A. H. 930.
A. D. 1523. In the year 930, Boorhan Nizam Shah and Ismael Adil Shah, through the in­tervention of Shah Tahir Jooneidy, had a meeting in the fort of Sholapoor; and Beeby Muryum, the sister of Ismael Adil Shah, was given in marriage to Boorhan Nizam Shah, when the nuptials were celebrated with great splendour. It appears, also, on this occasion, that Assud Khan of Belgam, the envoy on the part of Ismael Adil Shah, had promised in his master's name to give Sholapoor as a dowry with his sister; but as that Prince afterwards denied having authorised such a condition, Boorhan Nizam Shah, at the in­tercession of Shah Tahir, was induced to drop the demand, and to return to Ahmudnuggur. Ameena, the favourite queen of Boorhan Nizam Shah, assuming her usual right of superiority over the Beejapoor princess, the latter complained to her brother Ismael Adil Shah of the affront offered to her rank by putting a public actress above her in the royal apartments. The Beejapoor monarch re­monstrated with the resident ambassador from Ahmudnuggur then at his court in very strong language, and out of this an enmity grew; and Boorhan Nizam Shah despatched missions to the courts of Bereed Shah of Bidur and Imad Shah of Gavulgur, to induce those princes to unite against Is-

A. H. 931.
A. D. 1524.

mael Adil Shah. Accordingly, in the year 931, the confederates marched against Sholapoor. Ismael Adil Shah moved to defend the place with nine thousand bowmen; and an engagement took place on the borders, so sanguinary that nature revolts at the remembrance. Imad Shah was opposed, and his ranks broken, by Assud Khan of Belgam, and fled precipitately to Gavulgur; while Boorhan Nizam Shah, over­come with the extreme heat of the day, was borne off the field in a palankeen, and conveyed by his foreign troops to Ahmudnuggur.

A. H. 933.
A. D. 1527. In the year 933, Imad Shah, at the instance of Ismael Adil Shah and Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah, led an army against the fort of Patry, which he recovered; but which was shortly afterwards retaken by Boorhan Nizam Shah, after a close siege of two months. On this occasion he rased the works to the ground, and gave over the district dependent on it in charity to his relations the bramins, in whose hands it con­tinued for several generations till the reign of the Emperor Akbur. After destroying Patry, Boorhan Nizam Shah marched and reduced the fort of Ma-hoor, and afterwards moved on to Elichpoor. Imad Shah, unable singly to contend with the Nizam Shahytroops, fled to Boorhanpoor, where he induced Mahomed Khan Farooky, the ruler of Kandeish, to assist him. Thus united, the allies marched against Boorhan Nizam Shah; but experienced such a total defeat, that they lost three hundred elephants and all their baggage, besides many places in Berar which fell into Boorhan Nizam Shah's hands. Imad Shah and Mahomed Khan Farooky, seeing things in this state, sent ambassadors to Bahadur Shah of Guzerat to request his aid. Bahadur Shah readily complied with their wishes, and

A. H. 935.
A. D. 1529.

marched an army, in the year 935, into the Deccan by the route of Sooltanpoor and Nundoorbar. Boorhan Nizam Shah, alarmed at the accession of Guzerat to the con­federacy, sent letters of congratulation to Babur on his elevation to the throne of Dehly; and also addressed Ismael Adil Shah, Ameer Bereed Shah, and Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah. Of these Ameer Bereed Shah only rendered any assistance, by march­ing to join him with six thousand foreign horse.

Bahadur Shah Guzeratty having entered Berar, with a view to recover Mahoor and Patry, liked the country so much, that he remained some time in it; when Imad Shah, fearful lest his dominions might be laid waste, represented, that if he would move into Boorhan Nizam Shah's country, and procure some parts of it for him, he would remove his family from Gavul, and resigning that fortress to Bahadur Shah, attend constantly at the royal stirrup. Bahadur Shah, accordingly, marched towards Boorhan Nizam Shah's army, and en­camped in the hilly district near Beer; where Ameer Bereed Shah, with a force of Adil Shahy horse, and three thousand of his own, made an attack on a division of the Guzerat army, which was completely cut off between the towns of Beer and Peitun. On this occasion three thousand men were killed on the field, and upwards of seventy camels, laden with treasure, fell into the hands of the assailants. On intimation of this defeat, Ba­hadur Shah instantly detached his vizier, Khood-awund Khan, with twenty thousand horse, to re­venge the disgrace. This division, being drawn into an ambuscade, was also defeated by Ameer Bereed; but a third detachment of twenty thou­sand horse, under the command of Imad Shah, arriving to reinforce Khoodawund Khan, Boorhan Nizam Shah was compelled to fall back first on Purenda, and eventually to retire into Joonere.

Bahadur Shah reached Ahmudnuggur without further opposition, and took up his quarters in the palace of Boorhan Nizam Shah, where he remained for forty days. At last, leaving the siege of the fort to be conducted by Imad Shah, he marched to Dowlutabad; while, in the mean time, Boorhan Nizam Shah, hovering about the Guzeratties, en­deavoured to cut off their supplies.

In this state of affairs, Boorhan Nizam Shah wrote to Ismael Adil Shah, that if he did not march in person to his relief, as became a brother, he must sink under the pressure of his enemies. Ismael Adil Shah replied, that the infidels of Bee-januggur were encamped near Rachore, and that if he left his country they would instantly invade it; but that he sent him five hundred chosen horse under the command of his general Heidur-ool-Moolk Kuzveeny, and hoped that he would shortly repel the enemy. Boorhan Nizam Shah, disap­pointed in his hopes, deprived Sheikh Jafur, who had now become very unpopular among all classes of people, of the office of Peshwa, which he be­stowed on one Kawur Sein a bramin; a person at once endowed with wisdom, penetration, and in­tegrity. By his advice he marched with all the troops he could collect from Joonere to Ahmud-nuggur; and shortly after, decamping with great caution, took up a position in the hills near Dow-lutabad, and within eight miles of the Guze­rat army. While in this post he harassed the enemy by frequent skirmishes and night-attacks for nearly three months, when a general action took place, in which Boorhan Nizam Shah being defeated, was at last induced to sue for peace through Mahomed Khan Farooky and Imad Shah, to whom he promised to return the forts and the elephants he had taken from them during the war. These two princes accordingly represented to Khoodawund Khan, that they had called in the aid of Bahadur Shah Guzeratty only to recover Ma-hoor and Patry; for which service they had engaged to cause the Khootba to be read in his name, both in Berar and Ahmudnuggur, and also to make him annual presents, but that the King seemed now to have extended his views to the absolute possession of their country. Khoodawund Khan remarked, that this was their own fault, for if the kings of the Deccan would agree together, all would be well. They understood his meaning, and resolved to break up the league. Imad Shah, accordingly, permitted supplies of provisions to pass through his camp to Dowlutabad, and retired at the commencement of the rains to Elichpoor.

Bahadur Shah and Meeran Mahomed Khan Farooky now consulted whether to stay or re­treat. The ministers of both parties observed, that when the rivers swelled in the rainy season it would be impossible to obtain supplies either from Gu­zerat or Kandeish; and it being possible that the kings of the Deccan might still unite, it appeared to them prudent that Bahadur Shah should leave the possession of their countries both to Imad Shah and Nizam Shah, and be content with the acknowledg­ment of their homage. Bahadur Shah consented to this arrangement, and a communication was made to that effect to Boorhan Nizam Shah, who sent the ambassadors back with presents, and caused the pub­lic prayers to be read in the name of Bahadur Shah, who returned to Guzerat. Boorhan Nizam Shah, on his arrival at Ahmudnuggur, received a requisition from Meeran Mahomed Khan for the elephants which had been taken from him, and they were restored; but Imad Shah having made a similar demand for the forts of Mahoor and Patry, an evasive answer was given, and the request was not acceded to.

Boorhan Nizam Shah, the following year, sent Shah Tahir with rich presents of cloth, elephants, and horses, to Bahadur Shah, who delayed giving him an audience, and wrote to Meeran Mahomed Khan that he understood Boorhan Nizam Shah had only read the Khootba in his name once, and then discontinued it. Meeran Mahomed Khan, however, assured him that Boorhan Nizam Shah was his loyal vassal, and that if he had only read it once, it was merely to save appearances with the other kings of the Deccan; he trusted, therefore, he would forgive him, and receive his embassy. Bahadur Shah, accordingly, received Shah Tahir, but did not for some time treat him with any con­sideration; till at length his great talents and learn­ing obtained for him the esteem of the King of Guzerat, who altered his conduct; and at the end of three months dismissed him with honour.