Annals of the Turkish Empire, from 1591 to 1659Naima, Mustafa
History
Annals of the Turkish Empire, from 1591 to 1659
Naima, Mustafa
Turkey -- History -- 1453-1683
The government of Buda was conferred on the beglerbeg of Romeili,
Mohammed Páshá. Four thousand janissaries, under the command of a
túrnají báshí, were ordered to accompany Mohammed Páshá to Buda. On
their return to that fortress they passed through the country of
Segdin. Winter having come on, preparations for assisting Kaniza were
immediately commenced.
_Kaniza is besieged._
We have already mentioned the manœuvre practised by Hasan Páshá,
governor of Kaniza, and the arrival of the infidel army within a stage
or one day’s journey of the above city and fortress.
On the 8th of Rabia II., five thousand of the above army appeared in
the vicinity of Kaniza, on the road which led to Vienna. The governor
gave the strictest orders to the head of the artillery not to fire on
them, and forbade any of the cavalry to venture out: for the object of
this hostile party, he observed, was to seize prisoners where and how
they could. Let the foot soldiers, continued he, meet them with their
fire-arms and contend with them; and he immediately placed a number
of effective men at each of the gates. The order of the governor was
obeyed. The heroes who went to dispute the progress of the enemy,
manfully maintained the bloody contest till mid-day, when the enemy
retired to their tábúr, leaving many of their men, as well as of their
horses, on the field of battle. Ferdinand was informed of the result;
but, it would seem, knew nothing of the attempt they had made, and
strongly reproved them for it.
Next day (the 9th), Ferdinand himself called one of his princes,
ordered him to advance with a party, and by all means endeavour to
seize some prisoners. This was the very object the party, the day
before, had in view. This second party advanced till they were under
the very guns of the fortress, and contended with the heroes formerly
mentioned till the hour of afternoon prayers, when they, instead
of retiring as on the previous day, stopped and cried out: “by the
religion of Mohammed, if you have only one gun fire it.” The heroes,
in compliance with the instructions of their governor, replied, that
though they might have such, yet that they had till then refrained
from using them, and had spared their lives. The enemy believed this,
and rejoicingly went and told it to Ferdinand the king. The king
immediately called a council of his great men, and communicated this
intelligence to them. On the following day (the 10th), he sent forth a
party a third time, who fought more desperately than on either of the
preceding days. On this occasion they again requested the Moslems to
fire a gun, that their king might hear its report in his camp or tábúr.
The former answer was returned to them, with this addition: “We are
here but for a few days, like strangers. Would a man live in a desolate
island-like place as this? Our emperor has many thousand palankas like
this Kaniza.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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