Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 6.2
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 6.2
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6.2.1
This was a powerful Zemindar or Gentoo Prince in the neighbourhood of Ecber-abad, who was of a family which at all times had proved so troublesome, that several Emperors had not disdained to march against his ancestors in person, and to bring them under control. He had himself, been once chastised for his refractory, turbulent disposition, ever ripe for commotions. This man becoming troublesome again, the Emperor, at the beginning of Shevval in the year 1129, appointed the Radja Djehi-sing-sevai, surnamed Radja Dehiradj, to bring him to order. The Emperor on appointing him to command that expedition, raised his military grade, and presented him with an elephant, a suite of jewels, and some lacs of rupees. After his departure, he dispatched to his assistance a large body of troops under the command of Seid-qhan-djehan, brother to Abdollah-qhan. By this time the Gentoo Prince was arrived before the Djatt's fortress, where he had pushed his trenches close to the place, after a great loss of time and blood. It was at this conjuncture that the new General arrived. The latter being young and fiery, disapproved of the slowness of these approaches, and gave several assaults, which proved so unsuccessful, that the camp was full of wounded men. But yet the place being already invested this whole year, and suffering distress from the want of every thing, could resist no longer.
6.2.2
So that Churamon wrote to his Vekil or Agent at Court, to apply to the Vezir Abdollah-qhan, offering to submit, to send a Peishcush or present in money, and to attend at Court, should the Emperor be pleased to forgive the errors of his past conduct; but all that only under the express condition, that the negotiation would not be communicated to Radja Djehi-sing, nor that Prince, his enemy, admitted to any share in the treaty. All that was no sooner agreed to by the Vezir, than the Gentoo received advice of it, and was shocked at his exclusion. He quitted the army, repaired to Court, and infused his resentment in the mind of the Emperor, who found himself compromised in this affair and humbled. As an addition to all this, Churamon himself arrived a few days after at the capital, and took up his quarters close to the Vezir's palace. After all those provocations, he had the assurance to present himself to the Emperor, who detesting his person, would see him no more; and he seemed greatly affected by the turn which this affair has taken, at a time especially when nothing but disagreeable news were daily arriving from Decan, where troubles had arisen that involved the Emperor and the Empire in their consequences. We have left Hossein-aaly-khan at the head of an army become victorious against all appearances to the contrary.
6.2.3
After so important a victory, he returned to Aorengabad, his capital, where he spent his time in introducing order and subordination everywhere, when he heard from the province of Qhandess, that Cando-behary, one of the principal Marhatta Generals in the Radja Saho's service, was committing enormous excesses in that province where he enjoyed an extensive command. It is observable that, although that country was within the Viceroyalty of Decan, and of course of Hossein-aaly-khan's jurisdiction, yet it had, as well as the other provinces of that extensive country, a Marhatta Commander, upon a par with the Imperial Governor himself, and whose business was to manage, on his master's part, the cho&t or quarter, that is, that part of the gross revenue allotted him by treaties. This strange custom had found its way all over the Decan, ten or twelve years after the demise of the Emperor Aoreng-zib, at a time of troubles and civil wars, and when the Princes of the Imperial blood, fully occupied by their own intestine broils, had no thoughts to spare on those distant parts. This Marhatta General, having lined the road from Borhanpor up to Surat, the principal port of India, with a number of mud-forts which he had garrisoned, made nothing of stopping merchants and whole caravans, and exacting one-quarter of their goods; to which exaction if they submitted, all was well; else, he used to get the goods plundered by the way, and the merchants ransomed at so much a head.
6.2.4
Such arbitrary practices having raised a general clamour against him, the Viceroy dispatched his own Paymaster, Zulficar-beg, at the head of a detachment of eight thousand men, cavalry and infantry, to put order to those rapines. Zulficar-beg having got with some difficulty over the difficult passes that are beyond Aorengabad, was marching in that tract of hilly ground which borders on the Ghandess as well as on the territory of Surat, when he discovered Candu-behari at the head of eight or nine thousand veterans, all cavalry, and all effective men, but which had been swelled by fame as far as fifteen or sixteen thousands. It was at about seventy cosses westward of Aorengabad, on the confines of the Buglana. Zulficar-beg immediately prepared to attack, but the Marhatta, who was accustomed to fight only on his own terms, declined the combat; and he went on retreating until he had drawn his enemy into a difficult country full of underwood and uneven ground. In vain Zulficar-beg's harcaras and scouts informed their master that this was not a proper spot for engaging such a set of expert free-booters as the Marhattas. He made no account of the advice; but proud of his own prowess, and full as thoughtless as a number of Seids of Barr that followed him, he fell upon them directly, and killed a number of those uncircumcised, whom he sent to the bottom of hell.
6.2.5
The Marhattas faithful to their own custom, gave way on all sides immediately, their General seeming to fly likewise with no more than five hundred men, although this manoeuvre was calculated to draw the Mussulmen farther and farther into that dangerous country, which obliged them at each turn to split into several distinct bodies, parted from each other by ravines and brush-wood. This was precisely what Candu-behary had intended. As soon as he saw his enemies entangled within such a net, he secured the few passes by which they might join again, and having fallen at once upon them on all sides, he slew their General at the first onset, and killed or wounded every one that fell in his way. The massacre lasted for some time, when those that survived it, having exchanged their late haughtiness for present humility, obtained that their lives should be spared, on condition of parting with their horses, arms, and clothes, and of remaining prisoners.
6.2.6
So disgraceful a defeat having shocked the Viceroy, he appointed Radjah Mohcum-sing, his first Minister, with a good army of veteran troops, to avenge the honour of his arms; and not satisfied with that, he got him followed by another body of troops, of which he gave the command to his own younger brother, Seïf-eddin-aaly-qhan, whom he appointed to the Government of Bôrhanpûr. The two Generals, who had orders to act in concert, were resolved to put an end to the Marhattas; but Candû-behary, who had no inclination to fight on such disadvantageous terms, retreated southward with all his people, whom he placed in several strongholds of the Sahû Radjah's dominions. As to his mud-forts, as soon as one of them was besieged by a detachment, it was directly evacuated; but no sooner had the troops marched farther, than the garrison returned. And although Mohcum-sing defeated and dispersed another body of freebooters that advanced from Ahmed-nagor in quest of booty and plunder, and he pursued them incessantly to the very gates of Satara, nevertheless, Zulficar-beg's defeat and death remained unrevenged.
6.2.7
Such a disgrace could not but affect the Viceroy's credit, as well as the honour of his Government — the more so as the people of those parts, at all times unruly, were now become sensible of the intestine dissensions between their Viceroy and the Emperor, and had grown refractory and rebellious; a disposition which was not a little encouraged by letters from Court, where not only the Radja Sahû, but also all the Crown-servants and subordinate Governors of Decan were directed to deny Hossein-aaly-khan's authority, and, moreover, to do every thing in their power, to ruin and destroy him and his army. Such secret orders could not but excite troubles and resistance. And although at this very time, Mubariz-qhan, a nobleman famous in those parts, and Governor of the kingdom of Haïderabad, submitted to the Viceroy, who received him with great honours, and confirmed him in his post, yet neither that kingdom, nor that of Bidjapûr, nor that of Carnatek, could be brought under complete order and control; and the Viceroy sensible from whence the wind blew, and convinced that all these manoeuvres were calculated to undermine him silently, refused, on his side, to admit those Divans, or Superintendents of Finances, that were sent him daily from Court, and he either tired them with endless delays, or cut them short with a flat denial.