[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 193 # Storia do Mogor 193: Capture of Gulkandah. Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 193 - **Language:** English ### Capture of Gulkandah. ### [193.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.1) When the King of Gulkandah heard the above news, he recognised at once that his affairs were in a bad way. He attempted through his envoys to placate Aurangzeb, and requested him not to make war, for he was ready to obey orders and look on himself as in the position of any other governor, and would hold Gulkandah in that way only. Aurangzeb sent him a message that he might take his ease; his territory would be spared. Aurangzeb only meant to march to Calbargue (Kulbargah), a burial-place of saints, to offer up prayers and implore their protection. The King of Gulkandah assumed that Aurangzeb was telling the truth, and sent him five lakhs of rupees to be distributed to the poor present at the said shrines. Aurangzeb took the money, and instead of moving in the direction of the shrines, came straight at Gulkandah. The king might have come forth with the thirty thousand horsemen he had, and taking the field, could have blocked the roads and contended for victory. But such was his fear and dread that he retired \[242\] into the fortress with such soldiers as chose to follow him. Aurangzeb was informed of this retreat, and at once felt happy in having got the rat in a trap. He ordered Shahab-ud-din Khan to march with all haste before the king could adopt any other plan ; and after him was sent A'zam Tara to invest the fortress, Aurangzeb advancing behind that prince more leisurely himself. ### [193.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.2) On reaching the spot, the Mogul forces seized the city, and appointed officials on Aurangzeb's behalf. That king, when he arrived, wanted to draw up near the fortress. But the Christians in the Gulkandah service fired on him from a culverine, which had once on a time been at San Thome. Their shot fell so near his horse that he determined not to run such great risk, and moved farther off. The Moguls pressed the fortress hard. But those inside it defended themselves so valorously that the besiegers were forced to lay mines and blow up two of the bastions. Several assaults were delivered, but Abdul Razac ('Abd-ur-razzaq) defended the place so valiantly that they could never effect an entrance. At length by promises and gratuities they brought over some of the officers and soldiers, and finally the garrison was reduced to a few men. Thus the besiegers found their way in and destroyed the small force left with 'Abd-ur-razzaq, who fell after receiving eighteen wounds. His soldiers fled, some hither, some thither ; while Shahab-ud-din went on to the palace and brought forth the dishonoured king by force, the palace resounding with the shrieks of the women. ### [193.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.3) It was sad to see this king carried off upon an elephant openly. He was removed to the tent of Prince A'zam Tara, where he was kept waiting for more than an hour in the sun until the prince awoke. As the heat was very great, he asked a man who was distributing water, as is the custom among the Mahomedans, for charity's sake to favour him with a vessel of water to drink. The kind-hearted man was about to comply, when the armed men round the elephant interposed, saying that prisoners were not allowed to drink without the leave of their captors. But at the entreaty of others they permitted him in the end to drink. I know not if there could be greater misery for a king than to be unable even to drink water when absolutely necessary. ### [193.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.4) The prince awoke, and a report was made to him of the prisoner's arrival. He ordered him to be brought before him, and there, after the necessary obeisances, he fell at the prince's feet. But A'zam Tara raised him and made him sit opposite him. Everybody else was made to retire and they held a conversation together. On this occasion the King of Gulkandah made a present to A'zam Tara of a bag of diamonds, among which, as was presumed, there was a diamond weighing two patacas, and as broad as one ; thus it by itself was a very great treasure. On finishing the conversation, both rose, and A'zam Tara, seating the captive at his side on his elephant, carried him off to the king's court. There A'zam Tara dismounted, leaving the prisoner on the elephant without any shade, until Aurangzeb ordered him to be removed to a prison separate from that of the King of Bījāpur. ### [193.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.5) Here even the affronts put upon the wretched King of Gulkandah did not finish ; for that kingdom being very rich by reason of its diamond mines, Aurangzeb sent to ask where his treasures were. The prisoner replied that there were now no treasures in Gulkandah, for he had dissipated them. Aurangzeb was not satisfied with this answer, and once more sent to ask how he had spent them. He might have sent back to say that little by little His Majesty had removed them. But looking on himself not as a captive, but as a king only, he answered that he had expended them as a sovereign, and had no account to render to anyone of what he did when king. This answer was brought to Aurangzeb, who in his pride expected all the world to bow the head before him and speak as captives, and he used this opening to further molest a king, who, entirely through negligence and devotion to women and musicians, had lost a kingdom. He ordered the same question to be put once more, and, should the same answer be returned, the king was to be beaten. Thus it came to pass. For on hearing the old question put on behalf of Aurangzeb, he replied that he had spent the treasures as the absolute master which he then was ; nor was he under obligation to account to anyone for the manner, the cause, the object, or the time of his expending them. ### [193.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.6) Hardly were the words out of his mouth when the officials beat him unmercifully, and told him it was great temerity on the part of a prisoner to reply with such haughtiness to such a great conqueror as Aurangzeb, at whose name he ought to tremble and bow his head. On the order, accompanied by the above message, having been complied with, Aurangzeb directed his removal to the fortress of Daulatabad. It is a close prison on a great eminence. Thus ended the Kings of Gulkandah in one thousand six hundred and eighty-seven in the month of February ; and to show more strongly how little he esteemed that family, Aurangzeb married two of this king's daughters to two of his officials \[244\]. The victorious Aurangzeb, puffed up at the conquest of two kingdoms, was pleased to leave in Bijapur and Gulkandah two governors. He now ordered a march against Sambha Ji, supposing it would be easy to destroy this prince, whose country was now surrounded by provinces and kingdoms belonging to the Mogul. ### [193.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.7) The march began, he taking with him the imprisoned princes, and in the rear of everybody came the King of Bijapur. On the way he sent Muhammad Ibrahim as viceroy to Lahor, as a demonstration of his having approved his treason. But as experience teaches, princes delight in getting men to act treasonably to their profit, but have no joy afterwards in keeping the traitors about their own person. Furthermore, Aurangzeb was accustomed to pay any traitors who helped him in his enterprises by shortening their life. Thus he did not spare Muhammad Ibrahim, who, before he arrived at Lahor, ended his life with the pangs of poison. In the same way he rewarded the other officers, to whom he had promised various offices. Some he made away with, others he dispersed in different places; the soldiers of Bijapur and Gulkandah were also disbanded. God made use of this very expedient of Aurangzeb's to counteract his projects. In disbanding the soldiers of those other kingdoms, he imagined he was making his future enterprises a certainty. But Sambha Ji was thereby only rendered the more powerful; for although he had no sufficient resources to entertain so many men, he welcomed all who resorted to him, and in place of pay allowed them to plunder wherever they pleased. ### [193.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193.8) In this way, before Aurangzeb could inflict any harm, he himself was much injured, these soldiers stopping the supplies for the royal camp, seizing camels, horses, and mules, killing everybody they came across, and sparing only those horses which could be of use to them in war. If by chance they captured any grandee, they kept him till they could extract from him a handsome ransom, and then they liberated him. So abundant were the goods they seized that they set up markets, where the owners came to redeem their property. Thus these plunderers acquired pay enough, and were able to continue the campaign. In spite of all his huge army, Aurangzeb found that he could not by force of arms accomplish his purpose; for Sambha Ji continuously evaded giving battle in the field, and was satisfied with plundering everywhere, never remaining many days in the same place. Relying on the activity of his horses, already trained to go long distances and eat little, he wore out and incommoded the Mogul commanders and soldiers. Aurangzeb became aware that he would never succeed in this campaign, except by his usual intrigues. He therefore set to work, and wrote letters to Cabcales (Kab Kalish), the chief minister of Sambha Ji, and by large bribes and presents so far succeeded, that this minister undertook to make over Sambha Ji to him alive. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.193) · Pramāṇa