On this afflicting letter, the Prince assembled his best
Generals, read the contents in their presence, complained much
of the usage he received, and asked their advice about what
was to be done next. The General, with most of the Council,
being extremely incensed and dispirited, voted against a battle;
but Sëyd-abdollah, with two or three Radjp8t Radjas, proposed
to attack the enemy. Both parties persisting in their opinions,
the Council broke up without coming to a determination. After
their departure, Sëyd-abdollah observed to the Prince privately,
that the General being an old friend and acquaintance of the
Emperor’s, might possibly take the liberty of giving way to
his resentment; but that it was neither safe nor decent in
him to resist any more the Imperial commands. He added,
that as the enemies seemed inclined to a peace, conscious of
their weakness, now was the time to fall upon them, and give
them a total defeat. If, said he, the General takes the van
under his command, I offer to lead the main, and if he chooses
to command the main, I offer my services to lead the van;
otherwise, let any of the two Imperial Princes take the command
of that van, and I offer to lead under him, and to deserve
his good opinion. S8ltan Muázzem did not declare his opinion;
but he sent word to the Haider-abadian General, “That the
Imperialists having fallen under the Emperor’s displeasure for
their long inactivity, they were now resolved to afford satisfaction
to that Monarch, by giving a total defeat to the enemy,
unless they chose to prevent it by timely suing for peace;
the more so, as such a party would prove equally advantageous
to both sides, and seemed to be the only one that could
procure the Imperial forgiveness on Ab8l-hassen’s misdemeanors*,
and on them all. That should they make a
cession of the Fortress of Bëyrem, and of all the districts
on the frontiers, already conquered by the Imperial arms,
he would endeavour to represent this cession to the Emperor
in such a manner, as would not only procure a forgiveness
to Ab8l-hassen, but also render him an object of favor in
the Imperial mind.” The Háider-abadian General was himself
inclined to a peace; but on his making the proposal in a
council of war, in which assisted several Generals, and especially
Sheh-minhadj, and the Brahmin Rostem-räo, with some
others who breathed nothing but war and battle, they all unanimously
answered, that the Fortress of Bëyrem, as well as the
districts in question, hung at the point of their spears, or stuck
at the edge of their sabres; and that whoever had a mind to
them must conquer them sword in hand, and not with messages.”
This was all the answer that was returned by the enemy;
and these men, after having been for sometime very slack and
and remiss, now became so active, that they were incessantly
firing musketry and rockets against the Imperial camp, which
they approached so near, that a rocket fell within the women’s
apartment in the Prince’s quarters, as he was going to sit down
to his dinner; and it overset a qhöan, or table, carried upon her
head by one of the female attendants. Not content with that,
they were firing incessantly with the new artillery they had received
from Haïder-abad, and threatening the Imperialists both
with the voice and with the hand. The Prince, shocked to see
himself eternally braved, resolved to fight; and he came out of
his intrenchment with that intention. The order of battle was
the same as before. The command of the van, or Aräol, was
given to the Prince Muëzz-eddin and to Qhan-djehan; the
Chendäol, or main battle, was given to Sëyd-abdollah; and the
other Generals were placed as they came in the Djeran-ghaz
and Beran-ghaz, or right and left wings*.
S8ltan Muëzz-eddin
himself took his post in the Col, which followed the main
body. He had with him Qhoadja-abol-mucarem, and some
other officers of distinction, and he seemed resolved to come to
a decisive engagement, be it ever so bloody. The Haider-abadian
Generals on their side made their arrangements according to the
motions of the enemy. They concealed or buried great part of
their heavy canon; and dividing their army in three bodies, they
opposed one to the enemy’s van, another to his wings, and a
third, the most numerous of all, which was commanded by their
most determined Generals, to Sëyd-abdollah and his troops. In
this order they were advancing like a mighty inundation,
swelled into waves by a rising wind. The cries of kill and
maim in a little time filled the air, and every one seemed intent
on nothing but killing and wounding. No such bloody battle had
been fought all along this war; but the Haider-abadians seemed
to have the superiority. The Prince Muézz-eddin, supported
by Himmet-qhan, son to the General, and by Assed-qhan and
some others, was making the greatest efforts. At last Séyd-abdollah,
after repeated attacks, was observed to gain ground
on the enemy, and this engaged both wings to advance. But
yet the battle that had commenced at day-break, seemed to be
undetermined so late as at twelve o’clock. It was only after
that time that the Háider-abadians were observed to be in confusion,
and at last to quit their ranks and to fly on all parts.
The Prince Muézz-eddin, availing himself of the opportunity,
followed close after them, and was going to enter their camp,
when he received a message from Sheh-minhadj, one of the
most valorous Commanders of the enemy, in these words:—We
do not see in the history of former times, that noble Princes
and generous Generals have waged war with the women and
families of their enemies, or that they ever attempted to dishonour
them by any defilement. Respect is due to women. Let
strife and slaughter be amongst men only. Stand off a little
until we have secured our wives and honor, and let the rest
in camp be yours. The Prince admitted the plea, and repressed
the ardour of his troops for full two hours; in which interval
the Háider-abadians found time to load their wives and families
upon whatever they could meet,—carts, camels, elephants, or
horses,—and to carry them out of the reach of danger. In the
afternoon, the truce being expired, they appeared again in
several compact bodies, and gave a battle still more bloody than
the last. But it must be acknowledged, that they were vigorously
received; both sides exhibited proofs of a determined courage,
and an infinity of brave men perished on both sides. S8ltan
Muázzem, in particular, had two elephants killed under him.
In the enemy’s army, Sheh-minhadj, a valorous Commander, was
severely wounded, together with Rostem-räo the Brahman, and
some others of their most adventurous officers. Nevertheless,
they found means to wound Bendrabun, the Prince’s Divan and
Prime Minister, and to carry him away upon his elephant. But
Séyd-abdollah, thinking that the capture of the Prince’s Minister
would cast a stain upon the character of those that fought with
him, ran after them with some Radjp8t Princes, and rescued
the man, and brought him back. Whilst he was performing
this service, the consort of Gháiret-qhan, the Paymaster-General,
was struck by a musket-ball upon her elephant, and fell senseless
together with a waiting-maid; but the number of common
soldiers, or of people of no consequence, slain in this furious
action, is incredible. Both armies sustained a mighty loss.
However, the Háider-abadians, having stood their ground so late
as the evening, now disbanded, as soon as it grew dark, and
they fled every one of them to Háider-abad, but not, however,
without dispatching in the evening a message to Prince Muazzem,
proposing, That, instead of sending every day to the King-doms,
The Haider-abadian
Generals propose
a combat
between
twenty of
theirs and
twenty of the
Imperial officers.
of Nothingness such vast multitudes of Mussulmen, a
number of Generals from both sides should advance between
the two armies, and fight together for superiority; and that
whichever party should have the advantage, it should be final
for both armies. This proposal was rejected, the Prince being
sensible that the Háider-abadians being from their youth trained
to the management of the pike and spear, would infallibly have
the advantage. In the morning intelligence coming that the
Háider-abadians had disappeared from the field, the Prince
ordered the music to strike up, in token of victory; and giving
up all thoughts of pursuing the enemy, he marched straight to
Haider-abad.
As the Prince was approaching, Madina the Brahman, Prime Minister and confidant of the King of Haider-abad, found means to render suspect the conduct of his General, Qhalil-ollah-qhan, alias Hibrahim-qhan, as if he were of intelligence with the enemy, and the King became so convinced of it, as to conceive the design of arresting and putting him to death; but the General informed of that resolution, went over to the Prince, and was received with kindness and distinction. His master hearing of this desertion, concluded himself lost, and his affairs desperate; and without giving notice of his resolution to any one of his Ministers or friends, without affording himself time to carry away his consort and family, he fled to the Fortress of Golconda, which is at a few miles from Haider-abad, carrying with him some chests full of gold and jewels. It was at about one o’clock in the morning. The unfortunate inhabitants of Haider-abad being thus forsaken, gave themselves up to despair. The Prince arrived at this moment with his army; and such a scene ensued on that ill-fated city, as seemed to have anticipated for it all the horrors of the Day of Judgment. Some thousands of people of the better sort, having no time to provide carriages, or any other conveniencies, took their wives and children by the hand, and without minding their being without a veil, and without a mask, they brought them out to public view, and carried them to the foot of the fortress, leaving the whole of their property behind, without so much as taking the value of a straw from it. The King had already done so himself. His Palace, ready furnished, his wardrobe, his elephants, horses, jewels—all were left behind. The analysts write that a vast wealth to the amoun- of five or six corors, was plundered and made away with, by the robbers and thieves that abounded both in the city and camp, and this too sometime before the army could come up. Rich merchants and wealthy bankers, who lived these many generations in that city, without having ever seen so much as a tumult, were stripped of their all, and reduced to beggary in a few moments. For those that were jealous of their honor, abandoned both houses and property, and were only busy all night in carrying their consorts and families to the castle. At day-break the army arrived, and a general plunder took place; and as it was a very rich city, and every market and every street was full of goods, merchandise, money, and precious things, the plunder was immense, and that unfortunate city seemed to undergo by anticipation its condemnation at the Day of Judgment. The number of defilements committed that day, as well as the multitudes of nobles and plebeians, whether Mussulmen or Gentoos, that lost their consorts and children, are matters known only to Him for Whom nothing is hidden, and such as no pen can describe. Preserve us, O merciful God! as well as all your adorers, from such days as these! The plunder and sack was going on yet, when envoys came from S8ltan-ab8l-hassen, supplicating forgiveness for the misdemeanours which their master could not have committed. But the Prince was already exerting himself for putting an end to the pillage. Touched with the cries of the unfortunate, he had mounted, and was actually driving away the plunderers, and endeavouring to appease the tumult. In fact, it subsided a little; but the city was already undone by this time, and the people ruined, remained ruined. Nor is the merit of this ruin to be attributed to any but to Aoreng-zib himself, who by this time has doubtless been called to an account for such a general devastation. The Prince, on the intreaties of the King’s envoys, restored to him his dominions, under the promise of his paying a present of one hundred and twenty lacs, over and above the usual annual revenue. He also directed that Madina the Brahman, together with his brother, Inganna, who were the causes, if not the authors and machinators of all these troubles, should be turned out of their offices, never to be re-admitted, and that the Fortress of Bëyram should be added to the Empire, with all the districts already conquered. On these conditions the Prince became an intercessor for the King of Háider-abad. But this forlorn Monarch, although inclined to set aside Madina, could not however part with him in such a time of trouble and confusion. Some of the principal men of his Court, however, shocked that he should still adhere to those two Brahmans, to whom they ascribed all the misfortunes The two Brahmans put to death. of their country, made application to Mah-djani, the principal consort, who bore an absolute sway in the harem, or seraglio, as well as on Ab8l-hassen’s mind; and having obtained her consent, they put both the Brahmans to death, without giving the least notice of it to the King, their master, and then sent their heads to Soltan Muázzem. The latter, seeing that the principal of the Emperor’s commands had been complied with by this execution, and all the conditions of the treaty fulfilled, sent the two heads to his father. That covetous man, on seeing the heads, dispatched Saadet-qhan, a nobleman of his own breeding, and who had been Divan to Qhan-djehan, with orders to receive the money stipulated, together with some arrears that were due. But, meanwhile, he expressed his resentment against that General, as well as against the Prince, but especially against the former, for the lenity shewn to the city of Háider-abad and its King. He wrote to him a severe letter, and recalled him to Court; nor did his former and late services save him from the Emperor’s resentment. And as there were in the army several young Lords, like Yticad-qhan, Assed-qhan, and some others, who exerted themselves in every occasion, whether in a day of battle, or in executing any Imperial order, and were on that account so many objects of favor, he made it a point, in every letter to the old General, to extol their conduct and merits at his expense. In one of those letters he wrote with his own hand, That whilst youths, whose mouths still smelt of milk, had approved themselves on every occasion zealous, and of the utmost alertness, he, who had grown old in his service, had shewn himself neglectful and indifferent. These reproaches incensed the General, and the comparison irritated his discontent. Shocked at such a want of gratitude, he resolved to quit the camp, and to leave it to those young men to range armies in battle, and to dispose the operations of a campaign; and from that moment he gave himself up to a life of sloth and inattention.