The march of the Sultán’s victorious ensigns to subdue his enemies and the recapture of Nuggur, Gorial Bundur (Mangalore), &c.— Also the defeat of a detachment of the Bombay army, by the bravery of the Ghazies (Mussulman soldiers), and the establishment of peace between the Sultán and the English government; also the death of that brave officer, Mahummud Alí (Commandant), in the same year, that is, A. Hijri, 1197.— A. D. 1782.
WHEN the treachery of Iyaz, the encroachment of the English in that Country (Malabar), and the rebellion of the Governor of the Fort of Seringaputtun, &c.,— reached the ears of the Sultán, he, making the defeat and expulsion of the rebels his chief object, despatched Budruzzumán Khán Bukhshi with seven thousand matchlock men; Sulábut Khán Bukshi, with six thousand Sillahdár horse; and Mír Gholám Alí, with ten thousand irregular infantry; all placed under the command of Mír Moinuddín, otherwise called Syud Sáhib, Sipahsalar, to defend and secure the country of the Payanghaut, while he himself with all the rest of his army and departments marched towards Nuggur.
When he had passed the Ghaut of Chungum, the brave Muhammad Alí, commandant, with his division of troops was sent to the capital to restore order, to remove the disaffected, and replace them with faithful and loyal servants; and Kumruddín Khán with the troops of the deceased Mír Sáhib, (Alí Ruza Khán) was also detached towards Kirpa, with discretional powers to oppose Syud Muhammad Khán, and the Sultán then marched by the route of Dewun Hulli, Mudgiri and the Souba Sura, and encamped in the environs of Chituldroog.
The Foujdár of that place, Dowlat Khán, to manifest his loyalty and obedience attended the Sultán with his dependants and was received with great favour and honoured with a dress of confirmation on his reappointment to the Foujdárí.
When the Sultán moved on and encamped under the Ghaut of Nuggur, Muhammad Alí, commandant, who had been despatched to the capital, proceeded thither by forced marches by the route of Bangalore, and encamped under the Karighat hill, on the bank of the river.— According however to the rule,— verse,—* “O wise man fear him who fears thee,”— “although thou mightest be able to conquer a hundred such in battle”— and after the fashion of wolf courtesy, began (following the path of intimacy) to shew great regard and friendship towards the rebel governor of the capital, and sent a message to him to the effect, that if permission were accorded, he would enter the Fort alone and sleep one night at his house, that he might have the pleasure of seeing his family and children, and that the next morning, according to the orders of the Sultán, he would proceed by the route of Koorg to the attack of Nuggur.
The Killadár lent a willing ear to the deceiving words of the commandant, and gave orders to the guards of the fort that he should be admitted; and he seeing all things favourable to his views and hopes, at night held his detachment in readiness, and crossing the river placed his men in ambush near the walls of the fort, and gave them orders that when he should enter the fort, and his Turee or trumpet sound the charge, they were immediately to enter and man the walls, bastions and gates. Accordingly he, accompanied by fifty brave and experienced men as a guard, immediately after entered the gate of the fort and sounded his trumpet, and having seized and bound the guard, posted his own men at the gate. In the meantime at the sound of the trumpet, the troops in ambush swiftly advanced from their concealment, and entered the fort and extended their guards and sentinels on all sides.
The brave commandant now quickly advanced to the houses of the Killadár, and his deputies, and to that of Anchi Shamia and his colleagues, and before they could open their eyes from the sleep of neglect and folly, they were dragged out of their beds and put in prison.— The next morning, with the sanction of the Sultán’s mother, some of the rebels were blown from a gun; the companions of Shamia impaled, and he himself loaded with irons and confined in an iron cage— a fit punishment for his villainy.
The office of governor of the capital was now transferred to Syud Muhammad Khán Mehdivi, a friend of the Sultán’s, and the defence of the city was entrusted to the care and responsibility of Assud Khán, Risaldár, a brave and very able man and who was also an old servant.— Muhammad Alí having effected this, immediately marched with his troops by long stages, taking with him the letters of the Sultán’s mother, and his report of the arrangements made at the capital, and arrived in camp at Nuggur, and detailed all the circumstances to the presence.
The Sultán was well pleased with his services and presented him with a gorget and a Khillat or dress of honor.