[Text, vol. ii. p. 191.] Rája Jai Singh, with Diler Khán and
his other associates, in obedience to orders, marched against Bíjá-
At length, after two months' fighting, the Imperial forces came to five kos distance from Bíjápúr. On the 2nd Rajab they began the investment of the city. 'Ádil Khán, being now closed in, directed his generals to enter the Imperial territory and lay it waste. Others were sent to oppose the Rája and attack his baggage. The embankments of the tanks were cut, poisonous matters and carrion were thrown into the wells, the trees and lofty buildings near the fortress were destroyed, spikes were fixed in the ground, and the gardens and houses on both sides of the city were so destroyed that not a trace of culture was left near the city. * * Khwája Neknám, a eunuch, joined Sharza Khán, the commander of 'Ádil Khán's army, with a reinforcement of 6000 horse and 25,000 infantry, from Kutbu-l Mulk. Every day there was severe fighting, and the men and animals which went out from the Imperial army to forage were cut off. Diler Khán was present wherever danger was, but to recount all the combats which were fought would be long and tedious. * *
Sivají, with Nathují and several thousand Imperial horse, had been sent to reduce the fort of Parnála;* but after making some bold movements, he was obliged to relinquish the attempt, and proceeded to Khelna,* one of his own forts. Nathújí, who had been corrupted by some of the Bíjápúr chiefs, separated from Sivají, and went off along with them. The Rája called Sivají to him, and treated him very courteously. At length, by the active exertions and clever management of Sivají, several forts came into the possession of the royal forces. In accordance with Sivají's own desire, and in performance of the promise made to him, under the Imperial orders he was sent off express with his son at the end of the month of Ramazán to Court. After the departure of Sivají, the siege of Bíjápúr was carried on for two months and a half longer, and there were many hard fights under the walls. * *
At the end of Zí-l ka'da the siege had gone on for eight months, during which neither cavalry nor infantry had rested. All round Bíjápúr for forty or fifty kos not a trace of grass or fodder was left. No supplies arrived, so the Imperial armies were reduced to great straits. The Rája and Diler Khán therefore deemed it advisable to remove to the neighbourhood of Dhárúr, to have their wounded tended, to give rest to their troops, and to collect lead and powder. They also hoped to obtain there supplies of fodder and corn. A despatch to this effect was sent off to the Emperor. The Dakhinís also, inside the fortress, found their provisions drawing to an end, and their weapons expended or damaged. Both besiegers and besieged were therefore anxious for an arrangement. * * When the despatch reached the Emperor, he issued an order directing his generals to cease operations against 'Ádil Khán. Rája Jai Singh was directed to proceed to Auraugábád, and Diler Khán was recalled to Court.
[vol. ii. p. 198.] After Sivají returned angry and disappointed from the royal presence to his house, orders were given to the kotwál to place guards round it.* Sivají, reflecting upon his former deeds and his present condition, was sadly troubled by the state of his affairs. He thought of nothing else but of delivering himself by some crafty plan from his perilous position. His subtle mind was not long in contriving a scheme. From the beginning he kept up a show of friendship and intimacy with the amírs, and with Kunwar Rám Singh. He sent them presents of Dakhin products, and, by expressing contrition for his past conduct, he won them over to advocate the acceptance of his shame and repentance.
Afterwards he feigned to be ill, and groaned and sighed aloud. Complaining of pains in the liver and spleen, he took to his bed, and, as if prostrated with consumption or fever, he sought remedies from the physicians. For some time he carried on this artifice. At length he made known his recovery. He sent presents to his doctors and attendants, food to the Bráhmans, and presents of grain and money to needy Musulmáns and Hindús. For this purpose he had provided large baskets covered with paper. These, being filled with sweetmeats of all sorts, were sent to the houses of the amírs and the abodes of fakírs. Two or three swift horses were procured, and, under the pretence of being presents to Bráhmans, they were sent to a place appointed fourteen kos from the city, in charge of some of his people, who were privy to his plans. A devoted companion, who resembled him in height and figure, took his place upon the couch, and Sivají's gold ring was placed upon his hand. He was directed to throw a piece of fine muslin over his head, but to display the ring he wore upon his hand; and when any one came in, to feign to be asleep. Sivají, with his son, got into two baskets, and were carried out, it being pretended that the baskets contained sweetmeats intended for the bráhmans and fakírs of Mathurá.
Thus, on the last day of Safar, Sivají got out of Ágra, and proceeded to where his horses were posted. Thence, in the course of two watches, he reached Mathurá. There he shaved off his beard and whiskers, and smeared his own and his son's face with ashes, and, taking with him some jewels and gold, he went off with some of his confederates, who were also disguised as fakírs. He crossed the Jumna at an unfrequented ferry, and proceeded towards Benares, travelling in the night, and being guided by some swift Dakhiní runners, whose business is to disguise themselves and travel in all directions. It is said that they carried sufficient money and jewels for their wants in hollow walking-sticks.
On the following day, at the fifth watch, a Dakhiní runner, employed as a spy, brought information that Sivají had got free and was making off. The kotwál was directed to make inquiry, but he replied that the guards were at their posts round the house. Another spy confidently reported his escape. The kotwál's men went to see, and they saw as they thought Sivají asleep under his thin covering, and his ring distinctly visible. The kotwál reported accordingly. A third spy now strongly asseverated that Sivají had escaped, and was forty or fifty kos away. A closer investigation revealed the fact of his escape. The kotwál and Kunwar Rám Singh were censured, and as Rám Singh was suspected of having prompted the evasion, he was deprived of his mansab and forbidden to come to Court. Orders were sent to the provincial governors, and to the officials in all directions, to search for Sivají, and to seize him and send him to the Emperor.
Rája Jai Singh, who just at this time had retired from Bíjápúr, and had arrived at Aurangábád, received orders to arrest Nathújí before the escape of Sivají became public, and to send him to Court. After that he was to watch carefully for the bird escaped from the cage, and not suffer him to re-establish himself in his old haunts and to gather his followers around him. * * It is said that Sivají made such expedition in his flight that no courier could have overtaken him. But his son Sambhá, a boy of tender years, was with him, and he suffered so much from the rapid motion, that Sivají left him behind at Alláhábád, in charge of a Bráhman, a man of high repute in that place, whose relations in the Dakhin had been closely connected with Sivají's father. Sivají placed a sum of money with the Bráhman and commended the boy to his care. He was not to part from him until he received a letter in Sivají's own hand; and if he obtained certain intelligence of Sivají's death, he was to act as he deemed best.