The Akbarī Generations 46.980

46.980

The fortress of Surat is small, but exceedingly strong and secure, and remarkable among fortresses. It is said, that a slave of Sultan Mahmud Gujarati, Safar Aga by name, who received the title of Khudawand Khan, built this fortress on the sea-shore in the year 947, in order to resist the attacks of the Europeans, for before the fort was built, the Europeans did all kinds of mischief to the Musulmans. When Khudawand Khan was engaged in the erection of the fort, the Europeans several times fitted out ships to attack it, but could not succeed in their object. Khudawand Khan then called for his architect, a very clever man, to provide for the security of the fort. After a little reflection, the careful builder determined on his plan. On the two sides of the fort which face the land, he formed ditches reaching to the water, which were twenty yards (dara') wide, and filled with water; they were built of stone, chunam, and burnt bricks. The thickness of the double walls is five yards, and the height twenty yards, and these are likewise built of stone, chunam, and burnt brick. The thickness of the four walls is fifteen yards, and the height twenty yards. It is a remarkable circumstance that each stone is firmly fastened to the next with cramps of iron, having molten lead poured into the interstices. The battlements and embrasures are formed of stone, and are formidable to look at. On the top of the tower there is a chaukandi, which, in the opinion of Europeans, is an invention of the Portuguese. When the Europeans were unable to prevent the erection of the fortress by force of arms, they offered large sums of money to prevent the raising of this structure. But Khudawand Khan, in contempt of the Europeans, rejected their application and raised the structure.
After the death of Changiz Khan, the fortress came into the possession of the Mirzas. When the Emperor marched into Gujarat, the Mirzas placed all their soldiers in the place, and left it under the command of Ham-zaban, who had formerly been one of the orderlies (korchian) of the Emperor Humayun, but had fled from the Imperial Court, and joined the rebels. The Mirzas themselves did their best to stir up war and strife outside.
When Ibrahim Husain Mirza was defeated and put to flight at Sarnal, the Emperor returned to Baroda, and renewed his design of conquering Surat. He sent forward Shah Kuli Khan and Sadik Khan, with instructions to invest the fort so that no one could get out. Upon this movement becoming known to the garrison, Gulrukh Begam, daughter of Prince Kamran and wife of Ibrahim Husain Mirza, took her son Muzaffar Khan Mirza with her, and fled to the Dekhin before the arrival of the Imperial forces. When the amirs heard of her escape, Shah Kuli Khan Mahram pursued her for fifty kos, and returned unsuccessful, but some of the Begam's servants fell into his hands. Some days afterwards the Emperor sent Raja Todar Mal to examine and ascertain precisely the inlets and outlets of the fortress. After a week he returned and made his report. His Majesty, relying on the help of the Almighty, left Baroda on the 25th Sha'ban, and encamped at the distance of a kos from Surat on the 18th Ramazan. On the same night he went up and reconnoitred the fort. He distributed the batteries among his amirs, and three days afterwards he moved his camp, and pitched his tent so near the fortress that cannon shot and musket balls could reach it. But the chief carpet-spreader brought to his knowledge through the amirs that there was near at hand a tank called Goli-talab, and although the bank of the tank was close to the fort, the uneven ground and the trees would prevent balls from reaching it. So the order was given for the removal of the royal tents to this spot.
The siege was pressed on, and in a short time the way for drawing water was closed. After it had gone on for nearly two months, the besiegers advanced their batteries, so that every way of ingress or egress was closed. (The soldiers and the followers of the amirs collected a vast quantity of earth, and raised a high mound, which commanded the fort. And the gunners and musketeers stationed upon the mound kept up a fire that greatly harassed the garrison, and prevented the men from moving about or bringing anything up. Every hole big enough for a mouse was closed. The miners pushed their mines under the bastions, and made such progress that the capture of the place was a mere matter of to-day or to-morrow. When the garrison perceived the state of affairs), they were reduced to the greatest alarm and distress.
The wretched disloyal Ham-zaban and all the people in the fort sent out Maulana Nizamu-d din Lari, who was a student and an eloquent man, to sue for quarter. The Maulana was conducted to the royal tent, and made his plea for mercy through the amirs and officials. The chief amirs reminded His Majesty that the batteries had been advanced very forward, and when they saw that he was inclined to mercy, they remarked that the garrison had resisted and fought with all their might so long as they had any power; and now that they saw that the fall of the place was imminent, they were ready to beg for mercy. His Majesty, in his gentleness and humanity, granted the petition. Maulana Nizamu-d din Lari was allowed to pay his homage to the Emperor, and, being dismissed, he returned to the fortress with the glad news of quarter having been conceded.
A royal order was then issued for Kasim 'Ali Khan and Khwaja Daulat Nazir to proceed into the fortress with the Maulana, to give assurances to Ham-zaban and the men of the garrison, and to bring them out with them. An order was also given for a party of trustworthy clerks to be sent in to seize upon all property, live stock and dead stock, and take care that nothing was lost. The names of all the people in the place were written down, and the list was presented to the Emperor. Kasim 'Ali and Khwaja Daulat Nazir, by order of His Majesty, brought Ham-zaban and all the men before him, and Ham-zaban, for all his fluency, hung down his head with shame, and could not speak. In gratitude for the victory, the Emperor pardoned the common people and inhabitants of the place, but Ham-zaban and some others, who were the instigators of all the strife, were punished and kept in custody. This conquest was effected on the 23rd Shawwal, in the year 980.