Storia do Mogor 335.4
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 335.4
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335.4.1
On learning this event the governor sent to ask the reason of their taking the fortress and the treasure within it. To this they replied briefly that when the king asked the question they would give an answer. In this way the affair dropped. Let us return once more to an enquiry into the doings of the Mahrattahs. In this year of 1704, in the month of [160] January, they crossed the Narbada river, penetrated the forests of Mandu, plundering and ravaging several provinces, as well as the town of Sironj. Not content even with this, they went farther, and going through the hill-passes of Narwar, they entered the province of Calabad (Kalpi), close to the Gwaliyar fortress, a three days' journey from Agrah. They traversed other provinces, doing everywhere a great deal of damage. In this way they returned to their own country without anyone being able to interfere with them. These forays are of great profit to Shiva Ji, in addition to his soldiers' booty. For as soon as they enter the Mogul's dominions, that sovereign's governors send men to offer them a large sum of money: if they think fit, they take it; if not, they burn and destroy in all directions. The Mahrattah ruler is at this time very powerful; he has under him over one hundred thousand horsemen. This is the reason he ventures to test the valour of and to defy the Mogul; and what this old man used to do formerly to other kings and princes the Mahrattah does nowadays to him.
335.4.2
In the raid above described, which he (i.e., the Mahrattahs) carried out with such overwhelming strength, he came across a Hindu princess. She was a Rector (Rathor) by race, and was convoying a girl, the daughter of a Hindu prince, a Cachoux (Kachhwahah) by race, who was about to be married to her son. The latter was at the time serving in the royal army. She had in her train a thousand Rajput horsemen, and carried with her things of considerable value. These were required for celebrating the marriage with all possible pomp. But this princess met with disgrace; she was overtaken on her road by the enemy and all his army. He sent her word that she must deliver up all she had before he would release her. The courageous Rajput princess, defying Death, went out to face the enemy. She held it to be a dishonour to surrender the precious stones and ornaments that her daughter-in-law was to wear. The Rajputs fought valiantly until they were all killed. Having no more men with which to continue the fight, she drew a dagger and slew her daughter-in-law, saying it was better to die with honour than to drag on a miserable existence in the hands of Shiva Jī. She repeated the same thing as to herself, and thrust the dagger into her own heart. Thus did she end the sad tragedy, and the enemy took everything.
335.4.3
In the beginning of May in this present year of 1704 sixty thousand Mahrattah horsemen appeared in the Karnatik and in Bijapur. They were under the command of some good officers. Having entered the country, they took several forts; then a number of them encamped in front of a large fortified place called Sira (Sīrā). After this they separated themselves into three divisions, which marched in different directions. The first division turned towards the Karnatik, where the prince and lord of the country made a present to them of three millions of rupees. Thence they entered the country adjoining the territories of the Trichinapali (Trichinopoly) kingdom. There, too, they realized a very large sum as tribute. Next they went on to Tanjor, where they were well received, particularly as they brought with them the son of Ram Chand, Pandit, chief minister of the Mahrattah ruler, for the celebration of his marriage to the princess of Tanjor. They meant thereby to preserve the friendship between them, and defend that country from the menaces of the Mogul.
335.4.4
However, Dā,ūd Khan was not without apprehension, for he felt great fear of not being able to resist these bold Mahrattahs. This fear compelled him to send an envoy, through whom he asked as a favour that nothing might be undertaken against him. As a return he would give the raiders a present of two hundred thousand rupees. The commanders sent the man away, having simply turned their backs on him, saying that Dā,ūd Khan need not concern himself about giving them money; it belonged to them already, and they would take good care that they collected it. On hearing this depressing news Da,ud Khan was much cast down. It is for this reason that he quitted Arkat, and fortified himself in the upper part of the fortress of Velours (Vellur), this being the strongest place to be found in the Karnatik of Gulkandah.
335.4.5
The second army made for the town of Gulkandah, which it invested, and there they are at the present moment in the prosecution of their enterprise. The third army is advancing into the rest of the country, conquering as much of it as it can, placing commandants in the forts and places that it captures. The governor of the town of Adoni, whose name was Cod Vandcan (Khudabandah Khan), son of Sha,istah Khan, feared that some misfortune would befall him as had happened to others in previous years. He therefore sent a large sum of money to obviate their interfering with him. The Mahrattah leader sent him word that, as a son of Sha,istah Khan, a prince so high in degree and so liberal, he had no intention of doing him any harm. For the same reason he declined to touch his money. All he demanded was the surrender of [blank in original], chief minister and farmer of the revenues of these provinces. If he did not comply, the heads of both should be cut off. Khudabandah Khan, finding himself in such great peril, was forced to deliver to the Mahrattahs the minister in question. He (Khudabandah Khan) received his own liberty and that of his family, but he had to depart unprovided and leave his baggage behind him.
335.4.6
It is a remarkable thing to see these leaders, so many in number, yet without any prince to direct them, make war on the Mogul. They perpetrate constant ravages first in one part, then in another of that empire. In the process they carry off much wealth, while by their foresight and valour they continue constantly victorious. The reason is, as it seems to me, because they keep ever before their eyes the lesson that Taimur-i-lang gave long ago to his generals a few days before his death. It is as follows : This great prince, being ill and having no longer any hope of life, ordered his attendants to bring to him the quiver in which he carried his arrows. He sent for the principal captains in his army. He ordered one of them to draw out an arrow from the quiver and break it. He did so. Another was ordered to withdraw ten at once, and try to break them at one effort with both hands. He failed to break them. Thereupon Taimur-i-lang delivered the following speech to them :
335.4.7
' I feel, as if warned by God, that I cannot live much longer, and at my departure you lose a good friend and a great leader. Thus you will no longer have anyone to direct you. For I note that my son, Sultan Abujahid (Abu Sa'id), has not the ability required to lead you, or to exercise the command over such a numerous army. However, if you wish to be always victors and never to be overcome, you must remain ever united, for as you have just seen by experiment, ten arrows joined together cannot be broken, but taken singly they can easily be broken. In the same way, if there is division among you, your enemies will soon succeed in undoing you. But if you remain united their efforts will be in vain, and turn only to their own shame.' This it is which leads me to believe that the union among the above leaders (the Mahrattahs), for so many years on end, is the cause of their mutual preservation.
335.4.8
These [Mahrattah] leaders and their troops move in these days with much confidence, because they have cowed the Mogul commanders and inspired them with fear. At the present time they possess [162] artillery, musketry, bows and arrows, with elephants and camels for all their baggage and tents. They carry these last to secure some repose from time to time as they find it convenient. In short, they are equipped and move about just like the armies of the Mogul. Under this head arises the reflection that only a few years ago they did not march about in this fashion. In those days their arms were only lances and long swords two inches wide. Armed thus, they prowled about on the frontiers, picking up here and there what they could ; then they made off home again. But at the present time they move like conquerors, showing no fear of any Mogul troops.