THE PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE.
The rainy season had ceased, and operations could now be undertaken
without danger of interruption from the weather. For some months
past the Prince Moorad Mirza had watched the progress of events at
Ahmednugger with the keenest interest; and had the Dekhany leaders been
united in regard to the election of the first King, it is probable
he would not have sought to disturb it, but would have made his
own terms with them. But their withdrawal from their position, the
spirited movement of the Queen Dowager in the coronation of Bahadur,
the infant King, and the rallying about her of parties who had before
been disunited, promised a very formidable coalition for defence. And
when, in addition to local unity, it became certain that the very
formidable cavalry of Beejapoor and Golconda had taken the field to
cover Ahmednugger, the Prince saw it was time, if he was to strike in
at all, to do so at once, before the eastern and southern forces could
arrive at their purposed destination. He had with him thirty thousand
of the flower of the Moghul cavalry, a large body of Rajpoot infantry
and artillery, and several of the most celebrated generals of his
father's army led different portions of the troops; and the prospect of
a campaign in a new country, and with the celebrated cavaliers of the
Dekhan, infused the highest spirits into all classes.
Two men had joined the Prince, in whom he had now much confidence.
Not long before, as he was hunting, a cavalier, well appointed, and
attended by a small body of spearmen, rode up to him, and offered his
services for the Dekhan campaign. He and his family had been, he said,
in the service of Beejapoor for some generations; but enemies had
prevailed against him, and he had left a service in which he could not
stay with honour. He knew the whole country of the Dekhan, and most of
the leaders of parties, Dekhanies and foreigners, and could direct the
Prince to means of success to which he would, with his own people only,
remain a stranger.
This brief colloquy had been followed by a private interview, in which
Osman Beg--for it was the man whom we have already seen degraded and
dismissed from Beejapoor--laid before the Prince and some of his most
esteemed councillors the condition of the whole of the Dekhan, that
of its armies and parties, and the position of the Queen Dowager at
Ahmednugger, which he did not undervalue. He told them that they should
not despise the power of a woman like her, whom no danger could appal,
nor ordinary resistance overcome; and that in the Dekhan there was
no commander to equal her in the field; while the people loved her,
and would, most of them, support her to the last. The great object,
therefore, should be to shut her up in Ahmednugger before she could
withdraw the infant King to the protection of Beejapoor, which had
ample means for defence.
"And what, sir, may be your motive for offering your services to me?"
asked the Prince, doubtingly.
"Revenge," returned the other. "Ask me not for what; that may appear in
time even to thee. And, for the rest, accept this poor sword, or reject
it, as seems best to your Highness. To serve in the army of the King of
kings, under his famous son, has long been a dream of mine, wherever
that service might lead me. And now that it turns upon my enemies,
can I refuse? If my star is not fortunate to gain a place under your
Highness, I will seek my fortune elsewhere. I am a soldier, and know no
occupation other than my sword gives me."
"Such men are among the necessities of war," said the Prince to Khan
Khanan, his commander-in-chief, when they were alone. "What think you
of him?"
"I see deceit and treachery in his face," was the reply. "But what can
that signify to us? He has some scheme of private revenge to carry out,
and he will be faithful to that if not to us. Give him a command, for
he has undoubted knowledge of the country which no one else possesses,
and in this he will be of use."
So Osman Beg was attached to the division of Khan Jehan, and
accompanied the army in the capacity of guide and director of the
marches towards Ahmednugger.
Meanwhile Dom Diego had not been idle. Acting under the advice of his
banker at Surat, he had written a petition to the Prince, representing
himself as a soldier of fortune, recently arrived from Europe, who
had knowledge of the attack and defence of fortified places, and the
direction of artillery in the field; and, anxious for employment,
offered his services to the Royal army. While at Surat he had heard
from his cousin at Goa of the appointment of Francis d'Almeida as
Bishop of Ahmednugger, and subsequently, that he and his sister had
accompanied Queen Chand to her destination. What better opportunity
could be afforded for carrying off Maria than the turmoil of a siege
and assault. He had seen much service as a soldier in the East.
Personally he was brave, and in his own land had studied for the
profession of artillery and fortifications. There was no doubt as to
his probable usefulness. European adventurers had often rendered very
essential service to the Royal armies; but the best of them were at
Dehli, and should the applicant be what he described himself, his
presence against one of the most celebrated forts of the Dekhan,
improved, it was said, by the Portuguese, would be invaluable.
A few days after this, Dom Diego, accompanied by Pedro di Diaz and a
party of his sailors accustomed to the use of large guns, arrived in
the Royal camp, and was heartily welcomed. The fine martial figure of
the new comer made a favourable impression upon the Prince; and the
complete suit of mail in which he made his entry into camp, seated
on a noble Kattiwar charger, was remarkable and imposing. As before,
Pedro di Diaz was his interpreter, but he found the Prince to possess
a considerable knowledge of Portuguese, which he had learned at his
father's, the Emperor's Court; and Dom Diego, after a short interview,
found himself not only much more at his ease than he had expected to
be, but appointed to a lucrative post, as inspector and regulator of
the artillery.
As he was leaving the Prince's tent, an officer, apparently of the
Royal army, came up to him and said, "I ought to know that face. Hast
thou forgotten the mission of Moodgul and the plan of Eyn-ool-Moolk?"
"No; thou art Osman Beg," was the reply, "and I have not forgotten. But
thou here, my friend? Methought the fair Zóra, whom thou used to tell
me about, would have more charms for thee than war?"
"What has brought thee, O friend," returned the other, "has brought
me, strange as it is. There are two women in Ahmednugger whom we would
have. Nay, deny it not; and we may easily take them when there is none
to defend them. Your Maria is there; and what matter if you appear as a
soldier to gain her?"
"Thou hast guessed shrewdly, friend," was the reply; "it is even so. I
find my life dull without her, and such devotion as I offer to her may
be accepted at last. And if not--well, we shall see. I have no relish
for priestly offices, and war and its excitement suit me much better.
Will the Queen fight?"
"As far as a woman can, she undoubtedly will fight. Men may feel fear,
but she does not even in the face of imminent danger. If the people
with her are only true to her, you will see that the result will
flutter some of these silken love-birds of Dehli. Our Dekhan ways are
rough, but the men of Ahmednugger are roughest of all; and some of thy
countrymen made the fort what it is."
"Then it will require one of them to open the casket. Who knows where
to find the key? And if my old knowledge has not departed from me, I
may be able to do what force cannot do, or these wretched guns which
the Prince thinks so much of."
"And the guns of Ahmednugger foundries have ever been famous since the
days of Chuleby Roomy Khan, the Turk, and many have been bought from
your countrymen. I would advise caution, Señor; and may Alla send us
a good deliverance! When the time comes, we may be able to help each
other; till then we may meet seldom, or not at all, for my place will
be the advanced division."
"And mine with the main body and the Prince, where you will always find
me, Osman Beg, at your service. If you will keep your own counsel, I
can keep mine; and though we care for what we hope to win, there are
many here who would laugh at us if they knew our desires; and, from
what I hear, the Prince sets his face against any abduction of the
enemy's women."
"I, at least, can demand my wife, after the custom of our law," said
Osman Beg, with a swagger.
"When she is the wife of another? Ha! ha!" returned the priest, with a
sneering laugh. "You are not particular, perhaps, though I am. But we
need not interfere with each other; and so, farewell!"
While the great army was in slow but certain progress towards the goal
of its desire, we must return for a brief while to the personages
in this tale whom we left there. Since the coronation of the boy
King, Bahadur, there had been no violent disturbance of the public
peace; and though some of the leaders of parties still held aloof,
watching the course of events, others had frankly joined the Queen
and declared for her policy. The fort was now full of men, and one of
the best soldiers of the State, Nihung Khan, who had been confined
at Dowlutabad for several years, was released by Mullek Umber, and
sent, with six thousand good cavalry, to keep the frontier, and, if
necessary, to join the Queen. The Queen herself, with calm fortitude,
collected provisions till the fort granaries were quite full. Every
piece of ordnance was thoroughly inspected, and made fit for service.
Shot, powder, entrenching tools, and gabions were prepared; nor,
in consultation with her artillery officers, was any measure left
incomplete for defence. All walls, huts, and some houses which had
encroached upon the esplanade were levelled, and nothing existed to
obstruct the fire of the place. She was fearful of exciting jealousy
in the minds of her troops, and did not therefore appoint Abbas Khan
to the command of the fort, as she wished to do; but he was her
indefatigable assistant in every department; nor was there a day in
which the Royal lady did not visit works in progress, or go out on
visits of inspection to points where it was suggested trenches might be
made, or other hindrances to the enemy's advance contrived.
There continued, however, one permanent source of disquietude and
anxiety to her, which was the inactivity of the Beejapoor and Golconda
forces, for as yet they had made no forward movement; and as the
weather was now open, they ought to have taken up the positions she had
suggested. Once, indeed, when she wrote to Soheil Khan, the Beejapoor
officer in command, that the Moghul cavalry were about to make a
movement to turn the flank of the general defences of the kingdom,
twelve thousand cavalry were despatched from Nuldroog, by way of Bheer,
to hold them in check; but the movement proved futile, the Beejapoor
force was defeated and routed by six thousand Moghuls, under Khan Jehan
Lody, one of the best generals of the army, and the Beejapoor troops
fled back from the Godavery in confusion, to tell tales of Moghul
prowess, which considerably added to the existing alarm. In truth,
Osman Beg had rendered essential service in this movement. By a rapid
march he had turned the flank of the forces which covered Dowlutabad;
he had prevented the junction of Nihung Khan's troops with those of
Beejapoor; and by the defeat of the latter, the rear of Ahmednugger,
the fertile plain of the Godavery, and several easy passes up to the
very precincts of the fort, were left in almost perfect tranquillity
to the invaders. Thenceforth the Queen knew she had no one from whom
she could expect aid, but she did not relax her preparations or her
vigilance. She knew her nephew could not leave Beejapoor, for without
one or other of them the capital could not be trusted; and Soheil Khan,
the general who had been sent with the cavalry, though a brave man, was
by no means an enterprising officer, or one on whom she could depend
in an emergency. Oh! that it had been Humeed Khan, or anyone of the
devoted friends who had ever supported her, then there would have been
neither doubt nor hesitation. Soheil Khan was a calm, reflective man,
and it was on this account, perhaps, that he had been sent. He could
perceive clearly enough that if Beejapoor took any open part in the
war, the Moghuls, when Ahmednugger fell, would infallibly declare war
against it, and that, under all considerations, would be the safest
policy.
At first, our friends the Bishop and his sister had thought that peace
would not be broken. The Queen seemed so firm in her position, the
fort was so strong, and the enemy so distant, that Francis d'Almeida
did not like to defer taking up the charge he was responsible for to
his Church; and, taking advantage of the arrival of Mullek Umber, they
travelled in his suite on his return; but they found only comparatively
very few Christians at Dowlutabad, who were cultivators of grapes
and oranges, and a few at the new city of Kirkee, which was then
being built--who were gunners and soldiers. Many years before, a lay
monk had settled among them from Goa, and had contrived to keep the
little flock together; but both Francis and Maria saw that it could
not readily increase, and that it would be a waste of time to remain
there longer than would be necessary to establish the foundations of
what might arise hereafter; and when a small chapel in the city of
Kirkee was completed under Mullek Umber's assistance, who, it was
believed, had greater reverence for his old faith than was consistent
with his profession of Islam, they took their departure, and arrived
at Ahmednugger shortly before the irruption of the Moghuls and the
defeat of the Beejapoor forces had closed the valley of the Godavery to
general travellers.
The Queen was rejoiced at her friends' arrival. If for a brief
time she had doubted whether the comparative quiet and security of
Dowlutabad would not prove more attractive to them than the imminent
risk of war which menaced her, their arrival dispelled all such
thoughts, and she estimated at its full worth the devotion and good
faith of the Bishop and his sister. They had not only returned to their
flock, but were prepared to render such assistance as their peaceful
calling enabled them to do very usefully and practically. As there
was no apparent chance of being relieved by Beejapoor, and an attack
by the Moghul army appeared more and more imminent every day, from
the reports of progress by the enemy, the worthy Bishop set himself
to organise something in the form of a hospital, in which Maria, from
former experience at Goa, was able to render her brother very essential
service. A large magazine was cleared out, and fitted as well as
circumstances would allow for the purpose. Bandages, splints, and such
other necessaries as could be obtained, were stored in it; and while
the result was watched curiously by the garrison, yet it gave assurance
in no small degree that the wounded would be cared for, and not left to
chance, as was too often the case.
We need not, perhaps, follow the daily routine of lives which had no
change, nor any alleviation of anxiety common to all. The Queen held
her accustomed durbars, and received reports; she visited the posts as
often as was possible, especially at night, to guard against surprise;
and with the danger growing nearer and nearer, appeared to display
increasing fortitude and resignation, and this demeanour had incited
in her garrison the highest spirit of devotion and loyalty. Maria
and Zóra, her indefatigable assistants, had their hands full of work
of their own; but at times of comparative leisure they met together,
read to or conversed with their Royal mistress, or often in the still
evenings sat with her on the terrace roof of the palace, looking over
the wide country, and watching the bodies of troops marching to their
posts, or exercising in the open space in the centre of the fort, till
the evening watches were set, and all at last was at rest.
If Nihung Khan and his Abyssinians could but arrive, the accession of
strength would prove an additional security. But day after day passed,
and he came not. There were no means of communicating with him, while
messenger after messenger was captured or cut off by the force of Khan
Jehan Lody, which seemed to be as ubiquitous as it was vigilant. But
the Queen did not abandon hope, she knew Nihung Khan to be wary and
vigilant, and should he confine himself to the duty of harassing the
besiegers and cutting off their supplies, important services would be
rendered.
And at last no doubt remained. On December 12, according to the local
history, the leading troops of the Moghuls advanced within sight of the
fortress. All the morning their kettledrums and trumpets had been heard
in the distance, and by a little after noon the crowd of officers, of
cavalry, with the Prince's royal canopy in the centre, borne upon a
lofty elephant, appeared in the vicinity of the Hushti Bihisht Gardens,
which had been the scene of many a pleasant day's festival for the
Queen and her companions. It was in vain that Abbas Khan, and spirited
young leaders like himself, pressed her to allow them to make a sally
and endeavour to throw the enemy into confusion; the Queen positively
forbade the attempt. If Nihung Khan did appear, they might advance
to assist him; but any reverse now would make her situation more
desperate, and render the defence of the fort--in which she, perhaps,
placed too much confidence--out of the question altogether.
Early next morning they watched the great army form in line--a
magnificent though terrible spectacle--and the Royal Prince,
accompanied by some officers, rode round the fort, out of reach of
shots, pointing out to the leaders of each division the ground it was
to occupy. One officer, who acted more boldly than the rest, advanced
near enough to be within reach of shot, but escaped unhurt. As they all
watched him from the roof of the palace, Abbas Khan felt sure he was a
European; but the Royal army contained many such adventurers, and the
Bishop, though he could not distinguish the features, felt a conviction
that it could be no other than Dom Diego. He, however, kept his own
counsel, and said nothing to his sister.
During that day and part of the next the investiture of the fort was
completed on three sides--north, west, and south; but the east side
was not closed. Now Nihung Khan, whose advance had been so eagerly
looked for, had made a rapid march to Beejapoor, and had represented
to the King Ibrahim the extreme danger of the Queen's position. He had
succeeded in obtaining some cavalry, which with his own levy made up
about seven thousand men; and with this he had hoped to arrive before
the fort was invested, but if not, to cut his way through the enemy's
lines. He had also, when within twelve miles of the fort, sent out
spies, who not only reported to him that the east side was as yet
unoccupied, but contrived to inform the Queen that he was at hand, and
would, God willing, be with her next day; and we may imagine with what
intense anxiety he was expected.
The Queen had arisen before daylight, and was watching with Zóra from
their usual place, when they heard suddenly a great but distant clamour
arise to the eastward of the fort, which continued for some time. At
last a body of horsemen, some few hundreds only in number, emerged
from under cover of some hedges, and at headlong speed crossed the
esplanade. It was Nihung Khan, who had marched during the night with
his whole body, but found that, instead of an open passage to the fort,
he became engaged with the Khan Khanan's powerful division of the Royal
army. He himself, with his immediate body-guard, had cut his way
through the enemy to join his Royal mistress, leaving the main body,
which had retreated, to retire upon the Beejapoor forces. Welcome as a
gallant soldier like Nihung Khan was, even with a comparative handful
of men, yet, on the other hand, there was no longer any doubt that the
investiture of the fort was complete, and that the siege had commenced.
The enemy's operations were conducted with skill and military science.
No other measures would have been available against such a place
as Ahmednugger. Dom Diego, after several feints, established his
head-quarters and trenches on the south-west side of the fort, and
thence continued his approaches by regular parallels to the crest of
the glacis, or as near as possible to the point, whence, eventually,
the breaching batteries were established; but the defenders' artillery
was infinitely superior to his own, and the operations had been slow
and difficult. Not only did the artillerists of the fort maintain their
ancient reputation, but the practice of the Arabs in the garrison
was very fatal. With their excellent matchlocks nothing could show
itself in the Moghul trenches without being hit, and the real terror
they inspired was very great. Then the garrison became more and more
confident, and their courage rose in proportion. Day and night the
Queen herself patrolled the fort, watching the terrible game with a
kind of fascination. Nor could her ordinary companions be restrained
from sharing the danger with her; while, at night, the well-known
slight figures, passing from post to post, were greeted with many a
fervent blessing and prayer for their safety. And who shall tell of
the gentle ministrations of Maria and her brother; the care and skill
with which wounds were dressed; the soothing and thirst-assuaging
drinks that were composed and ministered? Sometimes the worthy Bishop
would accompany Meeah in his rounds, or sit with him at his post,
offering a hint here, a suggestion there, as far as his small military
skill enabled him to do; and when the point of attack was finally
established, his directions as to the flanking fire to be maintained,
in case any breach was made, were eminently useful. "Priests," he
said one day, laughing, "need not be soldiers; yet in my country many
a Bishop has been obliged to fight for the cause of his Church, and
why not I for my little flock?" Thus, in the semi-circular bastion at
the angle, which was large and roomy, and held a number of guns, he
succeeded in placing two of the best pieces in the fort; and for the
defence and the cover of the gunners he used large gabions filled with
earth, which afforded complete protection. It was in vain that Dom
Diego directed his guns upon this and other large bastions defended
in the same manner. The nearer he approached, the more deadly was the
defenders' fire. His trenches were raked by it, and by no means could
it be silenced. Nor were the Ahmednugger gunners forgetful of the
legend of the employment of bags of the heavy square copper money of
the country, and occasionally a shower of it was sent hurtling through
the air with a screaming noise which inspired more terror, perhaps,
than it did actual mischief, except at very close quarters.
In truth, Dom Diego's position was not an enviable one. The Prince had
looked to him to discover some easy manner in which the fort might be
at once assaulted and taken by storm. Any sacrifice of men he would
have considered of no consequence; but the admirable construction of
Ahmednugger forbade any attempt at escalade with hope of success. Its
lofty walls, its deep and extremely broad ditch, the height of the
counterscarp and defences for musketry were unapproachable. The Moghul
artillery, too, was none of the best, and was too light for siege
purposes; very little effect had been produced upon the lower part of
the fort. Here and there a few stones had been broken and displaced,
but the facing only covered and marked the real strength which was in
the earth, solidified by age, of which the rampart was composed. Day
after day guns melted at the vent or at the muzzle, and became useless,
and no progress was made.
On the part of the commanders of the Royal army, two anxieties of a
very serious character were ever present. Provisions were getting
very scarce, scarce enough to reduce the ordinary rations of the men
and horses. For although the Beejapoor troops did not advance to the
capital, they had command of the most fertile districts, from which
grain and forage could be derived; and the circle grew narrower. This,
however, was kept a profound secret, and the operations were continued
as usual.
The beginning of February had now arrived, and progress in the siege
was as dilatory as ever; and at a council of war the whole chances of
success were discussed calmly. Should the Beejapoor troops advance, the
siege must be raised; and in regard to the siege itself all seemed to
depend upon the success of mining, which Dom Diego had counselled from
the first, but which the native excavators declared to be impossible
on account of the firm, stony nature of the soil. If mines could be
carried under even one of the central bastions, and a breach made,
there would, it was considered, be no doubt of success.
Just then the Queen wrote in the most urgent terms she could to the
Beejapoor officers. If they advanced at once, and operated against the
rear of the Moghul lines, nothing could save the enemy from defeat,
and most likely destruction, for their cattle were already dying of
starvation; the fort was still intact, and there had been but few
casualties; in short, that victory was within their grasp if they would
but take it. These letters were intercepted by Osman Beg, who took them
to the Prince, who added a few lines of his own in a chivalrous spirit,
to the effect that he had marched from Dehli on purpose to cross swords
with the cavaliers of the Dekhan, and was waiting for them, and
trusted they would not delay the opportunity he had so long desired.
But no result followed on these letters, and the Queen almost began to
despair of the good faith of Beejapoor. Why should they allow such an
opportunity to escape? Again and again did Abbas Khan and Nihung Khan
press her to allow them to depart secretly and make their way through
the hills; but the Royal lady felt that the danger to the fort must
draw to a head, and whether the Moghuls raised the siege and departed,
or whether the crisis of an assault arrived, their presence was alike
indispensable.