The King having consented to spare his life on these terms, Ameer Bereed despatched a message to one of his sons, acquainting them with his situation, and the agreement he had made. His son returned for answer, that as he was very old, and the period of his existence drawing to a close, it were folly to surrender such a fortress for a few remaining days of life. The object of this message, however, was only to gain time, in hopes of assist­ance from the allies; for the sons sent secret in­structions by a confidential person to agree to the terms if their father should be in real danger. Ameer Bereed Shah affected to complain of the cruelty of his sons; but Ismael Adil Shah, who suspected the scheme, gave orders for him to be thrown before a vicious elephant, observing that he would trust to his army for gaining the city by assault. Ameer Bereed again had recourse to entreaty, and begged that he might be carried before a certain tower of the fort, in order that his sons might behold his condition, and be thus moved to save his life. This being done, the sons seeing no other means but submission to save the life of their parent, offered to resign the city and fortress, on condition that they and their own families should be allowed to depart with the clothes on their persons without search. This being agreed on, they loaded themselves and their women with as many of the valuable ornaments and robes of the royal family of Bahmuny as they were able to conceal, and retired, with their followers, unmolested, to the fortress of Oodgeer.

Assud Khan, with some chosen troops, entered the city to prevent plunder, and commenced to take a list of the treasures and effects belonging to the vanquished. Ismael Adil Shah having fixed on a lucky moment proceeded on foot attended by all his officers and nobles from the gate of the city to the palace, and having entered the grand hall of audience, ascended the throne of the Bah-muny kings. On this occasion he offered up thanks to God for his success, and deputed his son, the Prince Mulloo Khan, accompanied by Assud Khan and other chiefs, to invite Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah to his court. Ismael Adil Shah met him at the steps of the palace, and the two kings sat down together on the same throne.

The treasures were now laid before the kings. They consisted of ten lacks of hoons * in money, several valuable jewels, a large quantity of gold and silver plate, magnificent china, and rich dresses. Ismael Adil Shah desired Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah to take whatever he chose; and in order to avoid the imputation of having made war for the sake of the riches of the Bahmuny family, he divided the treasures into presents, which he sent partly to the surrounding states, and partly distributed among his own army, not reserving for himself a single coin. He intrusted fifty thousand hoons to Syud Ally Akheel, a person celebrated for his learning and integrity, to be distributed in charity to the poor inhabitants of Nujuf, Kurbela, and Mushed; and gave fifty thousand to Syud Ahmud Hirvy, to be bestowed on learned men in the Bee-japoor dominions. He then desired the poet Mow-lana Syeed of Koom to go to the treasury and take as much gold as he could lift; but the poet, who was infirm from sickness, observing, that when he first came to his court he was as strong again as at pre­sent, the King, laughing, desired him to take as much as he could carry away at two attempts. The poet, however, still desired to wait till he should recover from his indisposition before he made the effort: on which the King repeated the following verse:

“There is danger in delay, and it injures the petitioner.”

The poet contrived to carry off on two occasions as many bags as contained twenty-five thousand hoons; and the King, on being told the amount by his treasurer, replied, “The Mowlana spoke truth “in complaining of his weakness.” He then de­clared that he would not rise till he had disposed of all the plunder, and accordingly commanded Assud Khan to make a division among the troops; which was effected in such a just manner that every person was content with his share.

Imad Shah now again interceded for Ameer Bereed. Ismael Adil Shah at length consented to enrol him among the number of his officers, on Assud Khan's becoming security for his fidelity. Kulliany, Oodgeer, and some other districts, to­gether with the revenue derived from the city lands, were allotted for his support, on condition of his attending the King's army with three thousand horse. A week after this event, the King marched his army to the south, attended by Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah and Ameer Bereed with their forces. The affairs of the kingdom of Beejanuggur had been lately thrown into confusion, owing to the death of Hemraj, to whom his son Ramraj had succeeded. Against this prince rebellions were excited by several rays, so that the Mahomedans met with no interruption to their progress. Ra-chore and Moodkul both surrendered by capitula­tion, after a siege of three months, after having been in possession of the infidels for seventeen years.

Ismael Adil Shah, who had vowed to refrain from wine till the reduction of these fortresses, was now induced to make a splendid festival, on which occasion he drank wine and gave full scope to his inclinations. Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah and Ameer Bereed partook of the banquet, and Assud Khan was also admitted to sit with them; he even drank out of the same goblet with his sovereign, who filled it with his own hand, and received an­other goblet in return from him. At the request of Assud Khan, too, fifteen hundred captives were released, and received presents of scarlet caps and vests. Many of these prisoners chose to remain in the service of Assud Khan, which the King per­mitted. During this festival, the King promised on his return to Beejapoor to restore to Ameer Bereed the government of Ahmudabad Bidur. These rejoicings continued for a whole month; in commemoration of which, Moolla Ibrahim Isfe-rahy wrote a poem consisting of a thousand verses descriptive of them. At this period intelligence was received that Bahadur Shah of Guzerat was again preparing to invade the Deccan; on which, Ismael Adil Shah having dismissed Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah to his capital returned to Beejapoor, when he agreed to restore the city of Ahmudabad Bidur to Ameer Bereed in six months, provided the latter should, within that period, deliver the forts of Kulliany and Kand'har into the King's hands; for which purpose he was permitted to quit Beejapoor. It is related, that on the late expedition the King being one day entertained by Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah, received from him several trays of valuable jewels, of which he pressed his acceptance. The King, a few days afterwards, having invited Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah to a banquet, drew up twelve thousand of his foreign cavalry before him; observing, that these were the only jewels he had collected during his reign, and told him he might select from among them a num­ber for his own use. Alla-ood-Deen Imad Shah applauded his wisdom, and observed, with a sigh, that had he taken the same measures, he should not have lost the fortress of Mahoor.

Ameer Bereed neglecting to send the keys of the fortresses of Kulliany and Kand'har, Ismael

A. H. 938.
A. D. 1531.

Adil Shah resolved, in the year 938, to reduce them by force, and sent his tents with one of his sons out of Bee-japoor to prepare for his march. Ameer Bereed, meanwhile, applied to Boorhan Nizam Shah for aid, who sent ambassadors to Beejapoor, to request Ismael to forego his designs against Ameer Be-reed. Ismael Adil Shah observed, in reply, that he had not interfered in the attack of Boorhan Nizam Shah on Mahoor, and that, moreover, to oblige him, he had even refrained from endea­vouring to recover Goa from the Portuguese. He went on to remark, that as the cool season had commenced, and he did not choose to remain at home, he proposed making a tour of his domi­nions, and intended to visit Sholapoor and Nul-droog; but that he hoped Boorhan Nizam Shah would warn the officers of his frontier not to be alarmed nor misconceive the object of his march. Boorhan Nizam Shah, being now under no apprehensions in the direction of Guzerat and Berar, replied, by acquainting Ismael Adil Shah, that he would do well not to refuse the request he had made, but be content to remain at home as better suited to his own interest.

Ismael Adil Shah having already marched from Beejapoor, received this communication at Bah-munhully while at evening prayers; and was so indignant that he moved with only four hundred horse and forty foot, and reached the river flowing under Nuldroog before evening prayer the next day. He then dismissed the ambassadors of Nizam Shah, telling them, he had done all that was incumbent on him to avoid a war, but that he should now wait for his royal brother to come, as he had repeatedly done before, and amuse him­self with a view of the tempestuous ocean of war.

Boorhan Nizam Shah did not refuse the chal­lenge, but, attended by Ameer Bereed, proceeded with twenty-five thousand horse and a consider­able train of artillery to the frontiers of Bee-japoor. Ismael Adil Shah left the organisation of the troops to Assud Khan, who thus arranged them: — All the young men, sons of foreigners and Rajpoots, were formed into one body, composing a light division, under command of Sunjur Khan, son of Mirza Jehangeer Koomy, while their fathers, who were mostly old, remained in the line; ob­serving that this was a day for the young soldiers to display their courage. Assud Khan assumed the command of the right wing, leaving the left to Moostufa Agha, Sikundur Agha, and Khoosh Geldy Agha, Toorky chiefs of distinction. The centre was commanded by the King in person, who joined as soon as the line was formed. On observing that the colour of the canopy, the royal standard, and flags of the enemy, which were formerly white, were changed to green, the King asked the cause of this alteration. He was told these were the insignia conferred on Boorhan Nizam Shah by Bahadur Shah of Guzerat. While he was yet speaking, the light division became engaged; and Ismael Adil Shah instantly advanced with his whole line, by which the action became general, and was so well maintained on both sides that victory was long doubtful. At length Khoorsheed Khan, com­mander of the Nizam Shahy army, being killed, his troops fled in disorder. Boorhan Nizam Shah was shortly after surrounded by the Beejapoor Mogul horse, and in danger of being taken pri­soner, when his body guard, by a desperate effort, liberated their sovereign, and escorting him safely from the field, he fled with pre­cipitation to Ahmudnuggur, without waiting to collect his scattered army. Much plunder fell into the hands of the victors; and the superiority of Ismael Adil Shah became established throughout the Deccan. The battle was called the Victory of the Foreign Boys, by whose exertions it was prin­cipally won. This corps now rose daily in the King's esteem, and many of them were raised to the rank of nobility, in reward for their services during the lifetime of their fathers. This was the last contest between Ismael Adil Shah and Boorhan Nizam Shah. An alliance was subsequently formed be­tween them, when they had an interview on their frontiers, in which it was agreed that the former should be at liberty to reduce the country of Kootb Shah, and the latter be permitted to add Berar to his possessions without molestation.