The march of the Sultán and his army towards Kalikote, and an account of the attack of Koochi Bundur (Cochin), and the dependencies of the Raja of Maliwar,* and the defeat and heavy loss sustained by the victorious army from the mistakes or errors of the guides, and the second attack and conquest of that port,— occurrences of the year 1205, Hijri.— A. D. 1790.

THE conquering Sultán, giving no attention to the tales of the envious and interested, had just com­pleted some private arrangements, when his spies brought intelligence that the Naimars of Kalikote, had placed the foot of insubordination in the path of presumption, and that they had determined to rebel; that Urshud Beg Khán, the Governor or Foujdár of that district, although he exerted him­self to compose or pacify them, and by presents of turbans and shelahs,* (ornamental apparel) strove to gain their hearts:— still the infidels were unset­tled and restless. The Sultán at hearing of these things ordered the immediate attendance of the Foujdár, and a certain number of the chiefs of the Naimars. The former according to the Sultán’s orders made himself ready to attend; but the Naimars under excuses of to-day and to-morrow refused. At this time a spy, an interested man and a dire enemy to the Foujdár before mentioned, represented to the Sultán, that he, the Naimars, and the Raja of Maliwar, had united in heart and hand, and that he was sacrificing the interests of the Sultán for his own emolument and advantage. In consequence of this, the Sultán with his Amírs and court, four Kushoons, three Mowkubs or regi­ments of horse, and his artillery, marched towards that quarter, secretly determined to extirpate the rebellious infidels. They, therefore, at the march of the Sultán, being much alarmed and fearful of the destruction of themselves and families, dis­persed among the woody and mountainous parts of the country. The Foujdár, however, advanced immediately to meet the Sultán, and having pre­sented himself, was addressed by the Sultán in the following angry words;— “You were appointed to the government or regulation of this district,— what have you done?— You were ordered, more­over, by every art and device to make the Poligar of Maliwar obedient and tributary, and having col­lected his Paishkush to despatch it to the presence,— this also has not been done.” The Fouj­dár in reply represented, “Your slave was so entirely occupied in the subjection of, or keeping in order the Naimars of this quarter, that he had no leisure to employ himself in any thing else,— that independently of this, the Poligar was tributary to the Souba of the Karnatic, and, therefore, he was not likely to be deceived by any arts or devices of his; that, if the Sultán would give orders, he would proceed with a body of troops, and after reducing him compel him to pay tribute.” The Sultán replied to this, “that it was evident he, the Foujdár, could never keep the country in proper order and subjection,” and he was accordingly dismissed from his office, and Mahtab Khán, Bukhshi, was appointed in his place. The Sultán then returned to his capital and took up his temporary residence in the Durya Dowlut Baugh, or garden. The dis­placed Foujdár of Kalikote took up his quarters in the Tukia, (the residence of religious men, probably from fear of his life) of Kadir Wuli, Pír Zada, and after a short time resigned the loan of his life to the Creator who gave it in the same place, and agreeably to the orders of the Sultán was buried in the Lal Baugh. Mahtab Khán Bukhshi, notwith­standing that he treated the inhabitants of that country with great kindness, forwarded them assu­rances of safety and invited them to come to him; still the benighted heathens gave no credit to his professions, and at the instigation of the people of Koochi Bundur (Cochin) raised the head of rebel­lion in every quarter, and prepared themselves for their defence.

The Sultán, also, no sooner became acquainted with these circumstances than he marched with his army by the route of Suttigal and Korical to Kalikote, and appointed a detachment of his troops to ravage the country of his enemies, and they accordingly lighted up the fire of oppression in all the towns and villages in that neighbourhood.— Verses,— “When they marched into that country, they committed many cruel acts,” they lighted up such a fire of plunder, “that at once they burned up every thing it contained.” “From the hoofs of their horses, the mountains and plains,”— “were all trodden to dust,” “and even from the rocks, trees, and stones,” “deep sighs arose, and wailing.” After the whole country had been swept by the besom of devastation, and when a host of the refractory and rebellious had been carried away by the whirlwind of desolation, those who remained being subdued, placed the ring* of servitude in the ear of their lives, and with their hands tied together submitted. During this time, a party of Kuzzaks had spread themselves over the districts of Mali­war and Trichinopoly, and had pillaged and burned many towns of those districts. The collector of revenue at Trichinopoly, therefore, addressed a petition to the Sultán, stating that between the government of the English company Buhadúr, and that of the Khodádád, the foundations of peace, and amity, were firmly established,— but, that at the present time certain Kuzzaks, ignorant men, had plundered the towns depending on that Souba (Trichinopoly), and that it was their intention to pluck up the root of the tree of friendship planted in the hearts of the two governments, and that it was indispensable they should be punished. In the reply, the Sultán wrote him that his troops would never plunder in any country without his orders, and that it apparently must have been the Poligars of the collector’s own districts:— that they (the Poligars) had been looking for an opportunity like the present, and they had presumed, therefore, to do the mischief; that he, the Sultán, was occupied in the regulation of his own territory, and the punishment of the refractory. In short, a month after the subjection of the country had been effected, the Sultán having acquired sufficient information from his messengers and spies respecting the Port of Cochin, he with the whole of his army marched thither.