Muntakhab al-lubab 46: Sivaji surprises Shayista Khan at Puna.
Muntakhabu-l Lubáb, of Kháfí Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 46
- Language
- English
Sivaji surprises Shayista Khan at Puna.
46.1
[vol. ii. p. 171.] The Amiru-l umara (Shayista Khan), after taking several forts and strong places, proceeded to Puna, and lodged there in a house which had been built by that hell-dog Sivaji. From thence he sent out detachments to destroy the power of Sivaji, and to make him prisoner. A regulation had been made that no person, especially no Mahratta, should be allowed to enter the city or the lines of the army without a pass, whether armed or unarmed, excepting persons in the Imperial service. No Mahratta horseman was taken into the service. Sivaji, beaten and dispirited, had retired into mountains difficult of access, and was continually changing his position. One day a party of Mahrattas, who were serving as foot-soldiers, went to the kotwal, and applied for a pass to admit 200 Mahrattas, who were accompanying a marriage party. A boy dressed up as a bridegroom, and escorted by a party of Mahrattas with drums and music, entered the town early in the evening. On the same day another party was allowed to enter the town on the report that a number of the enemy had been made prisoners at one of the outposts, and that another party was bringing them in pinioned and bare-headed, holding them by ropes and abusing and reviling them as they went along. They proceeded to the place agreed upon, where the whole party met and put on arms. At midnight they went to the cook-house, which was near the women's apartments.
46.2
Between the two there was a small window stopped up with mud and bricks. They proceeded by a way well known to them, and got into the kitchen. It was the month of the fast. Some of the cooks were awake, and busy in preparing the vessels for cooking, and others were asleep. The assailants approached noiselessly, and, as far as they were able, they attacked and killed unawares those who were awake. Those who were asleep they butchered as they lay. So no great alarm was raised. They then quickly set to work about opening the closed window in the palace. The noise of their pickaxes and the cries of the slaughtered men awoke a servant who was sleeping in a room next to the wall of the cook-house. He went to the Amiru-l umará (Sháyista Khán), and informed him of what he had heard. The Amír scolded him, and said that it was only the cooks who had got up to do their work. Some maid-servants then came, one after another, to say that a hole was being made through the wall. The Amír then jumped up in great alarm, and seized a bow, some arrows, and a spear. Just then some Mahrattas came up in front, and the Amír shot one with an arrow; but he got up to the Amír, and cut off his thumb. Two Mahrattas fell into a reservoir of water, and Amíru-l umará brought down another with his spear. In the midst of the confusion two slave-girls took Sháyista Khán, Amíru-l umará, by the hand, and dragged him from the scene of strife to a place of safety.
46.3
A number of Mahrattas got into the guard-house, and killed every one they found on his pillow, whether sleeping or awake, and said: "This is how they keep watch!" Some men got into the nakár-khána, and in the name of the Amíru-l umará ordered the drums to be beaten; so such a din was raised that one man could not hear another speak, and the noise made by the assailants grew higher. They closed the doors. Abú-l Fath Khán, son of Sháyista Khán, a brave young man, rushed forward and killed two or three men, but was himself wounded and killed. A man of importance, who had a house behind the palace of the Amíru-l umará, hearing the outcry, and finding the doors shut, endeavoured to escape by a rope-ladder from a window; but he was old and feeble, and somewhat resembled Sháyista Khán. The Mahrattas mistook him for the Amíru-l umará, killed him and cut off his head. They also attacked two of the Amír's women. One of them was so cut about that her remains were collected in a basket which served for her coffin. The other recovered, although she had received thirty or forty wounds. The assailants gave no thought to plundering, but made their way out of the house and went off.
46.4
In the morning Rája Jaswant, who was commander of Amíru-l umará's supports, came in to see the Amír, and make his apology; but that high-born noble spoke not a word beyond saying, "I thought the Mahárája was in His Majesty's service when such an evil befell me." When this occurrence was reported to the Emperor, he passed censure both upon the Amír and Rája Jaswant. The Súbadárí of the Dakhin and the command of the forces employed against Sívají was given to Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam. The Amíru-l umará was recalled, but a subsequent order sent him to be Súbadár of Bengal. Mahárája Jaswant was continued as before among the auxiliary forces under the Prince.