Padshah-namah 32: March of Prince Shah Shuja' against Parenda.

32

[Text, vol. ii. p. 33.] The fortress of Parenda, belonging to Nizam Shah, was formerly besieged by 'Azam Khan, but, as before related, certain obstacles compelled him to raise the siege. 'Adil Khan [by cajolery and bribery] got the fort into his possession. * * * The reduction of this fortress had long been a favourite object with Khan-khanan, and, when Prince Shah Shuja' came near to Burhanpur with a fine army, * * * Khan-khanan waited upon him, and advised him to undertake the reduction of Parenda. So the Prince, without entering Burhanpur, turned off and marched against that fortress. * * * On arriving at Parenda, he encamped on a stream about a kos distant, which is the only water to be found in the vicinity. Then he allotted the work of constructing the trenches, and placed the general direction of the siege works in the hands of Allah Vardi Khan. [Many conflicts and skirmishes in the neighbourhood.]
The efforts of the besiegers in the construction of mines were not attended with much success. The enemy broke into some and destroyed them, and water burst into others. One, constructed by Allah Vardi, in front of the Sher-Haji, was fired by the Prince himself, who went to it by the covered way. It blew up a bastion, but did not make a practicable breach. Moreover, great ill feeling had sprung up between Khan-khanan and Khan-dauran, because the latter was continually repeating that he had saved Khan-khanan's life [in one of the engagements]. All the nobles and officers also were aggrieved at the petulance and discourtesy of Khan-khanan. Through this the enemy got information about Khan-khanan's plans, and were able to foil them, so that he made no progress in the reduction of the place. He therefore represented to the Prince that, although provisions were abundant, there was no grass or fuel within ten or twelve kos of the camp, so that every foraging party had to travel more than twenty kos. This was very distressing to the army. The rainy season also was at hand. So he advised a retreat to Burhanpur. As the Prince had been ordered to act upon the advice of Khan-khanan, the army retreated on the 3rd Zi-l hijja.