Next day I called together Khwājeh Abul Makāram, Kāsim Beg, and the rest of the Begs and officers, with such of my adherents and cavaliers as were best qualified to offer advice, and held a general consultation. We came to a resolution to put the place in the best possible state of defence, and to maintain ourselves in it for life or for death. I and Kāsim Beg, with my most trusty and faithful adherents, formed a body of reserve. I had a public tent* pitched for me on the Arched Portal of Ulugh Beg’s College, in the midst of the city, in which I established my head-quarters. I distributed the other Begs and cavaliers at the different gates, and around the works, on the ramparts and defences.
SheibāniAfter two or three days Sheibāni Khan approached, and took a station at some distance from the city. The idle and worthless rabble, assembling from every district and street of Samarkand, came in large bodies to the gate of the College, shouting aloud, ‘Glory to the Prophet!’* and clamorously marched out for battle. Sheibāni Khan, who, at the moment, had mounted, and was preparing to make an assault, did not venture to approach the place. Some days passed in this manner. The ignorant mob, who had never experienced the wound of arrow or sabre, nor witnessed the press of onset, or the tumult of battle, plucked up courage from these incidents, and ventured to advance to a very considerable distance* from the works. When the old and experienced veterans remonstrated with them on such improvident and useless advances, they were only answered with reproach and abuse.
Drives theOne day Sheibāni Khan made an attack near the Iron gate. The rabble, who had become very courageous, had advanced most valiantly a great way from the city, according to their custom. I made a party of horse follow them, to cover their retreat. A body of Gokultāshes,* with some inferior nobility, and a few of my domestic troops,* such as Nuyān Gokultāsh, Kūl Nazer Taghāi, and Mazīd, with some others, marched out towards the Camel’s-neck.* From the other side two or three Uzbeks galloped up to charge them and assaulted Kūl Nazer, sabre in hand. The whole of the Uzbeks dismounting, fought on foot, swept back the city-rabble, and drove them in through the Iron gate. Kūch Beg and Mīr Shah Kuchīn remained behind, and took post close by Khwājeh Khizer’s mosque. After the field was pretty well cleared of those who fought on foot, the cavalry of the enemy moved up towards the mosque of Khwājeh Khizer, in order to attack them. Upon this Kūch Beg, sallying forth on the Uzbeks who first came up, attacked them sabre in hand, and made a gallant and distinguished figure, in the sight of all the inhabitants, who stood looking on. The fugitives, occupied solely with their flight, had ceased to shoot arrows, or to think of fighting for their ground. I shot from the top of the gateway with a cross-bow, and those who were along with me also kept up a discharge. This shower of arrows from above prevented the enemy from advancing up to* Khwājeh Khizer’s mosque, and they were forced to retire from the field.
BesiegesDuring the continuance of the siege, the rounds of the rampart were regularly gone, once every night,* sometimes by Kāsim Beg, and sometimes by other Begs and captains. From the Firozeh gate to the Sheikh-zādeh gate, we were able to go along the ramparts on horseback; everywhere else we were obliged to go on foot. Setting out in the beginning of the night, it was morning before we had completed our rounds.*
Attempts One day Sheibāni Khan made an attack between the
Iron gate and that of the Sheikh-zādeh. As I was with the
reserve, I immediately led them to the quarter that was
attacked, without attending to the Washing-green gate*
or the Needlemakers’ gate. That same day, from the top
of the Sheikh-zādeh’s gateway, I struck a palish white-coloured
horse*
an excellent shot with my cross-bow: it
fell dead the moment the arrow touched it: but in the
meanwhile they had made such a vigorous attack, near the
Camel’s-Neck, that they effected a lodgement close under
the rampart. Being hotly engaged in repelling the enemy
where I was, I had entertained no apprehensions of danger
on the other side, where they had prepared and brought
with them twenty-five or twenty-six scaling-ladders, each
of them so broad, that two and three men could mount
a-breast. He had placed in ambush opposite to the city-wall,
seven or eight hundred chosen men with these ladders,
between the Iron-smiths’*
and Needlemakers’ gates, while
he himself moved to the other side, and made a false attack.
Our attention was entirely drawn off to this attack; and
the men in ambush no sooner saw the works opposite to them
empty of defenders, by the watch having left them, than
they rose from the place where they had lain in ambush,
advanced with extreme speed, and applied their scaling-ladders
all at once between the two gates that have been
mentioned, exactly opposite to Muhammed Mazīd Terkhān’s
house. The quarters of Kūch Beg, Muhammed Kuli
Kuchīn, and of the party of warriors who had the duty of
guarding this post, were then in Muhammed Mazīd Terkhān’s
house. Kara Birlās was stationed at the Needlemakers’
gate; the station of the Washing-green gate was
allotted to Shīrīm Taghāi and his brothers, with Kūtluk
Khwājeh Gokultāsh. As there was fighting on the other
side, the persons in charge of these works were not apprehensive
of any danger at their posts, and the men on these
stations had dispersed on their own business to their houses
or to the markets. The Begs who were on guard had only
two or three of their servants and attendants about them.—
Nevertheless Kūch Beg, Muhammed Kuli Kuchīn, Shah
Sūfi, and another brave cavalier, boldly assailed them, and
displayed signal heroism. Some of the enemy had already
mounted the wall, and several others were in the act of
scaling it, when the four persons who have been mentioned
arrived on the spot, fell upon them sword in -hand, with
the greatest bravery, and dealing out furious blows around
them, drove the assailants back over the wall and put them
but is
repulsed.
to flight. Kūch Beg distinguished himself above all the
rest; and this was an exploit for ever to be cited to his
honour. He twice during this siege performed excellent
service by his valour. Kara Birlās, too, who was almost
alone in the works at the Needlemakers’ gate, made a good
stand. Kūtluk Khwājeh Gokultāsh and Kūl Nazer Mirza,
who were in their stations at the Washerman’s gate, made
a stout resistance with a few men, and attacking them in
the rear, made a desperate charge. The attempt was
completely defeated.*
On another occasion Kāsim Beg sallied out, with a small body of men, by the Needlemakers’ gate, and having beat the Uzbeks back as far as Khwājeh Kafshīr, he dismounted several of them, and returned, bringing back their heads.
Distress ofIt was now the season of the ripening of the grain, and nobody had brought in any new corn. As the siege had drawn out to great length, the inhabitants were reduced to extreme distress, and things came to such a pass, that the poor and meaner sort were forced to feed on dogs’ and asses’ flesh. Grain for the horses becoming scarce, they were obliged to be fed on the leaves of trees; and it was ascertained from experience that the leaves of the mulberry and blackwood* answered best. Many used the shavings and raspings of wood, which they soaked in water, and gave to their horses. For three or four months Sheibāni Khan did not approach the fortress, but blockaded it at some distance on all sides, changing his ground from time to time.
One night when everybody was gone to rest, towards midnight, he approached the Firōzeh gate, beating his large kettle-drums, and raising the shout for an assault. I was then in the College, and was in considerable uneasiness and terror. After this they returned every night beating their kettle-drums, and shouting, and making an alarm. Although I had sent ambassadors and messengers to all the princes and chiefs round about, no help came from any of them. Indeed, when I was in the height of my power, and had yet suffered neither discomfiture nor loss, I had received none, and had therefore no reason to expect it now, that I was reduced to such a state of distress. To draw out the siege in hopes of any succour from them was evidently needless. The ancients have said, that in order to maintain a fortress, a head, two hands, and two feet are necessary. The head is a captain, the two hands are two friendly forces that must advance from opposite sides; the two feet are water and stores of provision within the fort. I looked for aid and assistance from the princes my neighbours; but each of them had his attention fixed on some other object. For example, Sultan Hussain Mirza was undoubtedly a brave and experienced monarch, yet neither did he give me assistance, nor even send an ambassador to encourage me; although during the siege he sent Kemāl-cd-dīn Hussain Gāzargāhi on an embassy to Sheibāni Khan.
Tambol