Nišān-i Ḥaydarī - The History of Hydur Naik

When the Nawaub had heard the terms of the letter from his distinguished servant, and the lists of the captured property, he, in presence of those assembled round him, involuntarily broke out in expressions of admiration, at his valour and judgment; and immediately gave orders, that a salute of one hundred and twenty five guns should be fired, as a testimony of gladness and thanksgiving for this victory, and also that his drums should beat the rejoicing for good news. He also conferred on the commandant kingly presents; a jewelled girdle and a horse with saddle and housings of gold, and he exalted the standard of his rank and estimation above all other of the officers and Khans of his court.— Verse. “He raised him above his fellows”— “and distinguished him with great honour and confidence.”

During this time, the newswriters of Rai Droog frequently wrote to the Nawaub, that Busálut Jung’s commander in chief, although he had besieged the hill fort of Bullari closely for three months, had effected nothing; that the besieged Náík had made frequent sorties at night, and had attacked the batteries of the besiegers, and had killed a great many of the Moghuls;^c and that Dhoonsa, with his ill omened force, had arrived near Kunukgiri and Gopul, and that the people of the country were terrified at his tyranny and cruelty. As soon as he had heard the contents of these letters, the Nawaub immediately despatched his orders to the commandant, styling him Ghoonsa,^d to this effect, that he, the Nawaub, had conferred on the commandant the title of Ghoonsa, and that he had appointed him to oppose the further progress of Dhoonsa; that he, (Ghoonsa), was to proceed as early as possible, and attack Dhoonsa, and chastise him as he deserved; and that, please God, he the Nawaub would also fall on him like sudden death, by the route of Rai Droog. He also commanded him to send his prisoners to the presence. Immediately on receiving the Nawaub’s mandate, the commandant got his troops in readiness, and marched by forced marches towards the army of Dhoonsa. In the meanwhile agreeably to the orders of the Nawaub, the prisoners and spoil were sent to Puttun, under the escort of a thousand regular and two thousand irregular foot.

The Nawaub now marched from his capital,^e Puttun, and proceeded towards Ruttun Giri, where he halted. Then, leaving there all heavy baggage, the camp followers and artillery, under charge of Purnia, a Mutsuddi of the Tosha Khana, (wardrobe or storeroom of presents) who was appointed thenceforth Chief officer of the baggage and followers, he with the light horse,^f and the regular and irregular foot, lightly equipped, with only four meals of provisions ready cooked, marched on at such a rate, that, after crossing mountains and forests for two days and two nights, on the third night, he, like an arrow speeding from the bow to the mark, reached the camp of Busálut Jung. In obedience to his orders, his brave troops attacked it on every side, and, with the discharge of rockets,^g matchlocks, arrows, and camel-swivels, he drove the dark vapours of pride out of the bodies of that force. The horse and foot, of the Moghul army, therefore, who hitherto, like the knot of the Pleiades, had preserved the form of a compact body, being wholly unprepared for the arrival of such a sudden calamity, at once, became loosened, and separated like the daughters^h of the bier; and, some rubbing their hands, and some their eyes, but mostly beating their heads and wailing, put forth the foot of flight; but whole troops of them sleeping on their beds, striking out their hands and feet, drank to the full of the Sherbet of the brave blood-drinkers’ swords, and lay stretched out at length on the ground. The commanding officer of the army, thinking the day of resurrection had arrived, ran away with naked feet, and now rising, now falling, sought refuge with the detachment of Monsieur Lalli, which compared with the rest of the army, remained in some degree collected and in order. There he found safety, and the gallant Frenchman, now binding the waist-belt of courage tight round the loins of enterprise, having collected the remainder of his men, whom the sword had spared, and a few Kaim Khani horse, formed them in regular array, with closed ranks, and, preceded and followed by two light guns, marched by night to Adhooni. But the whole of the baggage of his troops, tents, standards, and even to the women of the Moghuls, fell into the hands of the Nawaub’s brave warriors.

When the clamour of the trumpets, horns, drums, and kettle drums, beating and sounding the rejoicing for victory, rose to the skies,— the Náík, or Chief of the fort, frightened beyond measure, lighted up torches and blue lights, and despatched a messenger to learn the news. No sooner was he made aware of the forced march of the Nawaub, and the defeat of the Moghul army, than, not thinking his situation at all improved by these circumstances, and trembling like a reed at the lion-like attack of the Nawaub, he at once so entirely lost his senses and his manhood, that, with his women, a few friends, and some money and valuable jewels, he descended by the back part of the mountain, and, making night marches, and crossing deserts and hills, proceeded towards Bejapoor; but, to the present day, no one has discovered the place of his retreat. All the property of his state, all his household goods, arms, drums, and nagaras, all which had been collected by the Náíks of former generations, he left to the servants of the Nawaub.

The Nawaub was delighted with this piece of good fortune; and, leaving a strong garrison to defend the fort, with strict orders to repair the walls, he with his army marched towards Adhooni, and encamped in the plain of Gulbayen. Thence, he despatched a message to Busálut Jung, that, by enduring privation and hunger for two months, in their endeavour to burn their enemies, his army had been greatly distressed— and that two months’ pay, being by the accounts, ten lakhs of rupees, he was required to send that sum. Busálut Jung, who, in consequence of the defeat of his army, and the plunder of his baggage and property,^h had been deprived of rest and appetite, was paralyzed by this requisition, but, knowing the critical situation in which he stood, he collected some money from his treasury, and a sum from the pledging of his valuable jewels; and, without any further hesitation, despatched the ten lakhs of rupees, affecting, after the manner of the wolf, a disposition to be friendly.ⁱ Having done this, he was allowed to remain unmolested.

The conquering Nawaub now marched on, determined to punish Dhoonsa, who had swept the districts of Gujindurgurh and Kunukgiri with the besom of destruction, and who had arrived in the vicinity of Kunchungurh. Muhammad Alí Ghoonsa, also, had arrived in Dhoonsa’s rear, by the route of Kuduk, Sirhutti, and Dumul. When Dhoonsa heard of the defeat and dispersion of the Moghul troops, the conquest of the fort of Bullari, the exaction of a sum of money from the Chief of Adhooni, and, also, of the Nawaub’s near arrival to attack and punish him, his courage forsook him, and, without obtaining his desire, he made a quick retreat to Hydurabad. The Kuzzaks of the Nawaub’s army followed him, however, to the neighbourhood of Raichore, and took a great quantity of the baggage of his army, and also two guns, forty or fifty camels of his Tosha Khana, or treasury, and three elephants carrying tents, after which they returned.

At the period when the Nawaub, by his sudden night attack, had put to flight the Moghul army, and had taken Bullari, Morar Rao had left his capital to the charge of Pali Khan, and he himself with his troops took up their quarters in Dhoonsa’s camp, and tried to persuade him to attack and subdue the Province of the Balaghaut. Huleem Khan, the Hakim of Kirpa, also, and the Poligar of Chitul Droog, at the instigation of the same firebrand, expelled the newswriters of the Nawaub from their towns, and with their troops and stores assisted Dhoonsa; but, when they found he did not attend to their interested advice, and returned to Hydurabad, all three of these wicked promoters of strife returned, likewise, to their homes, ashamed of themselves; and counter-marching also from that side of the country, the Nawaub honoured Bullari with his presence.

The Conquest of Gooti and Soondoor, and the capture of that tyrant, and incendiary, Morar Rao, which occurred in the same year 1187, Hijri.— A. D. 1773.

ALTHOUGH the Nawaub had in every way aided Morar Rao, and had never himself molested him, but, on the contrary, with a view to gain his friendship, had even condescended to call him uncle,^j Morar had, nevertheless, often exerted his most strenuous efforts to pluck up the tender plant of the Nawaub’s greatness and power. From the viciousness of his disposition, he was sealing his own ruin— “the sting of the scorpion is not struck from enmity,”— “it is from his nature.” In this pursuit he spared neither gold nor words, spoken or written. Long before this, at the time of the invasion of Trimuk Mama, the able Vakeels of the Nawaub had made a lasting treaty with Trimuk on the best possible terms; when this scorpion by nature struck his sting into the negociation, and stimulated Trimuk to attempt the destruction of the Khodadad Sirkar. This caused a dreadful shock to the Nawaub’s power, in the day or battle of Churkoli, and the recollection of that event produced in the Nawaub’s heart an effect like salt upon a wound. As Morar Rao’s existence therefore appeared to be the source of pure trouble, and the cause of detriment to the props and pillars of his state, the Nawaub occupied himself in considering how he might break down his power. Nevertheless, as a close friendship and intimacy subsisted between Morar Rao and Busálut Jung, and as they were friends both at the banquet and in the field, the Nawaub was rather apprehensive of their united strength, for as the wise say, “two hearts united will cleave a mountain,”^k “and scatter a host.” Thanks to God, the defeat of the Moghuls removed half the difficulty, and the junction of the Rao with Dhoonsa furnishing a pretext^l for his destruction, the Nawaub desired that, as this opportunity offered itself, he might at once remove him out of the way; for, in his own mind, he was convinced that, while that incendiary lived, the conquest and regulation or subjection of the Khodadad or Mysore territory would never be fully accomplished. After having completed his arrangements at Bullari, he therefore made the conquest of Gooti, and the capture of that dangerous and intriguing man, the object of his conquering energies, and he accordingly marched in that direction.

The Rao, who had left Dhoonsa’s army without obtaining his object, had returned to Gooti, his capital, and had fallen into the midst of doubt and perplexity. The Nawaub, therefore, sent for him under pretence of a wish to see him. Well aware, however, of the folly of his conduct, even while he received no molestation from the Nawaub, and fearing that treachery aiming at his life might be intended to him at the meeting, Morar Rao refused to attend. The Nawaub then sent him another message, to the effect that the entire Talooka of Soondoor should be given up to him, as a provision for his support and maintenance, provided he would, without hesitation or demur, deliver up, to the agents of the Khodadad government, the hill and fort of Gooti and its dependencies which formerly were held in possession by the Náíbs of the Kings of Dehli; after which he might govern Soondoor to his heart’s content. The Pagan also refused to listen to this proposal; and being surrounded by a strong body of soldiers, he at once rejected the conquering policy of the Nawaub, and prepared to defend himself.

The Nawaub now gave orders to the Risaladárs of the regular and irregular infantry, to encircle the fort, and then commence the attack with their artillery and musketry, and, having on all sides, run on approaches,^m (saps, trenches, zigzags,) the besieged were reduced to great difficulties. The Nawaub’s Kuzzak or predatory horse, at the same time, agreeably to his orders, guarded the hill and forest so effectually, that no man had power to pass through them, for they rendered it impossible for birds to take wing from the fort, or even for locusts or ants to pass through their cordon; and however often the besieged Rao wrote to the chief of Poona, soliciting aid, and describing his impending ruin, and the determination of the Nawaub to destroy him, yet, for the most part, the Nawaub’s picquets seized the letter carriers, and brought them in, and took especial care to prevent the chief of Poona from knowing any thing about him. In fact, before intelligence of the siege arrived at Poona, which was, at last, conveyed by the letters of Busálut Jung, who made it known to all, two or three months had elapsed, and the garrison was reduced to the greatest extremity. The Rao saw that, in a short time, the fort would depart from his possession, and that his wealth, family and dependents, would fall into the hands of the brave army of Islám. And now, to complete his misfortunes, the water of the mountain, by which the fort was supplied, it being the hot season, failed, or dried up, like the heart of the poor man; and his stores of provisions and ammunition also had abandoned him, or were exhausted like the days of his youth. Being therefore entirely helpless, he despatched Pali Khan, his minister, to the Nawaub, to tender his submission, and beg the forgiveness of his former offences. When the Nawaub became aware of his humility, his supplications and his forlorn state, he cast the eyes of royalⁿ compassion on his hopeless condition, and returned him, by his agent Pali Khan, a kind and conciliatory letter, with a Kowl Nama, or assurance of the safety of his life and property, and invited him to meet him. When the Rao descended from the top on the hill in a palankin, attended by only two or three servants, and entered the camp, the Nawaub ordered a separate tent to be cleared for his accommodation, and placed him in it, sending a garrison of his own men to the top of the hill, and giving up to the Rao his house, that is, the whole of his Zunana^o or women’s apartments, with the necessary furniture or utensils, the wearing apparel or clothes in use, and such jewels and gold and silver ornaments as were of small value. But the pearls, and jewels of great price, jewelled ornaments, and other articles becoming the use of a prince, with the arms and warlike stores, and all articles of value, the Nawaub took for himself. With respect to the dancing women of the Telinga tribe, of whom during the Rao’s government many companies^p had been attracted by his liberality, and of whom some had become rich by his gifts, while some even had possession of towns in Jageer, all of whom sought refuge in the Mahl of the Rao, on the top of the mountain, when the siege commenced; to these, excepting the Jageers, the Nawaub restored the whole of their property. Some of the young girls, (virgins)^q of that profession, with the consent of their masters or owners, he purchased for his own Natiksal,^r and consigned them to his women’s apartments, of these some Táífas or companies he sent to Gunjam, a suburb to the south of the fort of Seringaputtun, on the bank of the river Kauveri, built by himself, and some to Bangalore. The imprisoned Rao however much he entreated to be allowed to visit the Nawaub, received for answer, that the Nawaub had then no leisure; but that, after his return to Puttun, please God, he would accord his request, and, having committed him to the care of confidential men, and sent him off to Puttun, the Nawaub occupied himself in the conquest of Soondoor.

At this time, the Nawaub’s spies brought intelligence, that forty thousand Mahratta horse had been despatched from Poona, to assist Morar Rao, and that they had encamped in the neighbourhood of Gokak Peenth. Having completed his arrangements in the district of Soondoor, the Nawaub considered it incumbent on him to punish these infidels,^s and had arrived at Husspeenth, with that intention, when the chiefs of the Mahrattas, hearing of the conquest of Gooti and Soondoor, the capture of the Rao, and, also, that the Nawaub was prepared to attack them, they returned to Poona.

During this period, the Nawaub, from motives of policy, manifested displeasure towards the brave Muhammad Alí, intending thereby to repress his pride in the greatness of his abilities and in the respect shewed to him, and a disposition to tread the path of insubordination; the pretence being that he gave elephants and camels to other officers, and to Fuqueers, without first asking permission, and he was therefore for some time removed from his Risaldári or command. In secret, however, the Nawaub esteemed him more than ever. Muhammad Alí himself also quitted his Risala, and assumed the cap and garb^t of a Fuqueer, and cared very little about the matter.

At this time, also, Kishnapa, the Minister^u or secretary of the chief of Rai Droog, after receiving the Sunnud, or written authority, from Hydur, to recover the little fort of Hurrial, which is situate four kose south of Bullari, and is a dependency of the Droog, after a siege of three months, took that fort. Morar Rao had taken possession of this fort by force, and had placed a garrison in it. The Rao had also seized upon, and attached to the Souba of Gooti, the Talooka of Vinkut Giri, which is situated at the head of the Tubulpully Ghaut, and was formerly under the authority of the Poligar of Churkul. This fort was, therefore, at the same time, placed under the government of the Sirkar Khodadad.^v

An account of the conquest of Chitul Droog, and the capture of Bhurma Náík, the rebellious Poligar of that Fort; and other events of the year 1188, Hijri.— A. D. 1774.

AFTER the Nawaub had made a prisoner of Morar Rao, and thereby cut up the root of mischief and sedition, he was more at ease in his mind; and, having also completed his arrangements for Gooti and Soondoor, he determined next to punish that head of the list of rebellious personages, the Poligar of Chitul Droog, and in pursuance of this resolve, he turned his ensigns, the emblems of victory, in that direction. The cause was, that, in order to favour the Nawaub’s enemies, who had invaded and plundered his country, and had raised the standard of injustice and wrong to oppress and disturb the peasantry of Mysore, that insolent infidel^w had intrigued and combined with them and had exerted himself to the utmost in laying waste the Nawaub’s territory and in ruining God’s people, the poor inhabitants of this country, seeking his advantage in the injury and destruction of others. Outwardly, indeed, and with great sycophancy, he affected to manifest perfect devotion to the Nawaub, while, in secret, he employed his time in conspiring to destroy and root out the foundations of the Khodadad government. It was consequently necessary, and in fact, indispensible, to break the pride of that insolent infidel, and root him out, if only to preserve the peace of the country; especially as Kishnapa, the Purdhan or minister of Rai Droog, who had often without cause suffered indignities at the hand of this Poligar, and whose country had been ravaged by him, now incited and stimulated the Nawaub to attack Chitul Droog, and even engaged to pay for the whole of the powder and ball which would be used in the siege. The urgent persuasion and entreaty of Kishnapa determined the Nawaub in his purpose. At the same time, also, having resolved to attack Goori Kota, Jureemla, and Mulkalchuro, towns or forts which were in possession of the brothers-in-law of that infidel Poligar, the Nawaub despatched Hybut Jung, with a large force, to attack the Poligar of Hurpunhully, and take possession of his territory.

An abstract^x account of the cause of these movements, is as follows:— At the time the Nawaub was marching to attack Raghooba, a man, one of the civil servants^y of Hurpunhully, who had been born and bred in the service of that state, and was intimately acquainted with the secrets of that government, sought the service of Hydur Alí; he was received and entertained among the most respectable class of servants, and was also appointed to enlist foot soldiers in that quarter. Having by degrees perfected his knowledge of all matters, great and small, relative to that state, he began to compass and contrive the ruin of his old masters; and as the Poligar of Hurpunhully, whose name was Jug Shoom Shunkur, was a prudent man, after he became acquainted with the man’s intention, being afraid of the loss of his property, and the desolation of his country, and thinking it best to repair the dykes or mounds of the reservoir before the waters broke forth, he addressed a letter to the Nawaub, containing a request that the person in question should be sent by the Nawaub, to his residence, and stating that the Paishkush, or tribute, should be forwarded through his agency. To this proposition the Nawaub agreed and despatched the incendiary to the Poligar, with a newswriter,^z named Vinkut Nursoo, having given him strict orders to do his duty to the Sirkar (of Mysore). When this man arrived, and met the Poligar, the latter with sweet and oily words, gained complete possession of his heart, and he was presented with an honorary dress, a string^a of pearls,^b jewelled gorget, and golden armlets; and the Poligar said to him, “the government of our state must now depend on your wisdom and judgment; and when we have a wise and an old faithful servant like you to aid and direct us, how can we receive injury.” By this gross flattery, the heart of the fool was drawn into the snare of deceit.— “A fool can always be deceived by a wise man,”— “by food, or drink, or dress, or the tongue,”— and at once he was introduced by the Poligar into all the business of the state and all was placed at his discretion, even so far as to be allowed to enter the Poligar’s particular residence, that is, the women’s apartments, and was supplied with all kinds of delicacies for his eating and drinking. But, the wise say,— “from the bad to expect good is pure folly,”— “will you feed a scorpion to wound you?”— The man, therefore, proud of his employment by the Nawaub, and insolent from the patience and indulgence of the Poligar, which, however, was merely political, began to tyrannise over the servants of the Raj or state, and to distress the poor people, whom, with the peasantry of that country, he vexed or grieved without cause. Indeed, without fear or hesitation he did whatever he chose; and, in addition to all this oppression and cruelty, he stretched forth the hand of lust on all beautiful women, the wives, and property of others, and daringly violated their chastity. The people were consequently driven to extremities by his tyranny, and complained against him to the Poligar. He, however, simply gave them for answer, that what the person in question did, he considered to be for the advantage of the state; and that if they could, for a short time, wait with patience under his government, they might stay, but if not, let them depart in safety. Many of the most respectable persons in the service of the Poligar, being entirely discouraged on hearing this, left their houses and the country; yet, notwithstanding the heart-breaking distress of the people of all ranks, the Poligar never attempted to interpose, or restrain this disturber of the public peace; but, on the contrary, daily made him happy by presents and favours.

At length, one morning, the Poligar sent for his own horse, with saddle and trappings of gold set with jewels, and, with much instance and intreaty, made this person mount, and sent him home. At this time, however, it had very nearly happened that from this man’s tyranny and oppression, some great evil had befallen the Poligar’s state; and he, therefore, laid a deep scheme. Seeing that the man was perfectly at his ease, and that he put forth the hand of oppression without scruple or fear, to rob people of their wealth and honour, the Poligar, on the same evening, when about ten hours of the day had passed, placed a number of armed men in concealment, and then sent for the man to his hall of audience. On his arrival, he told him he had something to say to him in private, and pointed towards the room in which the armed men were concealed. The fool, seized by the hand of death, no sooner entered the apartment than he found his head under the sword of retribution, and he ceased from troubling mankind any longer.