Storia do Mogor : or, Mogul India, 1653-1708 / by Niccolao Manucci, Venetian ; tr., with introduction and notes, by William Irvine.

Storia do Mogor, or, Mogul India, 1653-1708 / by Niccolao Manucci, Venetian ; tr., with introduction and notes, by William Irvine.

  • Manucci, Niccolò, 1639-approximately 1717.
Date:
1907-08
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Storia do Mogor, or, Mogul India, 1653-1708 / by Niccolao Manucci, Venetian ; tr., with introduction and notes, by William Irvine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    475/512 (page 353)
    EVACUATION OF BHAKKAR 3S3 that we were not afraid, he ordered a number of vessels of artificial fire to be set light to, so that it was clear as day. Thereupon Khalllullah Khan, finding that he could not succeed, turned his face, discomfited, towards Lahor, and left us invested as before. Forty days after the departure of [253] Khalilullah Khan, we saw one morning a numerous force pass over the river from west to east at some distance from the fortress. Our artillery began to pound them as hard as it could. At this moment a horseman appeared on the river bank with a small white flag displayed. At once the eunuch gave an order for a small boat to fetch the horseman. On his entering the fortress he de- livered a letter to the eunuch, and proclaimed loudly thus : ‘ I demand on behalf of Aurangzeb that you surrender this strong- hold, since we are carrying with us in this army the Prince Darà, whom we have a prisoner.’ Hearing this sad and un- expected news, we were all cast down and dropped our arms. The eunuch told the horseman he could not make over the place without the order of his prince, the Lord Darà, from whom he had received charge. The messenger went away with this answer. Before he had reached the farther bank, we saw coming seven boats full of armed men carrying a number of flags^ Their officer was called Chegatcan (? Chaghatàe Khàn), an Uzbak by race ; he was highly elated, as if entering in triumph into his own house. I gave an order to my men to get their guns ready, and some pieces with grape (varrer, literally, ‘ to sweep with a broom ’). When they had already got near, we gave them a round from the artillery, which did a good deal of damage, both to the boats and to the men. After that they retreated, while our artillery went on firing. Seeing how resolute we were, Bahàdur KKàn repaired to Prince Darà, and requested him to order the eunuch to sur- render the stronghold, since, the garrison being firm in their resistance, in all probability the whole of them would come to a miserable end within the fortress. On hearing this Darà had compassion upon his eunuch and upon us, and wrote a note with his own hand, stating: ‘ Unfortunate in the one for 23 VOL. I.