Muntakhab al-lubab 76: Kutbu-l Mulk.
Muntakhabu-l Lubáb, of Kháfí Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 76
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Kutbu-l Mulk.
76.1
[vol. ii. p. 292.] It now became known to the Emperor that Abu-l Hasan Kutbu-l Mulk, Sovereign of Haidarabad, had entrusted the government of his kingdom to Madana and Akana, two infidels, who were bitter enemies to the Musulmans, and brought great and increased troubles upon them. The King himself was given up to luxury, drinking and debauchery. * * Aurangzeb having turned his attention to the conquest of Haidarabad, and the subjugation of Abu-l Hasan, he first sent Khan-Jahan Kokaltash with his sons and * * with a detachment against certain adherents of Abu-l Hasan, who had taken possession of some districts dependent upon Zafar-nagar, on the pretence that they had formerly formed part of the country of Telingana. Their instructions were to chastise these men, and to recover the districts. After this, Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam with * * were sent to effect the conquest of the country of Telingana.
76.2
Aurangzeb now sent Mirza Muhammad, the superintendent of his ghusl-khana, to Abu-l Hasan Kutbu-l Mulk, with a message to this effect : "It has come to our hearing that you have two very fine diamonds of 150 surkhs in weight, with sundry other rarities. We wish you to ascertain the value of these gems, and to send them to us for the balance of tribute due." But he told his envoy confidentially that he did not send him to obtain the two diamonds, which he did not at all want, but rather to ascertain the truth of the evil reports which had reached him. * * Upon the arrival of Mirza Muhammad, he demanded the diamonds, according to his instructions. Abu-l Hasan swore that he had no such gems, and that if he had, he would have been happy to send them without any demand being made for them. * * Such stones as his predecessors possessed had been sent to the late Emperor. * *
76.3
Mirza Muhammad returned, and Abu-l Hasan learnt that armies had been sent against him under the command of Khan-Jahan and Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam. He then sent Ibrahim Khan, otherwise called Husaini, who had received the title of Khalilu-llah Khan, and was commander-in-chief, and one of the chief nobles of Haidarabad, with * *, and a force of thirty or forty thousand horse, to oppose the armies sent against him. When the two armies approached each other, between the territories of Bijapur and Haidarabad, Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam was desirous of avoiding actual war by all means in his power. He sent a message to Khalilu-llah Khan, offering peace, on the following terms. Abu-l Hasan must express regret for his offences, and ask forgiveness. He must remove Madana and Akana from the management of affairs, and place them in confinement. The parganas of Siram, Ramgir, etc., which had been taken by force, upon unjust grounds, from the possession of servants of the Imperial throne, must be restored. The balance of tribute due must be forwarded without delay. The foolish amirs of the Dakhin, in their pride, sent improper answers, regardless of the Imperial anger. So preparations for battle were made on both sides. The limits of this brief history will not admit of a detailed account of all the actions fought by Khan-Jahan Bahadur Kokaltash; but a short account of one engagement is given.
76.4
In this action Khan-Jahan had not more than ten or eleven thousand horse, and Khalilu-llah Khan had more than thirty thousand. * * Khan-Jahan's army was so outnumbered and overpowered that all chance of escape seemed difficult, and, the enemy's forces came on every moment with greater strength. * * One of the enemy's chiefs pressed forward, with a loud cry, to the elephant of Khan-Jahan, with the intention of hurling a javelin at him. Khan-Jahan encountered him, shouting out, "I am a nobleman," and, allowing him no time to throw his javelin, Khan-Jahan drew his bow to his ear, and pierced his assailant with an arrow, so that he fell headlong from his horse. The royal army was still very hard pressed, intelligence constantly came in from the front and rear that the enemy were in overwhelming force, and the only course left for the army of Khan-Jahan was to retreat. At this juncture the driver of an elephant belonging to Raja Ram Singh placed a heavy chain in its mouth, and made it charge upon the enemy's advanced force. * * Wherever the elephant charged, the noise of the chain and the blows of his trunk struck terror into the enemy. The horses of two or three officers took fright, and threw their riders. Thus the army of the enemy was put to flight, and Khan-Jahan celebrated his victory, and pitched his camp on the field of battle. Many horses, elephants, and guns fell into his hands.
76.5
* * He then sent an officer who wrested the fort of Siram from the hands of the enemy, and placed a garrison therein. * * The enemy advanced also against Prince Mu'azzam, and for some days kept up a deceptive correspondence. Fighting began and went on for three days, with great loss to both sides. On the fourth day the action was continued with increased violence, and the enemy were at length compelled to retreat. The Prince, Khan-Jahan, and the other Imperial officers, did not deem it expedient to pursue them. They determined to remain where they were, and sent a despatch of the victory to Aurangzeb. The Emperor had for some time felt a little dissatisfied with the Prince, and he was displeased with Khan-Jahan for the licence and debauchery which prevailed in his camp, and which he had repeatedly censured without effect. He was also annoyed with him for not having pursued and secured Prince Akbar when that Prince was near his territory. * * Whenever he wrote to him, he got a saucy answer. For these and other reasons Aurangzeb was quite offended with Khan-Jahan.