History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c4.30

c4.30

'Alāuddīn left Nuṣrat Khān with a thousand horse to look after the investment of the fort thus making the junction of the father's and the son's forces impossible and himself arrayed the remnant of the army to give battle to Singhaṇa. The Maratha forces outnumbered those of the Muslims and in the battle that ensued they infused terror into the hearts of 'Alā'ī troops. Finding his master in extreme danger Nuṣrat Khān left the fortress, without any orders from 'Alāūddīn, and hurried to join the latter. This tactical action on the part of Nuṣrat turned the tide of the victory on the side of the Muslims as his contingent of one thousand was mistaken by the Marathas for the alleged twenty thousand horse about which 'Alāūddīn had spread a false report. A panic seized the troops of Singhaṇa Deva and they fled pell mell from the field of battle. 'Alāūddīn renewed the siege of the fortress with still greater vigour. He put to death many merchants and Brahmans he had taken prisoner and paraded some of the near relations and nobles of Rām Deva in front of the fortress. Rām Chandra for whom the calamity was as terrible as it was unprecedented consulted his courtiers about calling the neighbouring Hindu Rajas to his aid, but before they could arrive at any decision they discovered that the two or three thousand bags which they had brought into the fortress during the first siege did not contain grain but salt. This discovery broke the nerve of everybody inside the citadel.