The King having now formed an army of ten thousand cavalry, consisting of Arabians, Persians, Toorks, Oozbuks, Koords, and other foreigners, whom his liberality had bound to his interest, marched towards Ahmudabad Bidur. On his ap­proach, Ameer Bereed, who was old and infirm, by the advice of Heemajy, a bramin, his minis­ter, committed the charge of the fort of Bidur to his eldest son Ally Bereed, and himself withdrew to the fortress of Oodgeer.

Ismael Adil Shah, on arriving before Ahmudabad Bidur, blockaded the city on all sides; but the garrison made repeated sallies, and being nearly equal in numbers to the besiegers, greatly retarded their operations. At length the sons of Ameer Bereed, with five thousand horse, came out of the city, resolved, as the Beejapoor troops were com­posed only of bowmen, to charge them under cover of their shields, and cut them to pieces in close combat with their swords. Ismael Adil Shah, who had foreseen such an event, had provided three thousand cavalry, expert swordsmen, whose horses, as well as themselves, were covered with iron armour. This body was commanded by Syud Hoossein, an Arab chief of distinction. A very severe action in consequence ensued, on the plain before the gate of Bahmunypoora, and foreigners and Deccanies both displayed great courage. Is-mael Adil Shah, in spite of the remonstrances of Assud Khan, engaged in the action, and killed with his own hand two of the sons of Ameer Bereed, who attacked him successively on that day. Both armies were loud in the praises of the King's valour, and his own officers, alighting from their horses, kissed his stirrup. The engagement was scarcely ended, when four divisions of troops were seen on the right, which appeared to consist of about four thousand. Assud Khan instantly sent off one of his attendants, named Goodurz, with forty horsemen to learn who they were. They proved to be four thousand cavalry detached by Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah of Golconda to the aid of Ameer Bereed; accordingly Ismael Adil Shah, having ordered Assud Khan to oppose them, prepared to renew his attack on the troops of Ally Bereed himself. At this moment Syud Hoossein Arab earnestly entreated to be entrusted with that duty, and begged the King not to expose his person unnecessarily. Moved by his remonstrances, the King promised to remain merely as a witness of the battle, at the same time presenting to Syud Hoossein his own sword, still reeking with the blood of his enemies. The Beejapoor generals were both successful; and the troops of the allies, after losing about five hundred men each, fled in disorder, leaving the field in possession of Ismael Adil Shah. Assud Khan, in this battle, gained great credit; for after driving off the four thousand Tulingas of Kootb Shah he came to the assistance of Syud Hoossein. When the King dismounted, after the victory, and was seated on an eminence overlooking the field of battle, he thanked all his officers, particularly distinguishing Assud Khan above the rest, by clasping him in his embrace. To Syud Hoossein he gave the horse he him­self rode during the battle. On the part of the enemy, two of the sons of Ameer Bereed, and Roostoom Beg, commander of the Kootb Shahy auxiliaries, were slain.

Ismael Adil Shah now laid closer siege to the city than before; and Ameer Bereed, reduced to great distress, wrote to Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah, earnestly requesting him to come and mediate a peace. Imad Shah, therefore, without even going to Oodgeer, to which place Ameer Bereed had re­tired, came and encamped within a mile of the be­sieging army at Bidur. Ismael Adil Shah went to visit the King of Berar, attended by his principal officers. On this occasion, after congratulating him on his late successes, Imad Shah declared that he had marched merely for the purpose of sharing in his victories, but that he now hoped to be able to mediate terms between him and Ameer Bereed. The King replied, that Ameer Bereed had done his family more injuries than could be enumerated; that in this war many of his brave officers had fallen, and that he would listen to no terms short of absolute submission. Imad Shah, perceiving the determin­ation of Ismael Adil Shah, did not press him farther; and the two princes, after spending a week together in festivity, parted. Ameer Bereed, hearing of this circumstance, now left Oodgeer, and came to the camp of Imad Shah, again en­treating him to effect a peace. But being informed no other offer than the actual surrender of the city would be listened to by Ismael Adil Shah, he retired in disgust to his own camp, near that of Imad Shah, and to drown his cares gave himself up to pleasure. The troops of Ameer Bereed were much harassed, and became careless at night; so that even the outposts lay down to sleep, while many, following the example of their leader, had recourse to wine.

Ismael Adil Shah, having heard of the arrival of Ameer Bereed, ordered Assud Khan, with two thousand chosen horse, to surprise his camp. Assud Khan warned the troops for the duty, as if intended to relieve those at the trenches as usual; but when he had got beyond the lines, he made known to them his designs, and proceeded as silently as possible towards the tents of the enemy. Having arrived close to the outposts, and not hearing the smallest noise, he ordered his own men to remain quiet, and sent spies to learn the situation and state of the enemy. The scouts soon returning, declared that they had advanced uninterruptedly to the tents of Ameer Bereed, where the few men on guard were all asleep; in confirmation of which assertion, they presented some turbans and sabres they had stolen from them. Assud Khan, order­ing his troops to remain in profound silence where they were till his return, proceeded with twenty-five horsemen and a few foot through the enemy's camp to the tents of Ameer Bereed. Here he saw the guards lying on all sides, apparently dead-drunk, amid the broken vessels of liquor. Assud Khan, unwilling to murder them in so helpless a condition, ordered some of his infantry to stand over them with drawn sabres, in case any should awake, and attempt giving the alarm. He now dismounted, and entering the King's tent with a few of his soldiers, resolved to carry off Ameer Bereed Shah alive; but in case of any attempt at rescue, to put him to death, and carry his head to his master. Ameer Bereed Shah lay senseless on his couch, around which the dancers and singers, male and female, were indiscriminately jumbled together, amid the filth of broken vessels and spilt liquors. The bed of Ameer Bereed, that old, experienced, and crafty prince, was now lifted up by Assud Khan's soldiers. They were moving out of the tents quietly with their prize, when one of the lamp-men, (called “deoties” in the Deccan, and who watch by the chief at night,) awaking, was in the act of crying out, but Assud Khan clapped his hands on the watchman's mouth, and his people seizing him strangled him on the spot, after which the party reached the troops waiting on the skirts of the camp without molestation. Assud Khan, now addressing his soldiers, said, that the main object of their enterprise being accomplished, it was better to desist from a night-attack on the camp, as in the darkness the Hindoos could not be distinguished from the Mussulmans, and, consequently, many of the faithful must be slain. He accordingly moved towards the royal camp, carrying his prisoner on his bed without attempting to awaken him. Ameer Bereed Shah, however, finding his bed in motion, awoke, and fancying evil spirits or genii carried him through the air, began to cry out in terror, and called on God to protect him from enchant­ment. Assud Khan now explained to him his situation, and reproached him with imprudence; observing, that for a reverend old man, expe­rienced as he was in the arts of government, to suffer himself to be taken in a state of intoxica­tion in the neighbourhood of his enemy was as degrading to his character as to his sense. Ameer Bereed Shah, covered with shame and vexation, returned no answer; but Assud Khan consoled him by assuring him of his influence with the King to procure kind treatment.

On arriving at the Beejapoor camp, Assud Khan without delay presented his important prize to his master, who was overjoyed at the success of the en­terprise. Sending for Ameer Bereed Shah, he asked how a person possessed of such art and cunning as he had displayed throughout a long life could allow himself to be so ensnared? The captive mo­narch replied, Fate and Providence had thus decreed it. The King then delivered him over to Assud Khan, and ordered him to bring his prisoner to court on the next day.

Ismael Adil Shah, on the following morning, being seated on his throne, Ameer Bereed was placed opposite to him, with his head bare, and his hands tied behind his back, exposed to a hot sun. When he had stood for two hours in this situation, the King gave orders for his being put to death, and an executioner advanced to do his duty with a drawn scimitar. Ameer Bereed Shah, perceiving his helpless condition, condescended to beg his life; saying that undoubtedly he had been guilty of many insults to the King and his late father, of blessed memory, and was conscious of meriting revenge at his hands; but if the King would forget these circumstances, and suffer him to live and repent, he would surrender to him the city of Ahmudabad, with the fortress of Bidur, whose battlements the ladders of an enemy had never yet scaled, — and he promised to deliver into his hands the treasures of the Bahmuny royal family.