Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/214

 mine had not been tampered with. The emperor, bitterly disappointed, announced that the assault had been postponed to the next day, and returned to his tents.

The failure of the third mine was not the only important event of this eventful day. Firuz Jang, the commander-in-chief of the besieging force, was wounded in two places, and, as it thus became necessary to fill his place, the emperor's third son, Muhammad A'zam, was appointed to the command. At the same time Aurangzib issued a proclamation formally annexing to the empire the kingdom of Golconda. Its issue may seem to have been premature, seeing that the capital had not yet fallen, and that Abul Hasan still had troops of his own in the field besides his allies, the Marathas, but it was not in fact so, for the ultimate fate both of the fortress and of the kingdom was assured, and it was by no means too early for arrangements for the better administration of districts in which anarchy prevailed, all semblance of civil administration being of necessity wanting. The latest addition to the empire was styled Daru-l-jihad-i-Haidarabad, or Haidarabad, the seat of war. Mughal officers were appointed to collect the revenue and administer justice. The consideration which Hinduism had enjoyed in the Deccan for more than three centuries was changed to persecution, and Hindu temples in Haidarabad, now the headquarters of the Mughal administrators, were overthrown, a rigid system of police being inaugurated for the prevention of unlawful rites and unlawful amusements.

About this time Saff Shikan Khan was accused of collusion with the besieged and was thrown into prison, his property being confiscated. It was, however, very soon discovered that the accusation was entirely false, his accusers being some of his fellow-countrymen and co-religion- ists (he was a Persian and a Shiah) whose religious susceptibilities he had offended by an unguarded expression intended to convey to them his conviction that the siege ought to be prosecuted at all costs. Aurangzib had little regard for Shiah susceptibilities, and much for an officer whose opinions coincided with his own on the great question of the moment. Saff Shikan Khan was accordingly released from prison, and was placed in command of the artillery.

Those of Abul Hasan's amirs who still remained faithful to him now began to weary of the apparently interminable siege. They