Firishta's History (Gulshan-i Ibrāhīmī) 35.4
History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India (Briggs) 35.4
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35.4.1
Alla-ood-Deen arriving on the Deccan frontier, pressed forward towards the capital. The first place of any consequence which he reached was Elichpoor, where having made a short halt to refresh his army, he moved by forced marches to Dewgur, the lower town of which was not entirely fortified, the outer wall being then incomplete. When the news of Alla-ood-Deen's progress reached the Raja, he, together with his son Shunkul Dew, was absent in a distant part of his dominions: the Raja hastened his return, and endeavoured to intercept the enemy with a numerous army. For this purpose, he threw himself between Alla-ood-Deen and the city, and opposed him with great gallantry, but was eventually defeated with severe loss. This expedition is otherwise related in the Moolhikat, and in the Tubkat Nasiry, by contemporary authors. Alla-ood-Deen (say these writers) left Kurra Manukpoor on pretence of hunting, and having passed quietly through the territories of many petty rajas, purposely avoided all hostilities; giving out that he had left his uncle, the King, in disgust, and was going to offer his services to the Raja of Rajmundry, one of the rajas of Tulingana. Accordingly, after a march of two months, he arrived without any remarkable opposition at Elichpoor, from whence he suddenly marched, in the direction of Dewgur, the capital of Ram Dew. On his reaching that place, he found the Raja himself in the city, but his wife and eldest son were at worship at a temple at some distance.
35.4.2
On the approach of Alla-ood-Deen, Ram Dew was in the greatest consternation. Having, however, collected three or four thousand citizens and domestics, he opposed the Mahomedans at the distance of two coss (four miles) from the city, but being defeated, retired into the fort which had at that time no ditch. It happened that some of Ram Dew's subjects, who had brought salt for sale from the Concan, had left their bags close to the fort walls, and fled on the approach of the enemy. The garrison, supposing the bags to contain grain, carried them into the fort as a supply for a siege. Alla-ood-Deen so effectually surrounded the place that the inhabitants had no opportunity to escape, which enabled him to levy large sums on the merchants by way of contribution. He also captured forty elephants and several thousand horses, belonging to Ram Dew, in the town. In the mean time he gave out that his force was only the advance-guard of the King of Dehly's army, consisting of twenty thousand horse, which was in full march to the place. This information excited general apprehension throughout the Deccan; and the rajas, instead of uniting for their common safety, each endeavoured to secure himself against attack. Alla-ood-Deen pillaged the city, seized on the merchants, brahmins, and principal inhabitants, and tortured them to make discovery of their property, while at the same time he conducted the siege of the fort.
35.4.3
Ram Dew, seeing that he must soon be obliged to yield, and apprehending that the King of Dehly intended to make an entire conquest of the Deccan, was anxious to secure peace before any other forces arrived. He, therefore, addressed the following letter to Alla-ood-Deen : "Your invasion of this country was imprudent and rash; but fortunately for you, you found the city unguarded, and you have been permitted to range at large. It is, however, possible, that the rajas of the Deccan, who command innumerable armies, may yet surround you, and not permit one of your people to return from our dominions alive. Supposing, even, that you should be able to retreat from hence undisturbed, are not the princes of Malwa, Kandeish, and Gondwara, in your route, who have each armies of 40,000 or 50,000 men? Can you hope they will permit you to escape unmolested? It is advisable, therefore, for you to retire in time, by accepting a moderate sum, which, with the spoil you have already got, will indemnify you for the expense of your expedition." Alla-ood-Deen, according to these proposals, accepted of 50 maunds of gold, and a large quantity of pearls and jewels, and retained the elephants which he had taken in the Raja's stables. He released his prisoners, and promised to quit the town on the morning of the fifteenth day from his first entrance.
35.4.4
But while he was preparing to retreat, Ram Dew's eldest son, Shunkul Dew, who had retired with his mother on the first appearance of the Mahomedan troops, to collect succours, advanced with a numerous army within a few miles of the city. Ram Dew sent a message to his son, informing him, that peace was concluded; and enjoined him to allow what had been settled to be quietly carried into effect, and required him to abstain from molesting the Mahomedans, whom he declared to be an enterprising and warlike race, with whom peace was better than war. The young prince, however, aware that his army amounted to thrice the number of the enemy, and hourly expecting to be joined by other princes, neglected the commands of his father, and wrote to Alla-ood-Deen in these terms: — "If you have any love for life, and desire safety, restore what you have plundered, and proceed quietly homeward, rejoicing at your happy escape." Alla-ood-Deen, on perusal of this letter, fired with indignation, ordered, that the messengers should have their faces blackened with soot, and be hooted out of his camp. He left Mullik Noosrut to invest the fort with a thousand horse, in order to prevent a sally, and marched with the rest of his army to attack the Raja's son.
35.4.5
The Hindoos by no means declined the contest; and an action ensued, in which the Mahomedan troops, overpowered by numbers, fell back on all sides. Meanwhile, Mullik Noosrut, on learning the situation of affairs, left his post without orders, and galloping up to the field of battle with his thousand horse, changed the fortune of the day. The dust preventing the enemy from discovering the amount of Mullik Noosrut's force, it was supposed, by the Hindoos, that the King's army, of which they had heard, was arrived. In an instant a panic spread through their ranks, and they broke and fled in every direction. Alla-ood-Deen did not think it prudent to pursue them, but immediately returned, and having again encamped around the fort, exhibited to the garrison several of the Raja's kindred, in chains, who had been taken prisoners in the action.
35.4.6
Ram Dew, now in a state of the utmost perplexity, sent expresses to hasten the succours which he expected from the rajas of Koolburga, Tulingana, Malwa, and Kandeish. But the greatest cause of distress (of which till then he was unaware) was his want of provisions ; for it was only now discovered, that the bags formerly brought into the fort, and supposed to contain grain, were filled with salt. Ram Dew, with much presence of mind, commanded the circumstance to be kept secret from the troops, and opened a second negotiation with Alla-ood-Deen. "It must be known to you," said the Prince, "that I had no hand in the late quarrel. If my son, owing to the folly and petulance of youth, has broken the conditions between us, that event ought not to render me responsible for his rashness." Ram Dew, moreover, authorised his ambassador privately to accede to any terms rather than protract the siege. Alla-ood-Deen, from the conduct of Ram Dew, suspected the true cause of his anxiety, and, therefore, proposed every day some new difficulty to retard the treaty. The garrison, being in the very last stage of distress, another treaty was concluded by the Raja upon the following terms:— viz.
35.4.7
"That Alla-ood-Deen should receive, on evacuating the country, 600 maunds of pearls, two maunds of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, 1000 maunds of silver, 4000 pieces of silk," besides a long list of other precious commodities to which reason forbids us to give credit. This ransom was not the only one required, but the cession of Elichpoor, and its dependencies, was also demanded, where Alla-ood-Deen might leave a garrison, which should remain there unmolested, for the collection of the revenues to be remitted to him at Kurra Manukpoor. Alla-ood-Deen having released all his prisoners, marched in triumph out of the city with his plunder, and proceeded on his return, on the 25th day from his first arrival before Dewgur. He conducted his retreat with such address, that he opened his way through extensive and powerful kingdoms; viz. Malwa, Gondwara, and Kandeish. In this retreat, though surrounded by hostile armies, yet owing to the great order and regularity, as well as courage, displayed by his troops, they made little impression; and these attacks served only to add to the splendour of his enterprise. We may here justly remark, that, in the long volumes of history, there is scarcely any thing to be compared with this exploit, whether we regard the resolution in forming the plan, the boldness of its execution, or the great good fortune which attended its accomplishment.