“If, however, the kindness of the King of “kings should, in compassion for my situation, “cause mine enemies to be put to shame, and “command my presence, I will, when the rains “are at an end, proceed to throw myself at the “foot of the throne: in one month will I hasten, “with joyful presents and offerings, to the royal “court.”

Ibrahim Adil Shah, moved by this letter, treated the family of Assud Khan, then at Beejapoor, with many marks of favour, and was about to permit them to join him at Belgam, when the rebellion of the Prince Abdoolla suddenly breaking out, his mistrust of the minister was renewed, and his fa­vourable disposition towards him removed.

The Prince Abdoolla, having effected his escape to Goa from the harsh treatment of his brother, was induced, by the advice of many of the nobility of Beejapoor who attended him, to enter into a cor­respondence with Boorhan Nizam Shah of Ah-mudnuggur, and Jumsheed Kootb Shah of Gol­conda, in hopes of obtaining their assistance. These princes, seeing the distracted state of affairs at Beejapoor, and fully aware of the disgust of Assud Khan, promised their aid to place Abdoolla on the throne, and wrote to the Portuguese of Goa, that, owing to the cruelty and tyranny of Ibrahim Adil Shah, they foresaw that such troubles would soon break out in his government as he could by no means suppress; and it was, therefore, their wish, that the Prince Abdoolla might be sent to them, as they intended seating him on his brother's throne. The Portuguese agreed to support this project; but observed, they could only hope to succeed by the cordial co-operation of Assud Khan.

Boorhan Nizam Shah, on receipt of this answer, despatched one of his principal bramins to Assud Khan to prevail on him to join in the plan: but that faithful minister, starting with horror at the idea of disloyalty, told the bramin indignantly, that but for the laws of civilised nations, which respect the persons of ambassadors, he would put him to death; commanding him, as he regarded his safety, to depart instantly from the reach of his authority, lest indignation should get the better of his reason, and induce him to forget what was due to his character. The bramin returned with this message to Boorhan Nizam Shah; but the Portuguese, perceiving that all the powers of the Deccan, ex­cepting Assud Khan, were united in support of the Prince Abdoolla, they marched with him from Goa, and he openly proclaimed himself King. Most of the nobility at the capital were about to desert Ibra-him Adil Shah, and go over to Abdoolla, when an event occurred which changed the face of affairs. Assud Khan was taken dangerously ill; and Boor-han Nizam Shah, supposing he might die, cast his eye on the fort of Belgam; and instead of marching direct to Beejapoor with Abdoolla, which would have insured the accession of that prince to the throne, he halted at Mirch, to prosecute his own designs; and deputing the same bramin, who had formerly gone to Belgam, with a vast sum of money, he was directed to employ it in corrupting the soldiers of the garrison to deliver the fort into his hands, in case of Assud Khan's death. The bramin had nearly succeeded in his commission when the plot being discovered by Assud Khan, he slew the spy, together with seventy of the soldiers whom he had already bribed. The nobles of Bee-japoor, on hearing of this event, became fully con­vinced that the old minister took no share in the pretensions of the Prince Abdoolla, and accord­ingly remained firm in their allegiance to Ibrahim Adil Shah, while the adherents of the Prince began to fall off daily.*

The disorder of Assud Khan continuing, and old age having rendered him too weak to contend against it, he prepared to meet death, and entreated Ibrahim Adil Shah to honour him with a farewell visit in the following verses:—

“Haste, like the morning breeze, to the bower “of friendship; come, like the graceful cypress, to “the garden.”

Mohurrum,
A. H. 956.
January,
A. D. 1549. Ibrahim thinking it advisable to com­ply with his request, marched, in the month of Mohurrum, 956, towards Bel-gam. After passing Hookery he re­ceived accounts of the minister's death; from whence the King pushed on, and arrived on the same night at Belgam, where he administered con­solation to his mourning family and attendants, giving them assurances of his favour; but he attached, in the meanwhile, all Assud Khan's estates and treasures. In this state of affairs, the Portuguese marched back to Goa, accompanied by the Prince Abdoolla, while the other con­federates also retreated to their own dominions.

Assud Khan was remarkable for his judgment and talents; and his administration of the govern­ment during the reign of Ismael Adil Shah has justly rendered his name celebrated in history. For nearly forty years he was the patron and protector of all the noble and distinguished men of the Dec-can. He lived universally respected and esteemed, and maintained a splendour and magnificence suited to his high station. The sovereigns of Bee-januggur, and others, acknowledged his great abilities and influence, by frequently honouring him with letters, and propitiating him with valu­able presents. His household servants, Georgians, Circassians, Hindoos, and Abyssinians, amounted to two hundred and fifty. He had sixty large elephants, and one hundred and fifty of a smaller size. In his stables were four hundred Arabian horses, exclusive of those of mixed breed, foaled in India. During his administration he had amassed great wealth. In his kitchen were every day expended one hundred maunds * of rice, Dec-can weight, fifty sheep, and one hundred fowls; from which some notion may be formed of the expenditure of other articles. He first introduced the fashion of wearing the waistband of gold cloth, and the dagger, which have been ever since as­sumed by persons of rank in this country. He also attempted to ride elephants with bridles, in­stead of managing them with the kujjuk, or goad; but as those animals have frequently sudden starts of vice, this mode of guiding them was not found to answer. Ibrahim Adil Shah, agreeably to his last will, gave the daughter of Assud Khan (Mah-tab Beeby) in marriage to Ally Bereed Shah, with whom he sought an alliance.

Boorhan Nizam Shah, soon after the death of Assud Khan, deputed ambassadors to Ramraj with presents, and professions of regard were inter­changed between the Princes. On learning this circumstance, Ibrahim Adil Shah treated the am­bassadors of the latter, who were with him at Beejapoor, with such marked neglect that they became alarmed, and retired abruptly, without taking leave, to Beejanuggur, where they com­municated to Ramraj, that Ibrahim Adil Shah, out of resentment of his alliance with Boorhan Nizam Shah (had they not made their escape), would probably have put them to death. Ram-raj was much incensed; and in order to involve Ibrahim Adil Shah in war with the King of Ah-mudnuggur, he wrote to that prince, recommend­ing him to attack Kulliany, belonging to Ally Bereed, the ally of Ibrahim Adil Shah.

Boorhan Nizam Shah, accordingly, moved from Ahmudnuggur with an army, and surrounding Kul-liany, effectually blockaded it. Ibrahim Adil Shah, at the request of Ally Bereed, marched to relieve it; and encamping within sight of the enemy, threw up an entrenchment around his army, not choosing to risk a battle on the plain. Boorhan Nizam Shah, unwilling to raise the siege, also fortified his camp. In this state of affairs, Ibra-him Adil Shah ordered his Bergy * officers, who were expert light troops, to occupy the roads, and prevent supplies of grain and forage reaching the enemy. These orders were so implicitly obeyed, that a famine soon prevailed in the camp of Boor-han Nizam Shah, so that in the month of Ram-zan†, * the King and his army, true believers, and Hindoos, all fasted alike, from absolute necessity. Boorhan Nizam Shah, in this distress, consulted his generals; some of whom proposed to raise the siege, and retreat to Ahmudnuggur; while others recommended him to make peace with Ibrahim Adil Shah. Shah Jafur and Kasim Beg (two foreign chiefs) dissented from both these opinions, and strongly advised offering battle to the enemy; a resolution which Boorhan Nizam Shah deter­mined to adopt. Accordingly Seif-ood-Deen Ein-ool-Moolk, with other chiefs, at daylight on the morning of the dissolution of the fast, surprised the camp of Ibrahim Adil Shah, whose troops were off their guard, and employed in preparing for the festival. The King, who was then in the warm bath, had scarcely time to make his escape; and his troops fled in such confusion, that all the tents, baggage, and artillery, were left in possession of the victors. Boorhan Nizam Shah, elated by his success, directed an assault to be made on the fort of Kulliany on the same day; and the garrison, intimidated by the defeat of their ally, laid down their arms, and surrendered the place without opposition.

Ibrahim Adil Shah was by no means disheartened by this affair; and in order to save his own terri­tory from devastation he invaded that of the enemy. He came suddenly before Purenda, and finding the gates open, rushed with a body of troops into the fortress, which submitted, and was given over in charge to one of his Deccany officers. From thence he proceeded to lay waste the neighbouring districts; and after having levied considerable contributions, he retreated, on the approach of Boorhan Nizam Shah, towards Beeja-poor. Boorhan Nizam Shah proceeded to recover Purenda. Before he arrived within many miles, the dastardly governor, being alarmed, fled by night, without communicating his design to his followers, and on the next morning they imitated the ex­ample of their chief. The third day after this the evacuated fortress was quietly taken possession of by its former master.