The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.57

v4.c20.57

Next, after a six months’ halt at Khed (7 miles north of Chākan), the emperor marched to attack Wāgingerā, the capital of the Berads,² an aboriginal people expert in musketry, night attack and robbery, who lived in the fork between the Krishnā and the Bhīmā, east of Bījāpur. The siege began on 19 February, 1705, but for many weeks afterwards the Mughuls could make no progress; every day the enemy sallied out and attacked them, the bombardment from the numerous well-supplied guns in the fort made the advance of the siege-trenches or even their maintenance within range impossible. One morning the imperialists captured by surprise the hillock of Lāl Tikri, which commands a portion of Wāgingerā, but the Berads soon drove them out with heavy loss, as mutual jealousy among the Mughul generals prevented the timely reinforcement of the captors of this position.