The Nāṣirī Generations 268.3

268.3

Orders were given so that, for the people of the fortress, a stated allowance of water, grain, and other provision was fixed, to each man half a man [about a gallon, or rather less] of water, and a man of grain and to Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, one man of water — half for [his own] drinking, and half for the purpose of his ablutions. There was no horse in the fortress but one, the private horse of Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, for the use of which the water expended in the Malik’s ablutions used to be set aside, and was collected in an open vessel so that the animal might drink it. When a period of fifty days had expired, the party which had been stationed to guard the reservoir of water, gave intimation that not more than one day’s supply remained in it ; and a person, from the fortress, went away, and informed the Mughal troops of that circumstance. Malik Kutb-ud-Din, Husain, when he ascertained the fact, convened the males of the people of the fortress at the time of afternoon prayer, and proposed that, the next morning, at break of day, they should put all the females and children to death with their own hands, and throw open the gateway of the fortress, and that every man, armed with a naked sword, should conceal himself in some place within the fortress, and, when the infidel Mughals should enter it, they [the Musalmans], with one accord, should fall upon them with their swords, and should continue to fight them until they should attain the felicity of martyrdom.