Yekhlas Khan, with a force of twelve thousand men, was on his march to the capital when Dow-lut Khan Lody, with a body of six thousand Mogul cavalry, being directed to attack him, gave him a total defeat on the banks of the Godavery; and from thence, following up his success, arrived at Peitun, at that period a flourishing town, and sacking it, he scarcely left the inhabitants sufficient to cover themselves.

Chand Beeby, although she had proclaimed Bahadur Nizam Shah, yet, as he was still in con­finement at Chawund, and Meeran Munjoo with the present king also in force on the Beejapoor frontier, thought it advisable to make overtures to Nehung Khan and Shah Ally to join her in the fort. Nehung Khan, accordingly, put his troops in motion, consisting of seven thousand men, and arrived within twelve miles of Ahmudnuggur, from whence he sent a messenger to ascertain the posi­tion of the Moguls, and the possibility of throwing himself into the place. Being informed that the east face of the fort was not invested, and that it was the only road by which he could make good his entry, Nehung Khan marched during the night, taking the precaution of having flankers and scouts all round him. On his arrival within about three miles of the place, he discovered that part of the Mogul camp was on the direct road pointed out for his entry. This division had been sent during that very day from the Husht-i-Behisht, and consisted of a piquet of three thousand men under Khan Khanan, in consequence of the over­sight in not investing that part of the fort having been observed on the former morning by the Prince when visiting the different posts. Nehung Khan, however, resolved to force his way; and coming upon the party unexpectedly, cut off a number of the Moguls, and upon the post being reinforced, he dashed on with a few followers into the fort. Shah Ally, unable to make his way good, attempted to retreat; but his followers, to the number of seven hundred, were cut off by the Moguls under Dow-lut Khan Lody.

Ibrahim Adil Shah of Beejapoor no sooner heard of this defeat, and of the great power of the Moguls, than he despatched Soheil Khan, an eunuch, with twenty-five thousand horse to Shahdoorg, on his frontier, there to await further orders. Here he was immediately joined by Meean Munjoo and Ahmud Shah, as well as by Yekhlas Khan, who had for the present laid aside every private consideration, in the hope, by forming a union, of saving the govern­ment. This army was soon after joined by Mehdy Koolly Sooltan Toorkoman with six thousand Kootb Shahy horse, sent express from Hydurabad.

When the Prince Moorad Mirza heard of the assemblage of this force at Shahdoorg (he and his commander-in-chief having lately disagreed on some subjects), he assembled a council of war, when it was resolved that the fort should be attacked as soon as possible, before the allies could relieve it. In a few days five mines were accordingly carried under the bastions, on one face of the fort: they were all charged with gunpowder, and built up

Rujub 1.
A. H. 1004.
Feb. 20.
A. D. 1590.

with mortar and stones, excepting where the train was to be laid, by Tuesday night the 1st of Rujub, and it was resolved on the following morning to explode them.

During the night, Khwaja Mahomed Khan Shirazy, admiring the resolution of the besieged, and unwilling they should be sacrificed, made good his way to the walls, and informed them of their danger. The garrison immediately com­menced countermining, at the instance of Chand Beeby, who herself showed the example; and by daylight they had destroyed two mines, and were searching for the others, when the Prince Moorad Mirza, without communicating with Khan Khanan, ordered out the line, and resolved to storm without him. The besieged were in the act of removing the powder from the third mine which was the largest, when the Prince ordered them to be sprung. Many of the counterminers were killed, and several yards of the wall fell. Immediately as the breach was made, many of the principal officers of the besieged prepared for flight. Chand Beeby, on the contrary, put on armour, and with a veil on her face, and a naked sword in her hand, flew to defend the breach. This instance of intrepidity brought back the fugitives, who now one and all joined her; and as the Prince and the Mogul storm­ing party were waiting for the springing of the other mines, time was afforded to the besieged to throw rockets, powder, and other combustibles into the ditch, and to bring guns to bear up on the breach.

The Moguls at length advanced to storm. An obstinate defence took place at the foot of the breach, where the assailants suffered severely from the heavy fire of the besieged. The ditch was nearly filled with dead carcasses; and although several storming parties succeeded each other from four o'clock in the evening till night-fall, they were successfully repulsed. The feats of the valiant heroine, Chand Beeby, who had been seen by all defending the breach, became the subject of universal admiration and conversation in the enemy's lines. From that day the Regent, who had been always called Chand Beeby, now ac­quired the title of Chand Sooltana. * During the whole night she superintended in person the repairs of the breach, and by dawn of day it was built up to the height of seven or eight feet. On the following day she despatched letters to the allied armies, then at Beer, to hasten their ap­proach, representing the distress of the garrison for supplies. These despatches fell into the enemy's hands, who forwarded them to their destination, with a letter from the Prince Moorad, inviting them to hasten, as he was most anxious to meet them. “The sooner,” said he, “the better.”

The allies, on receiving these letters, marched by the Manickdown hills to Ahmudnuggur. By this time the Mogul camp, already much distressed for provisions, became more so from the approach of the allies, who continued to circumscribe the resources of the besiegers. The Prince Moorad, therefore, thought it advisable to make overtures to the fort, and agreed to quit the country, on con­dition of receiving a grant for the cession of Berar, the sovereignty of which was required to be formally renounced by Ahmudnuggur. Chand Sooltana at first refused these terms; but upon re­flecting that if the allies were defeated, she might not obtain even such conditions, she signed the treaty in the name of Bahadur Shah; and the Moguls retreated by the route of Dowlutabad, and the Jeipoor Kotly Ghat.

The allies arrived three days after the raising of the siege by the Moguls,—and Meean Munjoo ex­pected allegiance to be paid to Ahmud Shah. To this, however, the nobles in the fort would by no means consent; and Nehung Khan, shutting the gate of the fort against him, sent a force to bring Bahadur Shah from his confinement in the fort of Chawund. Chand Sooltana now requested the assistance of her nephew, the King of Beejapoor, to quell the internal commotions of the Ahmud-nuggur state, when Ibrahim Adil Shah deputed Moostufa Khan with a body of four thousand horse to her aid. At the same time he addressed a letter to Meean Munjoo, requiring him to desist from pressing the claims of Ahmud Shah, and to repair to Beejapoor, when all things should be taken into consideration. Meean Munjoo accordingly pro­ceeded with Soheil Khan and Moostufa Khan to that capital. Upon his arrival at Beejapoor, Ibra-him Adil Shah having satisfactorily ascertained that Ahmud was not a lineal descendant of the Nizam Shahy family gave him a handsome estate for life, and enrolled Meean Munjoo among the nobles of his own kingdom.