A History of the Mahrattas v1.c13.63

v1.c13.63

But the irresolution of the council at Raigurh did not affect the spirit of the garrison at Poorundhur. Bajee Purvoe,² a Deshpandya of Mhar, was Havildar of the fort, which was strongly garrisoned by Mawulees and Hetkurees. The Deshpandya maintained his post with bravery and ability. He disputed every point of the approaches, but his outposts being driven in, Dilere Khan commenced mining a rock under one of the towers of the lower fort. The garrison made frequent sallies, and repeatedly drove off the miners, but they were at last firmly lodged under cover. After repeated failures, they succeeded in shattering the rock and defences, so as to enable them to attempt an assault.³ They had gained the lower fort, but whilst the garrison was retiring to the upper, the assailants, careless or insensible of the danger to which they exposed themselves, dispersed to plunder the houses; when the Hetkurees marksmen from above opened a fire so destructive, that many of the assailants sought shelter in every corner, and others ran outside to get under cover of the rock. At this moment the Mawulees, headed by their commander, sallied out, attacked the Moghuls sword in hand, killed all that opposed them, and drove them down the hill in view of Dilere Khan, who was seated on his elephant near the bottom, observing the progress of the assault. Seeing the flight of his men he bent his bow, called to a body of Patans about him to advance, and rallying the fugitives, pushed forward his elephant; but the garrison, like all Mahrattas, daring in success, closed with his men, and even the hardy Afghans began to recoil from the swords of the Mawulees; when Dilere Khan, having marked the conspicuous conduct of their leader, with his own hand pierced him with an arrow and killed him on the spot. The whole of the garrison accompanying him instantly fled, nor stopped until they reached the upper fort. The Moghuls again took possession of the lower fort, but the fire from above obliged them to relinquish it. After this failure, Dilere Khan, considering the northern face impregnable, determined on attempting to escalade Wujrgurh,¹ a small detached fort, situated on the north-east angle of Poorundhur, which commands a great part of its works. The attempt succeeded, and guns were brought up to breach the upper fort, but the rains had set in and greatly retarded operations. The Moghul artillery was extremely bad, and although they continued firing for weeks, little impression was made on the defences. The garrison, however, became dispirited, and sent notice that they could hold out no longer. They would have evacuated the fort, but Sivajee particularly desired them to maintain the defence until he should send them an intimation to retire.