Dakhin.

[Advices now arrived from the Dakhin. Malik 'Ambar pro­ceeded to the frontiers of Kutbu-l Mulk, to receive the annual payment for the army, which was now two years in arrear. After receiving it, and making himself secure on that side by a treaty and oath, he proceeded towards Bídar. There he found the forces of 'Ádil Khán, who were in charge of that country, un­prepared, so he attacked them unawares, and plundered the city of Bídar. From thence he marched against Bíjápúr. 'Ádil Khán had sent his best troops and officers along with Mullá Muhammad Lárí to Burhánpúr, and not deeming himself strong enough to resist the assailant, he shut himself up in the fortress of Bíjápúr, and doing all he could to secure the place, he sent a messenger to recall Muhammad Lárí and his forces from Burhánpúr. ^{* *}

When Mahábat Khán and Prince Parwez marched for Allah-ábád, Sarbuland Ráí was left in charge of Burhánpúr, and was ordered to administer the affairs of the Dakhin in concert with Mullá Muhammad Lárí. The Mullá now became very pressing, and gave three lacs of húns, nearly equal to twelve lacs of rupees, for the payment of the troops. When the Mullá's letters of recall reached Mahábat Khán, he acquiesced, and directed the officials in the Dakhin to hasten with the Mullá to support 'Ádil Khán. Sarbuland Ráí of necessity remained at Burhánpúr with a few men; but he sent Lashkar Khán and ^{* * *} all the amírs of the Dakhin along with Muhammad Lárí, to oppose Malik 'Ambar. When the Malik received information of this, he wrote to the Imperial officers, asserting his loyalty to the Imperial throne, and asking that Nizámu-l Mulk and 'Ádil Khán might be allowed to settle their old standing differences without inter­ference. * No attention was paid to this remonstrance by the amírs, who pressed steadily on. He renewed his appeal more earnestly than before; but they displayed their forces, and he was compelled to depart from Bíjápúr, and go to his own terri­tories. Upon the approach of the Imperial forces, 'Ambar endeavoured to conciliate and procrastinate, and spared no effort to avoid war. But Mullá Muhammad Lárí and the Imperial amírs followed him, and allowed him no rest. The more submis­sive and importunate he became, the more Muhammad Lárí tried to humble him, and the harder he pressed him.

He was reduced to extremity, and compelled to take some de­cided course. So one day, when the Imperial forces were heed­less, and were impressed with the notion that he would not fight, suddenly he appeared on the edge of their camp, five kos from Ahmadnagar. The battle began with the forces of 'Ádil Khán, and, by the will of Fate, Muhammad Lárí, who commanded them, was killed. His fall threw the Bíjápúr forces into con­fusion. Jádú Ráí and Údá Rám fled without striking a blow, and a perfect rout followed. Ikhlás Khán and twenty-five other officers of 'Ádil Khán, who were the props of his power, were taken prisoners. Of these, Farhád Khán, who had sought the death of Malik 'Ambar, was executed; the others were im­prisoned. Lashkar Khán and some other chiefs of the Imperial army were also made prisoners. Khanjar Khán by great exertion escaped to Ahmadnagar, and prepared the fortress for a siege. Ján-sipár Khán went to Bír, which was in his tuyúl (jágír), and set the fort in order. Of the rest who escaped from the field of carnage, some fled to Ahmadnagar, and some to Burhánpúr.

Malik 'Ambar, successful beyond his hopes, sent his prisoners to the fortress of Daulatábád, and marched to lay siege to Ahmad-nagar. But although he brought up his guns and pressed the siege, he met with no success. He therefore left a part of his army to maintain the investment, whilst he marched against Bíjápúr. 'Ádil Khán again took refuge in the fortress, and Malik 'Ambar occupied all his territories as far as the frontiers of the Imperial dominions in the Bálághát. He collected an excellent army and laid siege to Sholapúr, which had long been a subject of contention between Nizámu-l Mulk and 'Ádil Khán. He sent a force against Burhánpúr, and having brought up guns from Daulatábád, he took Sholapúr by storm.

The intelligence of these reverses greatly troubled the Emperor. By advice of Mahábat Khán, he summoned Khána-zád Khán, son of Mahábat, from Kábul, and sent him with his army to join his father. ^{* *}* A despatch arrived from Mahábat Khan, in­forming the Emperor that Sháh Jahán had quitted Patna and Bihár, and had gone to Bengal. Prince Parwez, with the Im­perial army, was in Bihár awaiting instructions as to his future proceedings. It has already been related how Sháh Jahán had made Dáráb, son of Khán-khanán, governor of Bengal, and having first bound him by an oath, had carried off his wife and son and nephew as hostages. After being defeated, Sháh Jahán placed the wife in the fort of Rohtás, and wrote to Dáráb, ordering him to come in person to the fort. Dáráb improperly and perversely took another view of the matter, and wrote to say that he was unable to come, because the zamíndárs had banded together and held him in blockade. When Sháh Jahán found that he must not expect the arrival of Dáráb, and that he had not forces sufficient to carry on the war, he placed Dáráb's son in charge of 'Abdu-lla Khán, and went to Akbar-nagar, where he took all the munitions and baggage which had been left there, and returned to the Dakhin by the way in which he had come. Dáráb Khán had disgraced himself to all eternity by his detest­able conduct, so 'Abdu-lla Khán relieved his own mind by putting Dáráb's son to death; and this he did, although Sháh Jahán had sent to forbid him.

Prince Parwez, having given Bihár in jágír to Mahábat Khán and his son, started on his return. He sent notices to the zamín­dárs of Bengal, who held Dáráb in confinement, warning them not to hurt him, but to send him to the army. He soon arrived, and intelligence of his arrival having been communi­cated to the Emperor, he issued his mandate to Mahábat Khán, that there was no use in keeping such a worthless fellow alive, and that therefore he was to be beheaded, and his head sent to Court. So Mahábat Khán had him decapitated, and sent his head to the Emperor. ^{* *} Strict orders were sent to the Dakhin, forbidding warlike operations until the arrival of reinforcements, and commanding the troops to keep in the fortified places, and make them secure.]