The first act of his power, after he found him­self secure, was to detach Buleel Khan with an army to collect the arrears of tribute from the rays of Malabar. Buleel Khan, after being joined by Arsapa Naik, Ray of Jerreh, marched against the fort of Shunkur Naik, Ray of Caroor, who refused to pay the tribute. One night, during the siege, while visiting the batteries, Buleel Khan had the misfortune to be taken prisoner by a body of the enemy, and was carried into the fort, where he was confined in heavy chains. His troops, missing their chief, raised the siege and separated to various quarters. Buleel Khan, after some time, by promises of great rewards, prevailed on his keepers, and a seller of grass, to assist in his escape; and he was carried out by the latter upon his shoulders, concealed in a bundle of forage. When he had gained a convenient spot, he con­trived to strike off his chains, and hastened with all expedition towards the Beejapoor frontiers, where, arriving in safety, he procured a horse and pro­ceeded to Bunkapoor, from whence he informed Dilawur Khan of his escape, and requested to be sup­plied with another army to take revenge on Shunkur Naik; but the Regent declined for the present to make any farther attempts in that quarter.

Dilawur Khan, the same year, in order to con­clude a treaty of alliance with Moortuza Nizam Shah, sent ambassadors to the court of Ahmud-

A. H. 992.
A. D. 1584.

nuggur; and in the year 992 Moortuza Nizam Shah requested of Ibrahim Adil Shah his sister Khoodeija Sooltana in marriage for his son the Prince Hoossein; which being agreed on, Kasim Beg came with a train of four hundred horse to Beejapoor to receive the Princess, and escort her to Ahmudnuggur. She departed in great pomp at the end of four months, and was accompanied by her aunt Chand Beeby, who desired to visit her brother Moortuza Nizam Shah.

A. H. 995.
A. D. 1586. In the year 995, the King having attained to years of discretion, it was thought advisable, in conformity with the dictates of God, pronounced by his prophet, “increase and multiply,” that he should marry; and for this purpose an ambassador was sent to the capital of Bhagnuggur, since called Hy-durabad, to solicit in marriage the Princess Mullika Jehan, sister to Mahomed Koolly Kootb Shah. The person deputed on this delicate oc­casion was Khwaja Tilla Beg Shirazy, who was entertained sumptuously at every stage by the King's order, and graciously received at Bhag-nuggur. This step having been undertaken with­out the concurrence of Moortuza Nizam Shah of Ahmudnuggur, that monarch was so incensed, that Mahomed Koolly Kootb Shah thought it prudent to abstain from sending the Princess till he obtained his consent; a measure which he was the more induced to adopt, as the late Ibrahim Koolly Kootb Shah had, upon his death-bed, en­joined his son not to give away Mullika Jehan in marriage without the consent of Moortuza Nizam Shah. Dilawur Khan, the minister and regent of Beejapoor, supposing that the cause of the Princess's detention originated with Moortuza Nizam Shah, marched with the Beejapoor troops to the Ahmud-nuggur frontier. On his arrival at the fort of Owsa, Moortuza Nizam Shah, who had long re­tired from public affairs, judging that some conduct of his ministers had occasioned this invasion, con­fined Sulabut Khan, and gave his office to Kasim Beg, who by his entreaties prevailed on Dilawur Khan to quit the country. The Beejapoor army then moved towards the dominions of Mahomed Koolly Kootb Shah, who, in order to maintain peace, sent his sister to Ibrahim Adil Shah; and the nuptials were celebrated with great magnificence at Shahdoorg, from whence the King returned to Beejapoor.

A. H. 996.
A. D. 1587. In the year 996, Moortuza Nizam Shah, long supposed to be deranged, now evinced symptoms of downright madness, and endeavoured to take the life of his son Meeran Hoossein; upon which the minister, Mirza Khan, thought it best to assist the Prince, in confining Moortuza Nizam Shah; to effect this ob­ject, he requested the assistance of Dilawur Khan, who marched with his sovereign from Beejapoor; but before he arrived at Ahmudnuggur, Meeran Hoossein had dethroned his father. Ibrahim Adil Shah sent congratulations to him upon his ac­cession, and intended to have had an interview with him and the Queen, his sister, for which purpose he remained encamped some miles from Ahmudnuggur; but upon hearing that Hoossein Nizam Shah had atrociously put his father to death, after confining him, he was so struck with horror that he resolved not to see him. He sent Meer Hoossein Koord, who was remarkable for his freedom of speech, to Hoossein Nizam Shah to tell him, that he had marched from Beejapoor solely with the desire of placing him on the throne, and obliging his father to retire to some fort where he might pass his time in the ex­ercise of religious duties; but as he understood that he, Meeran Hoossein, had wickedly put his parent to death, he would not see him; and, lest the world should suppose that he acted with any views of conquest, he should leave him to the vengeance of the Almighty, and return to his own dominions. The King, after sending this message, returned to Beejapoor; from whence Buleel Khan was again detached with twelve thousand horse to collect the arrears of tribute from the rays of Malabar; and in case they re­fused payment, to reduce their forts.

A year had scarcely elapsed, when Hoossein Nizam Shah was assassinated, and one Jumal Khan became all powerful in the government; upon which Dilawur Khan advised Ibrahim Adil Shah to move towards Ahmudnuggur, to take advantage of these dissensions; and orders were accordingly issued to Buleel Khan, directing him to return

A. H. 997.
A. D. 1588.

from Malabar without delay. In the year 997, the King marched from Beejapoor, and Dilawur Khan caused the army to halt near Shahdoorg above a month, in hopes of the junction of Buleel Khan; but he not appearing, the Regent judged farther delay dangerous, and moved on towards Ahmudnuggur. Meanwhile, Jumal Khan, with Ismael Nizam Shah, attended by fifteen thousand horse, and a considerable body of foot and artillery, advanced to meet him, and both armies lay near each other for many days without engaging. At length, Jumal Khan thought proper to sue for peace; and Dilawur Khan con­sented to grant it, on condition that the Princess Khoodeija, sister to Ibrahim Adil Shah, and widow of the late Hoossein Nizam Shah, should be sent back to her brother; also, that the court of Ah-mudnuggur should pay the expenses of the war. Jumal Khan, without delay, sent the Princess with all her private property and jewels, besides a large sum of money, upon which Dilawur Khan retreated; and on the same day Buleel Khan joined the army, where his services were not now wanted, and his departure from Malabar regretted, as he had nearly brought affairs in that quarter to a final adjustment, which was disturbed by his recall.

Dilawur Khan, displeased at Buleel Khan's delay, which he supposed to be designed, under­valued the articles he had brought as part of the tribute, and demanded the immediate payment of the balances due from the rays who had accom­panied him to pay their compliments to the King. In order to disgrace this officer still more, he ac­cused him, in presence of the King, of disobeying the royal orders in not hastening sooner to the royal camp; but Buleel Khan, knowing the King was well inclined towards him, boldly replied, that he had been guilty of no fault, nor delayed longer than he could well avoid. He stated, that he was just on the point of receiving a large sum in part of the arrears of tribute, which would have been lost to the treasury had he immediately made public his orders of recall, and the troops would also have met with great difficulties. He observed, that the minister himself, rather than he, was to blame for having led the King pre­cipitately against an enemy; whereas, if he had remained fifteen days longer at Shahdoorg, the troops from Malabar would have joined, and the country of Nizam Shah might have been success­fully invaded. Yet he was ready to confess his own errors, and throw himself on the King's mercy for any fault he might have committed. Dilawur Khan, though much offended at this boldness, apprehending that any notice of it at the time might occasion a disturbance, thought it best to conceal his displeasure; and assuming an air of approbation, he addressed the King, saying, that Buleel Khan was a loyal subject, and had performed great services; and that as his ex­cuses for delay had some reasonable foundation he requested his Majesty to forgive him, and to confer upon him marks of the royal favour. The King, readily complying with this request, honoured Buleel Khan with a rich dress; and after the breaking up of the court, Dilawur Khan took him apart to his tents, where he entertained him with much hospitality; and by way of apology for his late usage said, that as it was known to the public that he had adopted him as his son, if in the affairs of government he did not behave to him with the same strictness as to others it would be said that he showed undue partiality to his own favourites. Shortly after, a robe was conferred on the son of Arsapa Naik, who had attended Buleel Khan to pay his respects to the King, as well as on many others of the rays of Malabar, who were all honourably dismissed to their own country. The minister having by his hypocritical behaviour thrown the gallant general off his guard, a few months after the return of the army to Beejapoor, forgetting all his great services to himself in the time of Yekhlass Khan, he caused Buleel Khan to be treacherously seized and deprived of sight without the knowledge of the King, who, though much displeased, was too completely in the hands of Dilawur Khan to be able to express the indignation he felt. An opportunity, however, shortly offered of freeing himself from his intolerable thraldom.