leg, and thereby put an end to the attack. This expedient having failed in this manner, and the siege having been already protracted to so irksome a length, the Generals grew tired of it, and went away, having first changed their dress to prevent their being known; they at the same time set fire to the scaffold they had raised close to the wall. On sight of this the besieged cried out from the walls, “Stay until the whole is consumed, and then you shall rub the ashes of it over your* faces, and shall then retreat properly accoutred.” Simbadji, the Marhatta Prince, hearing of this vigorous defence, sent the Governor a Qhylaat of high value, and a pair of bracelets, of those called Caras in Hindostan; they were of gold, and weighing each half a seer*. He at the same time drew him from that inconsiderable fortification, and gave him the command of one of the strongest fortresses in his dominions.

We find in authentic records and histories that the S8bah, alias Kingdom of Bidja-p8r, stretches to more than three or four months journey in length, and to full two hundred cosses in breadth. Its revenue, in the beginning of Sekender-adel-shah’s reign, who was dispossessed by Aoreng-zib, was of two corores of h8ns (pagodas), that is, seven corores of rupees: an extent of dominion which was so far reduced and so ill administered by his Ministers, that when he lost his crown, his possessions did not extend beyond a revenue of seventy lacs of rupees a year. This event took place in the twenty-ninth year of Aoreng-zib’s reign, answering to the year one thousand and ninety-six, of the Hedjira. Azem-shah, one of the Emperor’s sons, was appointed to the command of that expedition, and he received from his father a number of Generals renowned for valour and conduct. Roh-ollah-qhan was a principal of them, at the head of twenty thousand horse. To him was joined Séyd-abdollah, an ancient servant of S8ltan Muázzem’s; he com­manded a large train of artillery, with a body of two thousand horse. It was at that very time the Emperor had already dis­patched Qhan-djehan at the head of a large army and a great train of artillery, with orders to invade the territory of Haider-abad, to which he had already given the name of the “Theatre of Sacred War.” Séyd-abdollah, after some skirmishes, arrived before Bag-tana, which he was preparing to besiege, in expecta­tion of being soon joined by S8ltan Azem. But as there sub­sisted a great disunion and misintelligence between the two brothers, S8ltan Muázzem and Azem-shah, the latter wished that no mention should be made during the siege of any officer belonging to his elder brother; and as he knew Séyd-abdollah Aoreng-zib repairs in person to the siege of Bidja-p8r. to be a man of an heroic valour and a determined soldier, he sent him word underhand, that he might have him for his friend, if he would but attach himself to his person, or, at least, forbear to call his trenches by the name of S8ltan Muázzem’s. But as that officer had consented to be of the expedition, on the encouragement given him by Roh-ollah-qhan, his ancient friend, the same proposals were sent to this General likewise. It hap­pened that all this insidious negotiation produced no effect. Séyd-abdollah rejected the proposal with indignation; and Azem-shah, shocked at the refusal, sent word to the besieged, that they might with safety fall upon Seyd-abdollah’s trenches, as they might depend upon his not being supported, or at least upon his receiving only such an assistance as would be effectually defeated by a variety of contrived delays. When the message arrived from the Prince, it happened that Séyd-abdollah was actually leading an attack against the walls. His artillery made a fire superior to any thing throughout the whole army, and he was himself the foremost amongst his troops; but he was repulsed, and besides many other soldiers, he lost two hundred and fifty men, mostly of Barr, all his countrymen, and all men of distinguished characters and bravery, and all personally known to S8ltan Muázzem; he lost also two war elephants. Seyd-abdollah was descried from afar rallying his disordered troops, and leading them again to the charge; and his undaunted coun­tenance struck so much terror amongst the besieged, that they were going to cry for quarter. It was at this moment that Azem-shah sent Roh-ollah-qhan, in appearance to support that brave man, but in reality, to manage so as to bring some disgrace upon him, and upon the other friends of S8ltan Muázzem’s. Roh-ollah-qhan, obliged to submit to the times, and to humour the Imperial Prince, advanced to Séyd-abdollah, and advised him to forbear so infructuous an attack; and this officer, on observ­ing how the wind blew and how coldly he was supported, recalled his men, and returned much dispirited to his quarters. On the commencement of the attack, intelligence had come to Court, that Sëyd-abdollah had behaved greatly to his honor; and the Emperor felicited S8ltan Muäzzem on the event; but the next day’s intelligence having ascertained that he had been repulsed with loss, he seemed incensed against both that officer and the Prince. Upon some further intelligence, he got information of the true state of affairs, and recalled to Court both Sëyd-abdollah and Roh-ollah-qhan. The former was reprimanded; and had not Roh-ollah-qhan interposed and obtained the Imperial pardon, for a miscarriage of which that officer was not guilty, he would have been disgraced with shame and infamy. This singular proceeding is reported by Hashem-aaly-qhan-qhafi, as an instance of Imperial policy, and of knowledge of the world in Aoreng-zib.

Meanwhile Azem-shah was so straightened in his quarters by the Bidjap8rians, that he had infallibly been undone, had not Sheab-eddin-qhan, with his brother, Mudjahed-qhan, hastened to his assistance, with all the provisions and sutlers they had assembled, by beating both the Marhattas and the troops of Sekender-shah’s. The above historian says that all the Prince’s cavalry was starving, so that the very men of his household suffered hardships unavoidable, and perished with famine; numbers of them had subsisted on bones of dead animals pounded together with tamarind leaves*, a food, which, wretched as it was, had now failed totally. Vast numbers perished from such unwholesome food, as well as from mere famine; the courage of the men was damped; but what is singular, that of the women proved unshaken. Djani-begum, Dara-shecoh’s daughter, and now consort to Azem-shah, who lived in camp, but was kept at some distance from it, having had her quarters attacked by a party of the enemy, she quitted her covered chair, and getting upon a war-elephant, she pushed forwards on the enemy; she had thrown away her veil, was shooting arrows incessantly, and encouraging both officers and men to do their duty, and to exert themselves manfully; and she was repulsing the enemy vigorously, when assistance came from the main army.

As to the convoy brought to camp by the two brothers, Sheab-eddin and Mudjahed-qhan, it was attacked in its way by forces twice superior to theirs; and here the two brave brothers, concluding that the Imperial army would be undone unless it was immediately assisted with provisions, resolved to perish on the spot, or to carry their point. They both joined together in pronouncing over themselves the office of the dead; their principal officers did the same, and, mounting again like men that had taken leave of this world, they rushed upon those numerous troops, and did so much havoc amongst them, that they forced them to retire in disorder, leaving full liberty to the convoy to repair safely and without further loss to Azem-shah’s famished camp. The Prince, on Sheab-eddin’s making his bow, took him up, caught him tenderly in his arms, dressed that officer in the very dress which he himself then wore, and loaded him with honors and favors. The Emperor himself, hearing of this signal delivery of his son and army, exclaimed aloud, “May God Almighty preserve for ever Sheab-eddin, with his family and descendants, in the same manner as that brave officer has preserved the honor of the Djagâtai-family and throne!”* He at the same time augmented his grade by a thousand effective horse, changed his name, gave him the title of the Victorious Champion of the Law, Ever Successful*, sent him a very obliging letter with many rich presents, and decorated in the same manner that officer’s brother and his principal officers. But as, meanwhile, the siege of Bidja-p8r seemed to draw to a length, the Emperor himself, on the twenty-ninth year of his reign, turned his victorious standards towards that capital. Being arrived in its neighbourhood, he detached S8ltan Muáz­zem to the assistance of his younger brother, Azem-shah, and got that Prince accompanied by the flower of his army, com­manded by officers of great renown and approved abilities; such as Roh-ollah-qhan, and Sheab-eddin-qhan (now styled Ghazy-eddin-qhan), and some others; and every one of those heroical men set out with a firm intention to exhibit such feats of valour and ability as might do honour to the Emperor’s choice. But S8ltan Muázzem, who preferred policy and prudence to open force and bloodshed, commenced, from his post at Shah-p8ry gate, a negotiation with the garrison, offiering them full safety for their honour, property, and lives, if they would quietly surrender the place. The younger brother, informed of an affair that would have redounded intirely to his elder’s honour, wrote to the Emperor, “That he was treating with the enemy on his own account, and seemed to roll great projects in his head;” and in this malicious insinuation he was joined by some Commanders averse to the S8ltan Muázzem. Roh-ollah-qhan himself, who was attached to Azem-shah, gave his evidence against the unfortunate Prince. The officers of the police in the army joined in those depositions; and Shah-c8ly, a favourite servant of S8ltan Muázzem’s, who used often to resort to Sekender-shah within the city of Bidja-p8r, was seized as he was coming back to camp, and arrested, and then sent to the Emperor. That Prince at first spoke to him mildly, and exhorted him to give a full information of whatever he knew, as the safety of the State was interested in it; the other denied that there was any criminality in his case. Orders being given to torment him, he was scourged, and in the middle of that torment, he promised to disclose every thing he knew; and he, accordingly, accused not only the Prince, but also numbers of other persons, who, he said, were equally privy to his designs. Some of these were M8min-qhan, the second astrologer, Mahmed-sadyc-qhan, Bendrabun, Divan to the Prince, and Sëyd-abdollah of Barr. The Emperor, on this deposition, sent for S8ltan Muazzem to Court, and complained much of the ungenerosness and folly of his conduct. The Prince was confounded and speechless; he then denied Shah-c8ly to be in his service; but the assertion answered no purpose. And Sëyd-abdollah, after all the heroical feats of valor and conduct he had exhibited heretofore at Haider-abad, and of late at Bidja-p8r, was disgraced and confined, with many others. S8ltan Muázzem was neither disgraced, nor had any of his offices or revenues taken from him; but he was neglected, and fell into contempt. Roh-ollah-qhan, who had heretofore interceded for Sëyd-abdollah, was ordered to keep that officer in his custody.