EVENTS of the Year 1011, H.
Hasan Páshá recovers Alba Julia.
Towards the end of the preceding year the páshá made every preparation for commencing a new campaign in the beginning of this year. A new bridge was erected on the Save: he was joined by the ághá of the janissaries from Constantinople about the commencement of Moharrem, and troops from all quarters poured into his camp. The troops that accompanied the ághá from the metropolis received double wages: provisions were distributed, and vessels laden with the same article were sent off for Buda. The royal camp, in the greatest haste, removed from Belgrade and arrived at Serim on the 15th of the month. Badalooshka cannon were transported from Buda to the camp, and on the 22nd Alba Julia was put under siege. Lála Mohammed Páshá, from Buda, encamped on the south side, in front of the city; the grand vezír (i.e. the commander-in-chief, Yemishjí Hasan Páshá) took up his position on one side, and the ághá of the janissaries, with nine pieces of ordnance, presented himself before the gate. Mohammed Páshá, with the army of Romeili and five pieces of ordnance, and Dervísh Páshá, the beglerbeg of Bosnia, with the army of Buda, entered into entrenchments, and immediately erected mounds. Three thousand chosen men and four thousand pioneers were under the immediate eye of the grand vezír. After a few days of constant battering, the besieging army sprung four mines, which had some considerable effect, and soon afterwards they took possession of the large tower, but were obliged to relinquish it. The enemy, besides, had formed a kind of wall or mound within their ramparts, which served to protect them against the besieging army’s artillery. No great progress had hitherto been made.
On the 17th of the month Sefer, about the hour of dinner, and the hot part of the day, a servant of Mohammed Páshá started suddenly upon his feet, seized a standard, ran in the greatest haste to the tower, and fixed it on its top. The janissaries and others no sooner saw this, than they immediately went and took possession of it, causing the few men who watched it to fly. The enemy, however, continued to trust to their strong bulwarks, and thought themselves safe. They were miserably mistaken. The Moslem and orthodox warriors opened upon them a brisk fire of musketry, which drove them from their position. Mohammed Páshá succeeded in getting into the city and took it. When the serdár heard that his troops had taken the tower before-mentioned, he ordered his tent to be immediately erected near it.
The enemy perceiving the progress of the besiegers, and that they were assaulting them, in fact, from every quarter, fled into the inner fortress. This last refuge of theirs was attacked in its turn. By means of mounds which they soon raised for their own protection, they were enabled to effect some mines, which they had no sooner ignited than one of the towers was blown into the air and a sufficient breach made. The courage of the poor devils when they saw this gave way, and they offered to yield up the place. A certain number of their chief officers came out and received, as on former occasions, garments and were sent off with the rest of the military of Alba Julia to their own countries. The victorious Moslems, after taking possession of this important place, placed a sufficient garrison in it, and the rest of their troops returned to Buda about the end of the month last mentioned.
The Commander-in-chief conducts an expedition into Transylvania.
In consequence of the woiwoda of Transylvania having, contrary to all law and justice, entered by violence into a fortress belonging to Sekul Murish, one of the independent princes of Transylvania, where he seized on its treasures and arms, and slew the men who were in it, the above prince, during the winter season, came to the serdár and solicited his aid, promising he would, if thus supplied with sufficient means, subdue the whole of the region of Transylvania under the Mohammedan yoke. The serdár placed confidence in his promises, and therefore determined to aid him in person. All this had taken place before the reduction of Alba Julia, for which, however, the serdár was preparing when the above prince came to him.
The serdár, or commander-in-chief, having fully achieved what he was at that time preparing for, as related in the preceding section, and having no reason to expect danger from any quarter, passed over from Buda to the plains of Pest. The infidels’ camp was at a place called Jegirdelin, opposite to Osterghún.
As the orthodox Moslems used to call out every evening, Allah! Allah! so also the infidels cried out from one certain place, every morning and evening, the word Yesú, and immediately after this discharged their large cannon. Yesú is a corruption of Isa (Jesus) in the gospel. The sound of the guns fired by the infidels was heard at Pest.
Súfí Sinán Páshá was appointed commandant of Buda, for Kází Zádeh Alí Páshá, the beglerbeg of Buda, who had been present at the siege of Alba Julia, was there wounded by a musket-ball, and carried off the field in a litter or sledge. This Alí Páshá came along with Hábel Effendí, the cazí of Buda, to the serdár, and remonstrated against leaving Buda defenceless. You will not be two stages distant, said they, before the infidels will come and surround us. The danger of this circumstance seemed to press very much upon their imagination, and they did not fail to paint it in lively colours to the serdár. “Though it be perfectly true,” said the serdár in return, “that we hear the sound of the enemy’s cannon, yet it would be very unwise to leave Ardil Oghlí (i.e. the prince of Transylvania) in possession of Lipovah and Yanovah in the jurisdiction of Temiswar. There are only about six or seven thousand troops in the enemy’s camp, and their object is to terrify the Moslem army from entering Transylvania. They are not sufficiently strong to offer to attack you. You have no reason whatever to fear they will do so; be therefore easy in your minds on this score.” Thus did the serdár endeavour to soothe their terrors; but Alí Páshá replied: “My lord, allow me to inform you that some spies sent out by me returned last night, and informed me that there are more than eighty thousand soldiers and forty pieces of ordnance in the enemy’s camp, and that their object is to attack Buda. Let Hábel Effendí note down what I have now said, and if it turns out to be false, then you may take what vengeance you please on me.” Yemishjí Páshá himself, a proud obstinate Albanian, remained immoveable in maintaining his own assertions, viz. that the enemy had no other view than merely to frighten them from entering Transylvania, and that they had neither strength nor intention to attack Buda. In the meantime, when Mohammed Páshá, beglerbeg of Romeili, perceived the serdár’s obstinacy, he asked to be permitted to make an excursion as far as Filk and Sitchan, and carry thence what plunder he might be able to take. His request was not acceded to; and the following day, the first of Rabia II., the serdár marched off for Solnuk, which he reached in four days, carrying along with him five pieces of cannon and one hundred sháhs (a kind of smaller ordnance). In four days more he crossed the Tise, and on the 11th of the same month reached the palanka of Sarwash. The troops of Julia and Temiswar joined his camp at this place; but he had scarcely time to hold a council of his great men, when, behold! messengers with evil intelligence from Buda waited upon him.
Pest taken.—Buda is besieged.
The enemy had no sooner heard of the commander-in-chiefs movements than they began to put their cannon in order for marching. King Ferdinand ordered his Hungarian, Croatian, and Frank army, and various captains to advance before him. On arriving at Old Buda, they crossed over to the island of Kislar, by means of a bridge of boats, thence proceeded in boats to Pest, destroyed its bridge, and entered it on the side next the river, where there happened to be no wall. On the land side they planted their artillery. With the exception of a company of Moslems who had occupied a large tower on the banks of the Danube, and who had escaped by means of boats, the whole of the rest, men, women, and children, fell into the hands of the invaders. About five thousand of these hateful infidels were left in possession of Pest, whilst the rest of their army returned and encamped before Old Buda, and took possession of a palanka called Kiris Elias which belonged to it. At Gul Bábá, opposite the great earthen tower, they placed ten pieces of cannon, and opened entrenchments before the gates which open towards Vienna and Awa, and thus commenced the siege of Buda.
The messengers who, post haste, brought intelligence of the enemy’s movements to the serdár, found him, as before mentioned, engaged in holding a council of his great men at Sarwash. The serdár, as may easily be imagined, became absolutely frantic with rage when he learned from the messenger the state of things at Buda. Without a moment’s delay, however, he ordered off two thousand chosen men under the command of Núh Páshá, the beglerbeg of Anatolia, to the aid of Buda, whilst he himself followed the body of his army. In four days he reached Pest, and encamped in its neighbourhood. Here he was soon made to perceive that the enemy was hotly engaged in endeavouring to reduce Buda, battering its walls with no less than twenty-eight pieces of ordnance; nor were they in the least degree alarmed by the approach of the Moslem forces. Pest, too, was filled with the enemy’s troops, and therefore, at that time, not easily taken. They also erected a kind of bridge between Kizlar áta and the last-mentioned place; and thus effectually hindered all communications between the Moslem army and Buda.
The obstinate Albanian (the commander-in-chief) now found more than sufficient reason to repent his having left Buda. To no good purpose whatever he opened ten pieces of artillery in one or two places against Pest. He disposed his line of entrenchments in such a way as that the people of Buda could easily salute their brethren near Pest. The one besieged, the other besieging. The Moslems, however, contrived to erect four badalooshkas, by means of which they broke down the bridge the enemy had erected at Pest, and thus prevented any further intercourse with it; but it was the cause of a greater increase of the enemy’s number at Buda.
During the space of fifteen days the Moslem camp before Pest experienced the most dreadful hardships for want of provisions. One kíleh (a measure) of flour sold for twenty pieces of gold, and one of barley for fifteen, and when no more could be had for any price, the troops were obliged to be supplied, though at the utmost risk, from Buda. This was secretly accomplished by boats, which were sent over from under the water-gate. The Budians, however, began to murmur, and remonstrated against supplying them with an article which they themselves might soon be in need of. All further supply of this kind was, therefore, prohibited; but this prohibition was, notwithstanding, found ineffectual. Some for the love of money sold provisions, and others there were who sent a supply to their friends.
At length, Alí Páshá, the same who counselled the commander-in-chief against leaving Buda when he went on his fruitless expedition into Transylvania, Hábel Effendí, Alí Páshá’s coadjutor, and the ághá of the janissaries, went to the serdár and told him plainly they would not afford any further supply of provisions. “If you,” said they, “continue ten days longer, all the provisions in Buda will be exhausted: send us, therefore, Mohammed Páshá with a certain number of troops, and do you go away altogether.” Mohammed Páshá seemed at first inclined to decline this proposal, but afterwards said, that he had been two years already in Buda, but that if he was ordered to remain another year in it he would endeavour to do his duty. The Budians fell upon their knees and begged him to accept of the office; they also petitioned the serdár himself, and kissed his beard; so earnest were they that Mohammed Páshá should remain with them. The serdár condescended to grant them their request. One thousand men whose pay had been advanced, and one thousand feudatory troops were appointed to Buda, besides military stores and money. He also sent a robe of honour to Mohammed Páshá. After the hour of the afternoon prayers, Yemishjí Hasan Páshá turned his face towards his barks, moved away on foot, bidding adieu to scenes which reflected no honour on his military skill, prudence, or courage.
Mohammed Páshá was a man of grave deportment, chaste manners, and an officer of inflexible firmness and of great courage. When in the siege, if any of his troops raised a commotion on account of the scarcity of provisions, he used to beat them most soundly, and then reprove them for their rashness. Not one, in fact, ever ventured to show him any resistance, such was the influence he maintained amongst his troops.
After the serdár took his leave, the troops destined for Buda entered that place at the water-gate under covert of the night: their ordnance was also conveyed during the same period.
Next day, the 1st of Rabia II., the commander-in-chief, Yemishjí Hasan Páshá, passed through Keshkemet, and arrived at Waradin. Four large cannon which he took with him were dragged along by his soldiers; but he left two of them at Sonbúr, and the remaining two at Batchka. Passing over the bridge at Waradin he pursued his journey towards Belgrade.
In the meantime, Mohammed Páshá, after entering Buda, held a council of his officers, to whom he delivered a comforting and encouraging speech, and then dismissed them by telling them to go, every man, to his respective post. Next morning, at daybreak, five hundred horsemen were selected and sent out towards Awa, near which they dispersed two pickets belonging to the enemy. Some of them they killed, and others of them they made prisoners. The enemy, as before observed, had placed a number of their cannon at Kiris Elias, and for the space of ten successive days battered the walls and made several assaults, but they were uniformly met and repulsed by showers of musketry, and the hurling of bombs from the besieged. One day, when they thought they would carry every thing before them by one general assault, the brave and orthodox Moslems, as related in the Memoirs of Soleimán Páshá, rolled amongst them a number of bombs charged with pieces of iron, which, when they exploded, destroyed several thousands of the assailants, and completely repulsed them. After this last, but very effectual check had been given to them, they began to dig beneath the gate which looked towards Vienna, with the view of laying mines, and in the most desperate manner and with the utmost fury directed no less than two thousand cannon-shot against the walls, by which means they at last effected a large breach. The situation of the besieged was now truly perilous. But the brave, heroic, and orthodox Moslems were determined to maintain their resistance, or die in making that resistance. With this view, and in the solemn hour of night, they entered into a sacred compact with each other to devote themselves to death in defending Buda.
On the 10th of Rabia II., and in conformity to the counsel of their brave commander, Mohammed Páshá, all the foot and horse that were in the garrison at daybreak, rushed out of Buda with the utmost impetuosity, and attacked the enemy unawares in their own entrenchments, with such heroic bravery as absolutely confounded them. The enemy’s camp or tábúr having been at some distance, it was not easy for those in the entrenchments to get aid from thence, and before any did arrive, the orthodox Moslems, for the space of two hours, committed such tremendous havoc amongst them as to clear the entrenchments of these intruders. Their cannon they spiked, and carried off the greater part of their gunpowder to Buda, to which they had retreated, exploding what they could not conveniently carry along with them. The cazí of Buda, Hábel Effendí, an old man about eighty years of age, in order to encourage the orthodox believers, such was his zeal, slew an infidel with his own hands, a circumstance, no doubt, that made a deep impression on the minds of the Musselmans, and which had a powerful effect in urging them on to the work of destruction.
A shower of rain coming on about this time, and the season having been far advanced, the infidels, in rage and despair, raised the siege and set off for Osterghún, dragging their cannon along with them through the mud which had been occasioned by the rain. The heroic Moslems, perceiving their advantages, pursued the fugitive host, captured a number of their cannon, which in their hurry they had been obliged to leave sticking in the mud, and brought them back to Buda. Mohammed Páshá rewarded each of his brave men with tokens of his esteem and approbation, and sent a representation of the whole exploit to the commander-in-chief, Yemishjí Hasan Páshá.
Mohammed Páshá was about this time promoted to the government of Romeili.
Ghází Gheráí Khán arrives with a Tátár army.
The grand vezír, Hasan Páshá, (i. e. Yemishjí Hasan Páshá, the commander-in-chief,) after passing through Waradin, arrived in the plains of Zimrún, where he learned that Ghází Gheráí Khán, who for a good while past had not attended the wars, had arrived. It would appear that in consequence of his malicious brothers, Salámet Gheráí, Mohammed Gheráí, and Sháhín Gheráí, who had excited rebellion and insubordination among the Tátárs, one party of whom had gone into Romeili, and another to Anatolia, where they joined the rebel Delí Hasan, the brother of Scrivano, the khán had found sufficient employment at home. He was much afraid also that his brother, who had joined Delí Hasan, would succeed with the latter in endeavouring to deprive him of the khánship. On these accounts his highness, the khán of the Crimea, had found it impracticable for the last two years to render any service to the Ottomans, and thinking there was some reason to suspect the emperor might be displeased with him, and therefore depose him, he, to avert those evils, came forward with an army on this occasion, had an interview with the serdár in the above plains, and accompanied him to Belgrade.
His royal highness the Tátár khán lodged in the mansion belonging to Etmekjí Zádeh, the treasurer. For two successive days the serdár and he entertained each other in the most splendid manner. Petcheví was pointed out to the khán for his winter-quarters; and Sigetwar, Kopan, Mehaj, and other cantons beyond the Drave, were appointed for a similar purpose to his men. The khán departed for Petcheví, and his men were distributed in the above-mentioned towns and villages. His royal highness the khán passed his time in every sort of indulgence and pleasure, amusing himself occasionally in reading the good and bad poets of Baghdád. Here he composed an epistle in verse on the evils of coffee and wine. He was still haunted, however, by the fear of his brother Salámet Gheráí, who, he was aware, meditated his downfall.
After the grand vezír had reached Belgrade, as already mentioned, he ordered the troops to be paid their wages. The household troops received their usual allowance; the feudatory troops received each man two pieces of money, and the foot soldiers one. The ághá of the janissaries was permitted to return to Constantinople, and the feudatory troops were also allowed to retire.