Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/87

 first refusal of them. The dealers replied that they had done so, but Vinayaka Deva had paid no heed to what they said. It needed but this to inflame the wrath of Muhammad Shah, who was already incensed by the thought that Vinayaka Deva had once escaped him, and he took the field without delay, leaving his minister as his deputy at Gulbarga. He marched by way of Kahani to Bidar, where he left the main body of his army to follow at leisure while he pressed on with no more than a thousand horsemen to Vailampallam, travelling at such speed that he covered a month's march in a week. On arriving at Vailampallam with his small force he found that success was not to be attained without stratagem. A small body of Afghans was sent on in advance of the army and gained admittance to the city on the pretence that they were peaceful merchants who had been robbed of their goods and were fleeing from the robbers. While the guards at the gates were employed in questioning the pretended fugitives Muhammad Shah arrived with his thousand horsemen, and the guards made for the gates in order to shut them on the newcomers, who were believed to be the robbers. This belief throws some light on the administration of criminal justice and the nature of the government of a Hindu state in the fourteenth century. That a band of robbers who had already secured their booty should pursue their victims into a fenced city with murderous intent was apparently regarded us nothing unusual. The Afghans meanwhile played the part assigned to them. They attacked and overpowered the guards and Muhammad Shah entered the city with his small force and massacred all who were found in the streets. Vinayaka Deva was enjoying himself in a garden, and with difficulty escaped to the citadel, to which Muhammad Shah laid siege, impressing all the citizens into his service for the manufacture of scaling ladders. The Hindu prince lost heart on observing the determination of the besiegers and considering the impossibility of the arrival of aid, and at nightfall a wicket in rear of the citadel was opened and Vinayaka Deva with a few faithful attendants took to flight. Muhammad Shah had received information of the prince's intention, and the fugitives were pursued and overtaken almost immediately, and meanwhile the Muhammadan force entered the citadel and took possession of all the treasure. On the following morning Vinayaka Deva was summoned to the royal presence and