Mustafa Naima

“ If it be thought proper to abide by the conditions granted by Sultán Soleímán Khán to Tahmasp, my grandfather, then I am his august majesty’s servant. When one is not brave and bold in his hostility, his friendship is not to be depended on. Our friendship may be contemplated. If, therefore, you are not satisfied, then let that which is behind the curtain of fate discover itself—Farewell.”
His excellency, the grand vezír, wrote thus in reply: “You say you are braved or threatened by a vain-glorious army of Tátárs. A Tátár is like any other servant of the emperor. ”

“ Every time the enemy has lighted the torch of war, God, in his goodness, has invariably extinguished it again in their discomfiture. Let me see you, therefore, act your part with bravery and true heroism: let us all, in faithfulness to our religion, be firm, and oppose them with courage. If we perish in the conflict, we shall be saints in heaven. Our heroes, both in this world and at the day of judgment, are truly honourable and worthy of esteem. ”

“ Still, however innocent though you appear to be, you are considered a rebel; free yourself, then, if you are a man, from the odious imputation. You are a person every way fit for taking part in the war against the Persians: it may even be proper to give you the command of troops for this purpose. If you show that you have regretted your former conduct, you may depend on obtaining the emperor’s favour. Those men who have rebelled against the benign Ottoman government have met with no pity. Jánbulát Oghlí, Kalander Oghlí, and Karah Seyed, were the most conspicuous of rebels ”

“ The mufti, Bostán Zádeh, joined in the fraud; and Bákí Effendí from among the military judges, and Jeráh Mohammed Páshá, Hasan Páshá, and Jaghala Zádeh, from among the vezírs, were carried away by this deceit and dissimulation. “It is not,” said the deceitful káímakám, “that I wish an investigation to be made in the case of Ferhád that I speak as I do, neither is it that I wish to be made grand vezír; nor is it the chief command of the army I seek. No: it is a duty I owe to religion, to the emperor, and to the empire, that forces me to express myself.” ”

“ Let your activity manifest itself in boldly resisting and repelling the efforts of the hateful enemy to make you slaves. I have the utmost confidence the enemy’s machinations will be completely frustrated.” In this way did Hasan Páshá encourage and animate his troops and followers. These brave men and their companions in arms entered into solemn compact, bade each other adieu, attended to all their various duties of friendship and domestic affairs, as well as those of eternity, and every thing seemed to bid defiance to the utmost effort of the foe in trying to reduce Kaniza. ”

“ Nesúh Páshá, the grand vezír, having a second time accompanied Sultán Ahmed Khán to Adrianople, acquired, by his apparent diligence in serving his royal master, a peculiar intimacy with him; but Etmekjí Zádeh, from his office in the vezírship and in the treasury, stood in the way of his arriving at the possession of absolute sway. Nesúh Páshá thirsted for this; and being, moreover, a man without the least virtue, he could not endure to see the prosperity of Etmekjí Zádeh, and therefore not only hated and envied him, but also sought opportunity to ruin him. ”

“ The enemy having again encamped in the direction of Sigetwar, the princes came forward and said to King Ferdinand, “Behold, sire, the stratagem the Turks have laid for us! Let there be no quarter shown to them: let us destroy them root and branch, and make them a spectacle to the world.” The king replied, that he would see how they themselves should act: it was the day of vengeance.
They now put their cannon in order, entered into the trenches, and from this moment the siege of Kaniza may be said to have been properly begun. ”

“ When I march against the sháh of Persia, the armed rebels, who now lurk in their hiding-places, will then find an opportunity of again becoming troublesome. They are waiting for a chance of this kind, especially Meseli Chávush, Aydin, and Yúsuf of Sarúkhán, besides several others of the same description. Should what I have now hinted be realized, and they again commence the work of violence and mischief, will you not, in that case, have to send hither from Romeili another commander-in-chief? Leave us, if you please, where we are. The master of the work knows his own duty best. ”

“ Every assault of the enemy was, therefore, resisted with such desperate bravery and courage as to outmatch every thing. The commander of the janissaries and chief of the cavalry, Sefer Aghá, performed the most astonishing feats of bravery. He was, at that time, only a segbán báshí, but was afterwards raised to the dignity of a páshá.
In the meantime, the artillery of the garrison committed the most tremendous havoc among the infidels; but they were no sooner hewn down than their places were filled up by others sent forward to maintain the struggle. ”

“ The enemy, as might well be imagined, were struck with terror, and perceived when it was too late their mistake. Ferdinand was standing, at the moment a volley of shot from the batteries of Kaniza was poured in amongst his army, talking with four of his princes, three of whom were shot dead on the spot. Many thousands besides perished. This feast of red-hot melons made the enemy think of retiring across the river; and whilst in the act of doing so they were hotly pursued by the Moslem heroes, who fought with them till the night closed upon them. ”

“ One morning, about this time of the siege, a voice was heard as if coming from the enemy’s camp, which said, “Do not fire any of your guns; we (there were more than one) have something to tell you.” “What is it?” was the reply. “Why,” said these early visitors, “be it known unto you that your commander-in-chief, Yemishjí Hasan Páshá, has been completely defeated and routed at Alba Julia. The heads of Mohammed Ketkhodá and of Mohammed Páshá, the governor of Buda, have been sent to our commander-in-chief, thanks be to God. ”

“ Is the province of Anatolia become so completely defended and guarded as to render it safe for me to winter in Erzerúm, and in the spring to open a campaign against Persia? Should the rebels who may still exist assemble themselves together, are the vezírs of your august court competent to quell or disperse them? In this affair let the gracious will of the emperor be done. The time for distributing the troops into winter-quarters is at hand. ”

“ Last of all, on a day which blew a hurricane, one Búrún Kásim, a messenger from the sháh, entered the Osmánlí camp, and immediately presented himself before the commander-in-chief, who was at the time sitting in council with the other grandees of the army. “Why,” said the commander-in-chief to the ambassador of the kizilbáshes, “the red-heads, proud of the victory they have gained, have taunted us with disgraceful reproaches under the appearance of asking a peace: and if we retreat you are ready to fall upon us. ”

“ The infidels returned, as on the former occasions, and informed Ferdinand what they had heard from the Moslems about there being no cannon in the fortress of Kaniza. Ferdinand, elated by this intelligence, called a council of his great men. “Let us,” said he, “send out spies, and if the intelligence which they bring us correspond to what we have just learned, then we will certainly root them out. We will, afterwards, order our movements according to any method which Prince Mathias, now below Yanuk, may see fit to adopt.” So much for Ferdinand. ”

“ But neither was he to be considered as an insane person, for he argued strongly for his own views and mode of belief. There is no hope whatever of convincing a madman; and this sadducee, when he was not brought to repentance, deserved to die, and to this doom he was subjected. If your excellency had been here you would, with your own hands, have slain him. The world is delivered from his corrupt opinions, Muselmans from his influence, and the orthodox faith from the slanders of his tongue.”
Concerning the operations of the new Commander-in-chief Mohammed Páshá. ”

“ I have employed every method I could to get Meseli Chávush into my power, but have hitherto failed. Having secured himself among inaccessible rocks, I did not think it proper to risk troops in searching him out. Under the pretext of esteem for him, a sanják in the interior has been conferred on him, and I have written to him to join the army destined against Persia, and have promised him the government of Caramania to induce him to do so. Use what dissimulation you can, and perhaps you may succeed in getting him into your power. The love of office will induce him to come to you. ”

“ There is, therefore, hope to his followers, who have been besieged on the very night which is held sacred to the memory of him who came into the world on that night to bless it, and is the rejoicing of all the prophets. Again: you, every evening, sound the Mohammedan signal or watch-word, Allah! Allah! and though the enemy were at once to discharge his forty pieces of cannon, yet God will manifest his care over those who trust in his name. I pray God, that as he has not permitted us to fall into the hands of the enemy, so this hateful army may never get away in safety. ”

“ When the Tátár troops advanced to attack the suburbs of Warad, the inhabitants came boldly forth, and for a whole day and night fought with courage. But the Tátárs no sooner succeeded in setting fire to their dwellings than they retired, put their families into waggons, and tried to escape through their postern gates. The Tátárs pursued them with vigour, slew the grown-up, made the young prisoners, and returned with immense booty. ”

“ The news of this terrible disaster reached the royal camp during the night season: the troops in the camp were called to arms, and a council of war was held. Bákí Páshá, with his wise associates, advised to advance, without a moment’s delay, upon Ardabíl; “for,” said they, “if we retreat, the enemy will be encouraged and emboldened to pursue us, and will most certainly attack us, when every one will try to escape the best way he can. Our fate will resemble that which befell Jeghala Zádeh of former days.” ”

“ Your commander-in-chief has been defeated and has fled. Deliver up this city and fortress, which belongs to our king, and save yourselves from certain and inevitable destruction. Your governor, Hasan Páshá, is a vain man, and seeks to ruin you: pay no further regard to him. Save yourselves and your property; for the king promises to secure both if you hearken to our advice. To-morrow, when Duke Mathias returns to us from Alba Julia, no mercy will be shown to you. ”

“ The enraged Seyed appeared on Friday in the mosque, where the emperor and all the Muselmans were assembled for worship, and stepping into the middle of the court, took off his turban, and thus addressed his majesty: “Please your majesty, you are emperor of the Osmánlís. Who then is this wicked wretch (meaning Nesúh) , who, with his Kurds, Turks, and similar tyrants, dares to offer violence in this city? They affix to their own names those of angels, who live near to God, and yet are not ashamed to commit crime and be guilty of corruption. ”

“ Some of the most faithful servants around his majesty’s person he supplanted by creatures of his own stamp. His being at enmity with the reverend mufti, Mohammed Effendí, led him to manifest contempt for the whole body of the ulemá, and caused him to make himself friends of worthless and ignorant men. In every assembly he and his vile associates showed the most marked disrespect for that august and venerable dignitary of the mosque; and every person, whoever he was, if he only suspected him of having any share in the emperor’s favour, was sure to meet with reproach and persecution. ”

“ Whilst the lord high treasurer, Mohammed Páshá, son of Músá Chelebí, was straining every nerve to meet the demands of the military, some of his enemies had an interview with the emperor’s chaplain, who lodged accusations with his excellency the deputy against him. The deputy, not perceiving the evil that was soon to happen to himself, deposed him and appointed one Háfiz Mahmúd to succeed him; a man who was every way unfit for so high and important a situation as that of chief treasurer, and one, too, whom the emperor abhorred. ”

“ Allah! from every mouth in the garrison, made the poor devils in the enemy’s camp creep together with absolute terror. What firmness had remained with them, entirely vanished; they fled in all directions. Ferdinand and Mathias issued from their tents, and endeavoured to rally their troops on the road which led to Sigetwar. Karah Omar, on reaching their advanced trenches, slew nine hundred of them before they had time to escape, and took one hundred and fifty prisoners, whom he sent into the fortress. In these trenches he seized twelve pieces of ordnance, besides other arms and ammunition. ”