Early the next morning, the King ascended the throne, and gave public audience; on which occa­sion all the officers of the court and the inhabitants of the city paid their respects, and made offerings according to their rank and ability. Letters were despatched to the surrounding states, with an account of the death of the Regent, and the for­tunate emancipation of the King. Ameer Bereed, on receiving this information, raised the siege of Kool-burga; but Timraj, who had taken advantage of the times to invade the King's dominions, still con­tinued before Rachore, which at last surrendered to him, Ismael Adil Shah being too much em­ployed in establishing the authority of his govern­ment to afford it timely relief.

The King's first acts were to reward those who had assisted him in the late crisis; he next sent letters to Mirza Jehangeer, Raab-Jung, Heidur Beg, and other noblemen, who had fled from the per­secutions of Kumal Khan, inviting them to return to his court, and resume their employments. With the magnanimity becoming a great prince, he drew the pen of forgiveness over the crimes of the Re­gent's mother, and the rest of his family, who had been taken prisoners; and giving them a con­siderable sum of money, ordered them to quit his territories. The astrologers, who had so truly foretold the danger of Kumal Khan, he took into his own employment. The veterans of his father now assembling from all quarters, he soon collected a gallant body of Toorks and Moguls. Khoosrow Toork, who had assisted in his late deliverance, was honoured with the title of Assud Khan, and had Belgam conferred on him as a jageer. During his confinement, the King had vowed not to enlist any Deccanies or Abyssinians in his service; and he kept his word for nearly twelve years, main­taining no other troops but foreigners, till at length, at their request, he permitted the children of foreigners born in India, to be received into the army, and afterwards, by degrees, consented to enrol Afghans and Rajpoots, provided they were not natives of the Deccan; a practice which was rigidly adhered to at the Adil Shahy court, till the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah II.

Mirza Jehangeer, on his return to court, having the districts of Koolburga conferred on him, ex­pelled the forces of Ameer Bereed, with the loss of four hundred men on their side; he also retook the forts of Noosrutabad Sagur and Etgeer, and wholly recovered all the country taken from Beeja-poor during the regency of Kumal Khan. Ameer Bereed, incensed at these losses, issued orders in the name of Mahmood Shah to all the sovereigns of the Deccan, demanding assistance; upon which, Boorhan Nizam Shah, Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah, and Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah, each sent troops to join the Bahmuny standard; and in the

A. H. 920.
A. D. 1514.

year 920, Ameer Bereed obliged the Bahmuny king to march from Ahmud-abad Bidur, at the head of the allies, consisting of twenty-five thousand horse, towards Beejapoor, committing vast depredations on his route.

Ismael Adil Shah deemed it prudent to remain in his capital, permitting the enemy to advance without opposition to Allapoor, a town built by Yoosoof Adil Shah, within a mile and a half of Beejapoor, when quitting the city at the head of twelve thousand horse, all of whom were foreigners, he attacked the allied forces. Notwithstanding the superiority of the enemy in numbers, the Beeja-poor troops defeated them so completely, that they fled, leaving behind them Mahmood Shah and his son, the Prince Ahmud, who both fell from their horses during the action. All the baggage of the fugitives fell into the hands of the victors. Ismael Adil Shah, on hearing of the situation of the princes, went to pay his respects to them: he made offerings of horses, with furniture set in jewels, and proposed to conduct them in magnifi­cent palkies into Beejapoor, and to emancipate them from the oppression of Ameer Bereed. Mahmood Shah, however, not consenting to enter the city, encamped near Allapoor; where he remained some time to recover of the bruises he had sustained in his fall, and afterwards requested that Beeby Mus-seety, sister to Ismael Adil Shah, might now be married to his son Ahmud, to whom she had formerly been betrothed. Ismael Adil Shah giving his consent to the nuptials, the ancient city of Koolburga was fixed on for its celebration; and both kings repaired thither, where the mar­riage ceremony was conducted with great mag­nificence; and the bride being delivered to the Prince Ahmud, Ismael Adil Shah sent an escort of five thousand cavalry to attend the royal pair, accompanied by Mahmood Shah, to Ahmudabad, which was deserted by Ameer Bereed on their approach. Mahmood Shah II., for some time, tasted the sweets of liberty, and was released from the control of his minister; but the Beejapoor troops no sooner left Bidur than Ameer Bereed returned, and resumed the charge of affairs as before.

Some years previous to these events, the King of Persia, Shah Ismael Sufvy, had sent ambassadors to the several states of Hindoostan, who had been received with due respect both by the Ray of Beejanuggur and the King of Guzerat. At this time Mahmood Shah, also, received an ambassador from him with proper attention, and wished to dismiss him with royal presents, but was prevented by Ameer Bereed. In this dilemma the ambas­sador wrote to Ismael Adil Shah, complaining of his being detained at Ahmudabad Bidur. The King of Beejapoor demanded the dismissal of the Persian ambassador, who, having obtained his audience of leave, came to Beejapoor, where he was met by Ismael Adil Shah at Allapoor. He was honoured with rich presents, and a suitable escort attended him as far as the port of Dabul, from whence he embarked on his return to Persia. The King of Persia, in return for this attention to his

A. H. 925.
A. D. 1519.

ambassador, in the year 925 deputed Ibrahim Beg Toorkman, an officer of high rank, with letters and presents to Ismael Adil Shah: among the latter was a sabre set with valuable jewels. The King of Persia having in his letter addressed Ismael Adil Shah as an independent prince, he went twelve miles to meet the ambassador; and being highly gratified at the flattering acknowledgment of his sovereignty, he received Ibrahim Beg with extraordinary honours, and commanded the officers of his army to wear scarlet caps, having twelve points, a dress by which the followers of Sheikh Suffy were distinguished. He also ordered, that on Fridays and holidays a prayer should be recited at the mosques for the royal family of Persia.

A. H. 927.
A. D. 1519. In the year 927, Ismael Adil Shah made preparations for marching to re­cover Moodkul and Rachore from the Ray of Beejanuggur; who gaining early intelli­gence of his intention moved with a great force, and stationed his camp on the banks of the Krishna, where he was joined by many of his tributaries; so that his army amounted to at least fifty thousand horse, besides a vast host of foot. The King would now have deferred his expedition, as the enemy held possession of all the ferries of the Krishna, but his tents being once pitched, he considered it would be undignified to delay. He therefore marched with seven thousand cavalry, composed entirely of foreigners, and encamped on the bank of the river opposite to the Hindoos, waiting for the preparation of rafts to cross and attack. Some days after his arrival, as he was reposing in his tent, he heard one of his courtiers without the screens, reciting this verse: “Rise and fill the “golden goblet with the wine of mirth, before “the quaffer shall be laid in dust.” The King, as if inspired by the verse, called his favourites about him, and spreading the carpet of joy, gave way to the pleasures of music and wine. When the ban­quet had lasted longer than was reasonable, and the effects of the liquor began to exercise their influence, a fancy seized the King to pass the river and attack the enemy. He accordingly called on his military officers to state the cause of the delay in preparing the boats and rafts. He was told that one hundred boats were already finished, and the rest would be ready in a few days. The King, heated with the banquet, resolved to cross immediately; and mount­ing his elephant, without making his intentions known, proceeded to the river, as if to recon­noitre, but suddenly gave orders for as many of his troops as could go to embark on the rafts, directing others to follow him on elephants. The officers in vain represented the imprudence and danger of this precipitation; but the King, without reply, plunged his own elephant into the stream, and was instantly followed by some of his officers and soldiers, on about two hundred and fifty elephants. By great good fortune all reached the opposite bank in safety, and as many troops as could cross on the rafts and boats at two embarkations had time to arrive before the enemy opposed him. The Hindoos, however, were in such force as pre­cluded every hope of the King's success, with whom were not more than two thousand men to oppose thirty thousand. The heroes of Islam, as if animated with one soul, behaved so gallantly, that above a thousand of the infidels fell, among whom was Sungut Ray, the chief general of Beeja-nuggur. The Mahomedans, however, found them­selves so harassed by cannon shot, musketry, and rockets, which destroyed nearly half their numbers, that the survivors threw themselves into the river, in hopes of escaping. Tursoon Bahadur and Ibra-him Beg, who rode on the same elephant with their King, drove the animal across the stream; but so rapid was the current, that with the ex­ception of that elephant and seven others the rest were all drowned. The King's rashness was se­verely punished by so great a loss. He took a solemn vow never to indulge again in wine till he had wiped away the stain of this defeat; and for this purpose he bent his whole mind to repair his misfortune.