DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.643#0077
WESTERN HINDOOSTAN. 57
By the light of the fire the imperial army law the barbarous
rites, and entered the deferted breaches, led on by Akbar. The
Ratpoots, devoting themfelves to death, retired to their temples.
The victor ordered three hundred elephants of war to be intro-
duced to tread to death the gallant victims. The fcene became
now too mocking to be defcribed. Brave men, rendered more
valiant by defpair, crouded round the elephants, feized them
even by the tuiks, and inflicted on them unavailing wounds.
The terrible animals trod the Indians like grafshoppers under
their feet, or winding them in their powerful trunks toned them
into the air, or dafhed them to pieces againft the walls and
pavements. Of the garrifon and of the inhabitants, who
amounted to forty thoufand, thirty thoufand were 'flain ; a few
only efcaped in the confufion, by tying their own children like
captives, and driving them through the royal camp *.
Sir Thomas Roe paffed through it in his way to Agimere, in
1612, and gives the following melancholy account of it's then
ftate : " Cytor is an antient ruined city, on a hill, but fhews the
" footfleps of wonderful magnificence. There are ftill ftanding
u above a hundred churches, all of carved ftone, many fair
«' towers and lanthorns, many pillars, and innumerable houfes,
" but not one inhabitant. There is but one fteep afcent cut
*< out of the rock, and four gates in the afcent before you come
" to the city gate, which is magnificent. The hill is enclofed
" at the top for about eight cones, and at the fouth-weft end is
" a goodly caftlet."
Let not this, or feveral other inftances of unprincely barba-
rity, be attributed to the influence of climate. The greateft
• Dow's Feriflita, ii. 276. f Churchill's Coll. i. p. 77c, 8i2»
Vol, I. I monarchy
By the light of the fire the imperial army law the barbarous
rites, and entered the deferted breaches, led on by Akbar. The
Ratpoots, devoting themfelves to death, retired to their temples.
The victor ordered three hundred elephants of war to be intro-
duced to tread to death the gallant victims. The fcene became
now too mocking to be defcribed. Brave men, rendered more
valiant by defpair, crouded round the elephants, feized them
even by the tuiks, and inflicted on them unavailing wounds.
The terrible animals trod the Indians like grafshoppers under
their feet, or winding them in their powerful trunks toned them
into the air, or dafhed them to pieces againft the walls and
pavements. Of the garrifon and of the inhabitants, who
amounted to forty thoufand, thirty thoufand were 'flain ; a few
only efcaped in the confufion, by tying their own children like
captives, and driving them through the royal camp *.
Sir Thomas Roe paffed through it in his way to Agimere, in
1612, and gives the following melancholy account of it's then
ftate : " Cytor is an antient ruined city, on a hill, but fhews the
" footfleps of wonderful magnificence. There are ftill ftanding
u above a hundred churches, all of carved ftone, many fair
«' towers and lanthorns, many pillars, and innumerable houfes,
" but not one inhabitant. There is but one fteep afcent cut
*< out of the rock, and four gates in the afcent before you come
" to the city gate, which is magnificent. The hill is enclofed
" at the top for about eight cones, and at the fouth-weft end is
" a goodly caftlet."
Let not this, or feveral other inftances of unprincely barba-
rity, be attributed to the influence of climate. The greateft
• Dow's Feriflita, ii. 276. f Churchill's Coll. i. p. 77c, 8i2»
Vol, I. I monarchy