An account of the march of the Sultán’s troops to punish the refractory Poligars of the frontier, and of the internal regulation of the kingdom and departments, which had fallen into disorder and decay; also, the rebuilding or reconstruction of the Fort of Seringaputtun, events of the year 1207, Hijri.— A. D. 1792.

FROM the day that the three confederated chiefs returned successful to their own countries, the Sultán used his utmost endeavours to understand rightly the condition of his kingdom, and to ascer­tain the loyalty, and disloyalty of his chief civil and military servants, bankers, &c., and he, therefore, demanded from each of his collectors, Foujdárs, &c., an account of their receipts and disbursements, and from the context and connexion of these reports he became well informed, and assured that Mehdi Khán, his chief minister, in concert with several bankers of the Karnatic and other traitors, had placed his steps in the path of disloyalty and treason, and had desired that the fame and honour of his master and benefactor should be thrown to the winds of peculation and plunder, and that of this, the disordered condition of the finances and different departments of the State was an evident proof; as for instance, during the heat of an engagement, several guns by the direction of these villains had their muzzles stopped up with sand or clay. Accordingly, one by one, these wretches received the punishment due to their crimes. Their houses were plundered and the money obtained from them was forwarded to the embassa­dors to pay the instalments of the amount demanded by the confederates. The displaced Amír, however, that is to say Sadik,* the false and faithless, was restored to the Musnud of the Dewáni, or to the office of Secretary of State.— “Ah! the wolf was entrusted with the care of the sheep,”— that old wolf, therefore, whose heart, from the time at which he had been removed from office, was filled with the vapours of rancour and malice, seizing on this opportunity, accused most of the most faithful Amírs and Kháns of neglect and disaffection, and by arguments without reason, and proof without foundation, (as he well knew that as long as the Sultán had faithful servants his evil purposes and intentions could not be accom­plished,) turned the Sultán’s mind against them and in conformity to his orders they were put to death.

During this period, certain asofs, and spies, reported to the Sultán, that to the northward of Seringaputtun, from every corner and every bush, rebels and robbers raised the head of pride and insolence, and had advanced the foot of rebellion towards the conquest of towns depending on Mysore, and without cause or consideration had bound up their loins to injure and distress God’s people, the subjects of that state:— as for instance, one of the chiefs of the infidels, named Vinkuti Kooreh, had strengthened the hill fort of Kooreh Bundah, and as is customary gave himself out as one of the children of the Poligar of Murkeisi, and had seized and held possession of the fort of Mudgiri, and also, that of Ruttun Giri, and that he was in readi­ness to defend himself. About this time also, Muhammud Khán the Asof of Chituldroog, and Dowlat Khán the Foujdár of that place, despatched an urzee (a letter) to the presence, representing that a strange man, whom some said was a con­nexion or relation of the Poligar Chiefs of Hurpun­hully, had made himself known by the name of Buspa Náík, a man who had been formerly put to death,— that he gave himself the airs of a chief of rank, and had collected four thousand foot of the Bedur tribe, and had strengthened Hochungi Droog and the fort of Kootoor, depending on the Souba of Hurpunhully and sought aid from all quarters, (even as the writer of these lines has detailed in the Tuzkirut ul Bilad wul Ahkám in the eighth Ourung or Chapter.)

But to proceed;— at this the fire of the Sultán’s wrath flamed violently, and Syud Sáhib was appointed with a large force to punish the chiefs of the infidels in the vicinity of Goori Bundah, Mudgiri, &c. and Kumr uddín Khán was also despatched with a large division of troops to chastise the infidel of Hurpunhully.

The Khán had no sooner received his appoint­ment from the Sultán than he departed, and by forced marches reached and surrounded the fort above mentioned, and with his guns and musketry threw the stone of defeat and dispersion among the garrison, and having stormed the fort took it by force of arms, and placing a detachment in that small fort marched towards Hochungi Droog. The chief before mentioned (Buspa Náík) with two thousand Bedurs (mountaineers apparently) was ready to meet him, having filled the hill fort with arms, ammunition and provisions, and indeed he exerted himself strenuously in repelling the attacks of the Sultán’s troops.

For seven months, therefore, he maintained his ground and opposed them valiantly, at length, however, the Khán’s anger being much excited by the brave and obstinate defence of the infidels, he ordered his troops to assault the fort, himself mounting his horse to direct the attack, and his victorious soldiers without giving any attention to the numbers of their enemies, (they were only two thousand he says a little before) advanced steadily to take revenge on them, and with the greatest intrepidity mounted the ramparts and towers, and soon sounded their trumpets and beat their drums in token of victory. The infidels also, advanced to meet them like men devoting themselves to death, and fought with such intrepidity that the Khán himself was wounded. But at length the besieged could no longer resist the blood-drinking swords of the Ghazies and they were dispersed in the desert of defeat,* and the infidel chief with four hundred men was taken prisoner. Shoom Shunkur the nephew of the slain Náík, Buspa, who by the assistance of the Mahrattas had seized a portion of the dependencies of Hurpunhully, and resided at Narayen Gir, hearing this news fled to the other or Mahratta side of the River Tung­bhudra. The Khán, therefore, according to the orders of the Sultán for the sake of example, cut off the hands and feet of some of the prisoners, and the virile members of others and then let them go. The walls of the mountain and fort, &c. which had been the aid and refuge of the rebel infidels were razed to the foundations and he then returned. Bubur Jung, the Soubadár of that Souba, (Hurpunhully) who in the defection and conten­tion of the troops had sought refuge in Chitul­droog, after the disturbances were quelled returned to that country, and with his own troops recovered the towns of Anigoonda, and Kunuk­giri, and having sent assurances of safety to Hurri Náík, the Poligar of Kunukgiri, invited him to meet him, and on his arrival gave him the Sunnud sanctioning his continuance in the Government of that Talooka, with an honorary dress, and an elephant, and thereby gained his heart; for the Poligar, now having his mind at ease, professed himself one of the slaves or rather servants of the Sultán, and became tributary and obedient.

Syud Sáhib in the course of two or three months, after some opposition recovered Goori Bundah, Mudgiri, and Ruttun Giri, from the hands of the rebels and, having cut off the noses and ears of some of the abject infidels, returned.

Syud Humíd, the Sipahdár, from his faithful and good services was honoured by the present of kettle drums, an elephant and howda, and also ennobled by the title of Nawáb, and he was then appointed to the Government of Nuggur.

In a very short time, however, his fortune declined, for he was taken sick and departed to the mansions of eternity. About this period also, the wife of the Sultán who on the arrival of the Allied Powers at Seringaputtun, by the concussion and shock of the battering guns* was seized with a palpitation of the heart, her delicate frame being much shaken, in a few days departed to enjoy the gardens of Paradise, (the age of Mohi uddín Sultán being then five or six years,) the daughter of Syud Sáhib, therefore, according to the desire of the Queen Mother, the young lady being approved by the Sultán, was now selected to supply her place and was accord­ingly affianced to him.