The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.13

v4.c20.13

The Mughuls were slow and clumsy in conducting regular sieges; the soil round Bījāpur is extremely hard, and therefore the besiegers made no real progress even after fifteen months of labour. The fort was not fully invested; the soldiers sallied out and returned whenever they liked; and allies flocked to ‘Ādil Shāh, from Mas‘ūd (now semi-independent chief of Adonī), Qutb Shāh and Shambhūjī. A‘zam had to fight three severe battles in less than a month; his grain supply was totally stopped and a famine raged in his camp. But as he refused to retire, even when commanded by Aurangzīb, the emperor sent him provisions, reinforcements and money under the escort of Ghāzī-ud-dīn (Fīrūz Jang), who ably fought his way to the famished army and “turned the scarcity into plenty” (end of October). Fīrūz Jang next intercepted and cut off a force of 6000 Berad infantry, each with a bag of provisions on his head, whom Pām Nāyak tried to smuggle into the fort. At this time the Mughul capture of Hyderābād and the flight of its king to Golconda cut off all hope of aid to Bījāpur being received from that side.