Whilst the brothers were disputing amongst themselves, Seda-shi8, a relation of the Marhatta Baladji-räo, intrigued so well with the Governor of Ahmed-nagur, that this fortress, once The Marhat­tas extort for­tresses and territories from Nizam-aaly. the Capital of the Kings of Nizam-shah’s family,—that fortress which had cost so much time and trouble to Abdol-rahim-qhan, the General of the Imperial Prince Soltan-danial, and which since Soltan-acbar-shah’s reign, had always been in the pos­session of its particular Governors, was surrendered in a day, and became annexed to the Marhatta Empire. This city and fortress had been built in the year nine hundred by Ahmed-nizam-shah, King of Bidjapoor, who gave it his own name. He built the city in two years, and it afforded a fine prospect. Two years after, having found a proper opportunity, he built the fortress, likewise, making up the walls with clay and stone, and it continued in the hands of his successors, when in the year 1090 it fell in the hands of the Emperors of the House of Babr, in whose power it remained, until it passed to the Marhatta Empire, in the year 1173.

It was about this time that broils having arisen between the English and French, the latter abandoned Selabet-djung’s service, and returned to the centre of their dominions, P8lcherry. From that moment Selabet-djung’s preponderance seemed to verge to its ruin; and his national enemies having conceived high-flown designs, they aimed not only at reducing his person to nothing, but likewise at snatching from Nizam-el-mulk’s family, all the dominions of Decan. They even engaged Hibrahim-qhan-gardi to take service with them; a man from the dregs of the people, who having served for a length of time under the French, and learned their way of managing their cannon and musketry, was actually at the head of a body of such musketeers, and such an artillery of his own, that made him courted by all parties. He was now gone to P8nah, in company with Seda-sy8; but it was not for any length of time. The twenty-second of the month of Djemady in the same year, he came out of P8nah in con­junction with the Marhatta army, which encountered the two brothers, Selabet-djung and Nizam-aaly, in the territory of 8dghir. Unfortunately for them they had but seven thousand horse with them at that moment, having parted from their main some hours ago. The Marhattas had sixty thousand cavalry. The two brothers wanted to march forwards in order to effect a junction with those of their troops that had remained at Dehaver; but this was opposed by the Marhattas, who, although they have no other way of fighting than that of repeated skirmishes, and no other industry than that of distressing the enemy for want of forage, victuals, water, and other necessaries, nevertheless availed themselves of so marked a superiority on their side, and made nothing of engaging nearer, and of coming to hand-blows with their long swords and short spears. So that the Hindoo­stanies had no other resource, but that of marching slowly in a body surrounded by their cannon. But even this resource failed them. Their artil ery was heavy and unmanageable, whereas the Marhattas had now in the Sepahies of Hibrahim-qhan a body of musketry always ready to oppose the enemy’s march, and in his cannon, which was much lighter and better mounted, an expeditious artillery, which advanced and wheeled round just as the managers pleased. The two brothers laboured likewise under a further disadvantage. As their troops marched in a body together, the enemy’s cannon never failed to send amongst them some balls that always did some havock; whereas the Marhattas marching in small dispersed troops, were seldom struck by any cannon, or if struck, received but little damage; and when upon a halt they were attacked by the Hindoostanies, they always found in the quickness of Hibrahim-gardie’s fire, a sure resource for repelling the enemy. In consequence of all these disadvan­tages the two brothers lost in their retreat a number of men. Nevertheless, the sixth day of march, they found an opportunity of coming to hand-blows with the enemy, especially with Hibrahim-qhan’s people; and falling amongst them, sword in hand, they made a great slaughter, and took eleven colours from the latter; and in this manner they continued their march, as far as the Fortress of Häosah, which is only at ten cosses from Dehaver. The Marhattas conceiving that, if once a junction was effected between the two brothers, they would prove an undermatch, resolved to make a last effort to prevent it. With forty-thousand horse they attacked Selabet-djung’s van, which consisted of no more than three thousand, and after a sharp action, they destroyed it totally. This check, by humbling the family of Nizam-el-mulk, prepared its ruin; and the two brothers, finding that a junction was impossible, thought only of an accommodation, and it was concluded in such terms as proved only the seed of future mischiefs and disputes. The Marhattas by this peace obtained, under the name of Djaghir, the cession of a country of sixty lacs a year. It consisted of the territory of Aoreng-abad, (that city excepted,) and the Districts of Houily, Hursool, and Setrah. The remainder was made up with the Provinces of Beder and Bidjapoor, as well as with the Fortresses of Dö8let-abad, Assir, and Bidjapoor, places of consequence, that had been anciently the Capitals of so many powerful Kingdoms, and had cost so much blood and treasure. These latter lands served for demesnes to the two brothers, and had ??itherto afforded appanages and a plentiful subsistence to a number of mansob­dars, and officers, and noblemen of high rank; who being now deprived of such a certain livelihood, were reduced as low as their Sovereigns and Lords, the Prince of Princes of the house of Nizam-el-mulk. Nor did anything remain to this family, but the Nizam-aaly overcome by the Marhattas, parts with a large territory Province of Haïder-abad, with some Districts of that of Barar and Bidjap8r, and a small portion of that of Beder; and even this did not remain to them without being saddled with a chö8t*, a slight tribute imposed by the victors, which did not amount to a quarter of the real revenue, but which they never fail to improve and to nurse up, as soon as they have committed the young plant to the ground. Nevertheless, in spite of so many disgraces the project of the enemies of that illustrious family did not take place, and it continued to enjoy dominion and sovereignty in Decan. But as we have just been mentioning the name of the three fortresses, as having been the Capitals of so many powerful Kingdoms, we imagine that some account of them may prove acceptable to our readers.

Ram-de8, Radja of Dö8let-abad, then called Dë8gar, having been vanquished by Soltan-ala-eddin—qhlidji, redeemed his life by presenting that Prince with an immense sum of money*, and with a variety of costly presents and curious stuffs. It was in the year six hundred and ninty-five of the Hedjrah. But in the year seven hundred and seven, the Radja having been again vanquished and subdued by Meleck Caf8r, an Habeshinian slave, which the conqueror had left in those parts as his Naib, or Deputy, the Gentoo Prince thought proper to follow him to Delhi, where he was kindly received by Soltan-alä-eddin-qhlidji, who honoured him with a sun-screen, or umbrella*, and the title of Räy-räyan, or Counsellor of Counsellors; after which he returned satisfied to Dö8let-abad, his Capital, and from that moment he never thought of revolting against him, or of disput­ing the orders sent him from Court. After his death, he was succeeded by his son, but the Deputy Governor, Melec-caf8r, who did not live upon such good terms with the son as he had done with the father, continued to make conquests on the young Prince, and to deprive him of more territories, as far as the Carnatic. He even sent complaints against him to Court, and obtained leave to strip him intirely of his dominions, and to annex them to the Empire of the Qhlidji Emperors*. The Deputy Gov­ernor having obtained this consent, in the year seven hundred and eleven, marched to Dë8gur, seized on the Gentoo Prince, put him to death, and took possession of that fortress, which from that day has remained in the hands of the Emperors of Hindo­stan. But the Empire having passed, some centuries after, from the Patans of the tribe of Qhlidji to the Moghuls of the House of Timur, the Emperor Shah-djehan, one of the most victorious of Princes which this last family has ever produced, sent one of his Generals, who bore the title of “Lord of Lords,” with orders to recover the fortress from the Kings of Decan, who were then the descendants of Nizam-shah; and it remained from that time under the power of the House of Timur, being governed by a succession of Governors, independent of the Viceroys of the province. Under the Hindoo Princes it had not that deep fossé it has now; nor was it surrounded by a third enclosure, as it is in our days; nor was it so strong as the Mussulman Princes have since made it; and it is Sultan-mahmed, son to Toghlyc-shah, who changed its name into that of Dö8let-abad. He surrounded it with a wall of squared stone, adorned it with noble buildings, and he even had a mind to make it his residence and the Capital of his dominions. For that purpose he unpeopled part of Delhi, and transported its inhabitants to Dö8let-abad; but his scheme, did not prosper. It is computed that this fortress fell into the hands of the Marhattas, four hundred and sixty years after that period.