Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/114

 ten days succeeded in bringing his artillery to the edge of the ditch, and breached the bastion now known as the Fath Burj. Muazzam Khan and Mir Jumla then led a storming party against the defenders of the breach. Sidi Ambar Khan, one of Malik Marjan's lieutenants, had constructed a magazine within the enceinte and filled it with powder, rockets, and grenades. One of Mir Jumla's rockets struck this magazine, which exploded, severely burning Mahk Marjan and his two sons. They were carried into the citadel, while Aurangzib entered the Darwassa-i-Nauras, which he re-named the Fath Darwaza, or '"gate of victory." The sons of Malik Marjan asked for two days' grace in order that they might secure their property. On the second or third day Malik Marjan died and was buried in the tomb of Makhdum-i-Qadiri. His sons then surrendered the citadel, and Aurangzib made his triumphal entry on the 18th April 1656, and Bidar was annexed to the Mughal empire. With the fort were captured twelve lakhs of rupees in cash, ammunition worth eight lakhs of rupees, and 230 guns. There is now in Bidar a curious collection of old arms, most of which date apparently from the time when the fort was captured by Aurangzib, or from an earlier period.

In 1677, after Aurangzib had come to the throne, Qalandar Khan built a mosque in Bidar, the date of the completion of which was given in a neat chronogram. This mosque has apparently disappeared, but unfortunately the inscription which recorded the date of its completion has been removed and set up in the great mosque of sixteen arches, which is sometimes attributed to Ahmad Shah Wah, but was built, according to Khafi Khan, by Mahmud Gawan. It is a simple, but massive and imposing building in the Pathan style of architecture, with one large dome. It is an excellent example of the style in which it is built, but will not bear comparison with the great mosque at Gulbarga, and, unlike that building, labours under the disadvantage of being hemmed in by buildings which dwarf it and prevent the spectator from obtaining a view sufficiently comprehensive to convey a just idea of its admirable proportions and simple grandeur.

The ruins of the Takht Mahal or royal palace of the Bahmanis are more remarkable for their mass than for architectural beauty, but this building has suffered so much from neglect and from deliberate destruciveness that the ruin conveys no idea of the appearance of the palace