Hoossein Nizam Shah, inflamed by this message, sent back a reply so indecent as to be unfit to re­late; which increased the anger of Ally Adil Shah to such a degree, that changing the colour of his canopy and standard from yellow to green, the colour of Hoossein Nizam Shah, by way of de­fiance (according to the custom of the Deccan), challenged him to come and reclaim his honour.

A. H. 966.
A. D. 1558. In the year 966, Ally Adil Shah having invited Ramraj to join him, those two monarchs invaded the terri­tory of Hoossein Nizam Shah, and laid it waste so thoroughly, that from Purenda to Joonere, and from Ahmudnuggur to Dowlutabad, not a vestige of population was left. The infidels of Beeja-nuggur, who for many years had been wishing for such an opportunity, left no cruelty unprac­tised. They insulted the honour of the Mussul­man women, destroyed the mosques, and did not respect even the sacred Koran. Hoossein Nizam Shah, by the advice of Kasim Beg Hukeem, Shah Jafur, and other ministers, declining any opposition in the field, retired to Peitun, and after some time purchased peace by giving up Kulliany to Ally Adil Shah; but the enemy had no sooner retired than he entered into an alliance with Ibra-him Kootb Shah, and marched in conjunction with him to retake the fort he had just surrendered. Ally Adil Shah, on receiving intelligence of this league, again despatched Kishwur Khan and Aboo Toorab to Beejanuggur, to solicit aid from Ramraj; and also invited Ally Bereed Shah to enter into the same confederacy. Ramraj, who knew the character of the King, judging that should he re­fuse his assistance he would make peace with the Mussulman powers, and attempt the recovery of Moodkul and Rachore, marched to join him with fifty thousand horse and a great army of foot. The allies met on the banks of the Krishna, and moved immediately towards Kulliany, which was then besieged by the Nizam Shahy and Kootb Shahy forces.

Ibrahim Kootb Shah, according to his usual mode of embracing the strongest party, quitted his ally, and came over suddenly to Ally Adil Shah; upon which Hoossein Nizam Shah, without delay, retreated to Ahmudnuggur. The allies followed him with the utmost expedition to that city, and he did not think it prudent to remain there, but having thrown a reinforcement and supplies into the citadel, retired to the town of Joonere. The three sovereigns laid siege to Ahmudnuggur, and sent detachments on all sides to lay waste the country. The Hindoos of Beejanuggur committed the most outrageous devastations, burning and rasing the buildings, putting up their horses in the mosques, and performing their abominable idola­trous worship in the holy places. The siege was pushed with the greatest vigour, but the garrison held out with resolution, hoping that at the ap­proach of the monsoon the enemy would be neces­sitated to retire. In this they were not disap­pointed; for when the rains set in, the floods, the damp, and the want of provisions, caused the utmost distress to prevail in the camp. At the same time, also, Ibrahim Kootb Shah maintained a secret cor­respondence with the besieged, to whom he privately sent in grain. Ally Adil Shah, suspecting the causes of the obstinacy of the besieged, and, probably, scandalised by the behaviour of his Hindoo allies, persuaded Ramraj to raise the siege, and to march against Sholapoor. Upon their arrival within some miles of that fortress, Kishwur Khan, seeing the danger of the aggrandisement of the Hindoo prince, represented to Ally Adil Shah, that if the fort of Sholapoor should fall, Ramraj would most probably keep it for himself, and extend his views to the neighbouring countries; it seemed, therefore, ad­visable to endeavour to reduce the fort of Nuldroog, and to leave the reduction of Sholapoor to a more convenient time, when there would be no appre­hension of any rivalry for its possession. Ally Adil Shah, approving this advice, persuaded Ramraj to alter his views, and move to the place where Raja Nul had formerly erected a strong fortress. Here, after throwing up an extensive work of stone, the allies took leave of each other, and returned to their several dominions.

In the first expedition, when Ally Adil Shah had invited Ramraj to his assistance, the Hindoos committed great outrages at Ahmudnuggur, and omitted no mark of disrespect to the religion of the faithful, singing and performing their abominations and superstitious worship in the very mosques. The King was then much offended; but as he had not the means of preventing it he pretended not to ob­serve it. In the conclusion of this campaign, Ram-raj, looking with contempt on the Islam monarchs, and regarding them as of little consequence, refused to pay proper honours to the officers sent to com­municate with him. When he admitted them to his presence, he did not permit them even to sit, and treated them with the utmost contempt and haughtiness. He made them attend when in public in his train on foot, not allowing them to mount till he gave orders; and on the return from the last expedition to Nuldroog, the officers and soldiers of his army, in general, treated the Mussulmans with direct insolence, making use of contemptuous language to them. Ramraj, after taking leave, casting an evil eye on the countries of Kootb Shah and Adil Shah, despatched armies to the frontiers of each, and Ally Adil Shah was compelled to purchase his forbearance by ceding the districts of Etgeer and Bagrakote; and Ibrahim Kootb Shah, to obtain the same end, resigned Kowilconda, Pan-gul, and Guntoor.

Ramraj daily continuing to encroach on the dominions of the Mussulmans, Ally Adil Shah resolved to curb his insolence and reduce his power by a league of the faithful against him; for which purpose he convened an assembly of his friends and confidential advisers. Kishwur Khan Lary and Shah Aboo Toorab Shirazy, whose abi­lities had often been experienced, represented, that the King's desire to humble the pride of the Ray of Beejanuggur was undoubtedly meritorious and highly politic, but could never be effected unless by the union of all the Mahomedan kings of the Dec-can, as the revenues of Ramraj, collected from sixty * seaports and numerous flourishing cities and dis­tricts, amounted to an immense sum; which enabled him to maintain a force, against which no single king of the Mussulmans could hope to contend with the smallest prospect of success. Ally Adil Shah com­manded Kishwur Khan to take measures to effect the object of a general league; and an ambassador was accordingly despatched without delay to sound Ibrahim Kootb Shah, and to open to him, if pru­dent, the designed plan.

Ibrahim Kootb Shah, who had been inwardly stung with indignation at the haughty insolence and the usurpations of Ramraj, eagerly acceded to the proposed alliance, and offered to mediate a union between Ally Adil Shah and Hoossein Ni­zam Shah, and even promised to obtain for the former the fort of Sholapoor, which had been the original cause of their disagreement. With this view Ibrahim Kootb Shah despatched Moostufa Khan Ardistany, the most intelligent nobleman of his court, to Ally Adil Shah, with orders, if he should find him still sincere in his intentions towards the league, to proceed from thence to Ah-mudnuggur, and conclude the alliance. Moostufa Khan, on his arrival at Beejapoor, fully per­ceiving that the object of the alliance was for the sake of prosecuting war against the infidels, de­parted for Ahmudnuggur, and laid the subject before Hoossein Nizam Shah. He reminded him, that during the times of the Bahmuny princes the whole strength of the Mussulman power was united under one king, which maintained the balance against the force of the Ray of Beejanuggur; that now, though the Mussulman dominion was divided, yet policy required that all the princes of the faith­ful should unite in restraining the increasing power of their common enemy. He observed, that the authority of the Ray of Beejanuggur, who had reduced all the rajas of the Carnatic to his yoke, required to be checked, and that his influence should be removed from the countries of Islam, in order that the people of their several dominions, who should be considered as being committed by the Almighty to their care, might repose in safety from the oppressions of unbelievers, and their mosques and holy places no longer be subject to pollution from infidels.

These remarks had their full effect upon Hoos-sein Nizam Shah, who, pleased with the com­munication of Moostufa Khan, treated him with unreserved confidence, so that he had every op­portunity he could wish of promoting the object of his mission. After some days it was agreed, that Hoossein Nizam Shah should give his daugh­ter Chand Beeby in marriage to Ally Adil Shah, with the fortress of Sholapoor as her dowry; and that he should receive the sister of that Prince, named Huddeea Sooltana, as a consort for his eldest son Mooturza; that a treaty of eternal friendship should be entered on between both states, and that they should unite sincerely to reduce the power of Ramraj; for which purpose it was resolved to march against him at the earliest practicable period. These points being settled, Moolla Inayut Oolla accompanied Moostufa Khan as ambassador on his return to Beejapoor; on which occasion the political treaties and marriage agreements were drawn out, and mutually con­firmed by the most solemn oaths. It was agreed, also, that on the same day, nuptial rejoicings and festivals should be held at Beejapoor and Ahmud-nuggur, and the two princesses be sent to their separate courts. Hoossein Nizam Shah, Ally Adil Shah, Ibrahim Kootb Shah, and Ally Bereed Shah, now began to make active preparations for the campaign against Ramraj.