A. H. 949.
A.D. 1542. In the year 949, dissensions arose at the court of Beejapoor between As-sud Khan of Belgam and his master, Ibrahim Adil Shah. Boorhan Nizam Shah, taking advantage of this circumstance, invited Ameer Bereed Shah of Bidur to a coalition; at the same time he promulgated a report, that Assud Khan had, in conformity with his religious feelings, in­vited those two monarchs into the kingdom, and promised to give up Belgam to Boorhan Nizam Shah. Although there was not the slightest truth in this story, it was sedulously spread by the enemies of Beejapoor, and so successfully as to poison the King's mind more than ever against his minister. Boorhan Nizam Shah having marched to Sholapoor, he seized on and made over to Khwaja Jehan Dec-cany the five and a half districts, * and then pro­ceeding to Belgam, took possession of it, and plun­dered the towns that did not submit to his authority. Assud Khan used all his exertions to induce the King to march against the enemy, but he was appre­hensive of treachery; and to such a height were their mutual jealousies carried, that Assud Khan saw no security but that of going over to Boorhan Nizam Shah. He joined him accordingly with six thousand troops attached to his person, and Boorhan Nizam Shah marched direct to Beejapoor. Ibrahim Adil Shah, deprived of his minister, and without con­fidence in those around him, deserted his capital, and took shelter at Koolburga, till the arrival of a reinforcement under Imad Shah. The proximity of the Berar army to that of Boorhan Nizam Shah, a short time afterwards, enabled Assud Khan to quit the side he had espoused, and to unite himself with the ally of his country. Assud Khan no sooner joined the Berar army than Boorhan Nizam Shah retreated towards Ahmudnuggur, whither he was pursued by the allied forces of Berar and Beejapoor; and being compelled, in his turn, to quit his capital, and to leave it a prey to the in­vaders, he took post in the strong fortress of Dow-lutabad. At this place Ameer Bereed Shah of Bidur dying, Boorhan Nizam Shah concluded a peace, and restored to Ibrahim Adil Shah the five and a half districts of Sholapoor.

On the following year, Boorhan Nizam Shah de­puted Shah Tahir as ambassador to the court of Jumsheed Kootb Shah of Golconda, congratulating him on his accession to the throne, and making private overtures to induce him to form a league with Ramraj, the Hindoo prince of Beejanuggur, against the state of Beejapoor.

A. H. 953.
A. D. 1546. In * the year 953, Boorhan Nizam Shah, at the instigation of Ramraj, moved again to reduce Koolburga, and Ibrahim Adil Shah marched from Beejapoor to oppose him. Upon his arrival near the town of Hoorchean, he discovered Boorhan Nizam Shah strongly posted on the eastern bank of the Beema river; and finding it impossible to cross, he encamped on the opposite bank. Both armies lay inactive for three months, during the rains, in sight of each other, with the river between them. At length Ibrahim Adil Shah, tired of delay, found means to cross, and attacked the Nizam Shahies, who were totally de­feated, with the loss of two hundred and fifty ele­phants, and one hundred and seventy pieces of cannon and tumbrils included. Ibrahim Adil Shah is said on this occasion to have killed three of the enemy with his own hand, and to have given great proofs of personal intrepidity; he, however, always attributed the victory to the conduct of Assud Khan, on whom he conferred several districts in addition to his other jageers.

Boorhan Nizam Shah now sent his trusty mi­nister, Shah Tahir, to beg the assistance of Ally Bereed Shah of Bidur, who, however, declined. This induced him, on the following year, to march an army against Bidur, commencing his operations by the siege of Owsa. Ally Bereed Shah, in the mean time, promised to cede the fort of Kulliany to Ibrahim Adil Shah, in case he would march to his assistance; and the Beejapoor troops formed a junction with the Bidur forces at Kulliany. The allies now raised the siege of Owsa; and an action took place with the Nizam Shahy army within four miles of that fort, in which the allies were defeated with considerable loss, and the fall of Owsa shortly afterwards took place. From thence Boorhan Nizam Shah marched against Oodgeer, which he also reduced, and then pro­ceeded against Kand'har. At this place the allies made another effort to raise the siege; but being a second time defeated, with the loss of their heavy baggage, Kand'har shortly after fell, and Boorhan

A. H. 955.
A. D. 1548.

Nizam Shah returned towards his ca­pital, in the year 955. On the road he was met by deputies from a political party in Beejapoor, who stated that the people were so oppressed by the cruelties and mal-ad­ministration of Ibrahim Adil Shah that the nobles were desirous of substituting in his stead the Prince Abdoolla, the King's younger brother. This prince had at that time sought an asylum with the Portuguese at Goa; but they had said nothing could be effected without the assistance of Boorhan Nizam Shah. Jumsheed Kootb Shah of Gol­conda was also invited to coalesce with the King of Ahmudnuggur for this purpose, and the allied sovereigns accordingly moved towards Beejapoor. Boorhan Nizam Shah first invaded the country, and failing in an attempt to seize Belgam, he was compelled to retreat; and the death of his favourite minister, Shah Tahir, which occurred about this period, induced him to fall back on his capital, and to make over the seals to Kasim Beg Hukeem and Gopal Row a bramin.

Nearly at the same time, also, Assud Khan of Bel-gam dying, Boorhan Nizam Shah resolved to make another attack on the Beejapoor dominions. He accordingly deputed ambassadors to Ramraj, in­viting him to a confederacy, when presents and pro­fessions were interchanged between them. Upon hearing which, Ibrahim Adil Shah treated the resident ambassadors of the latter at Beejapoor with evident marks of disrespect; and they quit­ted his capital in great indignation, without taking leave. On arriving at Beejanuggur, they told Ramraj what had been the behaviour of Ibrahim Adil Shah, on account of the league the Beeja-nuggur court was about to form with Boorhan Nizam Shah; and concluded by saying, that had they not made their escape they should probably have been put to death. Ramraj, enraged at this affront, wrote to Boorhan Nizam Shah, that as Ally Bereed Shah of Bidur had preferred to his alliance that of Ibrahim Adil Shah, it would be desirable to take from him the fort of Kulliany.

Boorhan Nizam Shah, without delay, moved from Ahmudnuggur, and surrounding Kulliany effect­ually blocked up all communication from without. Ibrahim Adil Shah marched to relieve it; and ad­vancing within sight of the enemy, pitched his camp and intrenched himself. Boorhan Nizam Shah, unwilling to raise the siege, also fortified his lines. The Beejapoor Marratta horse were employed to infest the roads leading to the enemy's camp, and to cut off his supplies; and were so successful as to cause the greatest distress for provisions to the Nizam Shahies. Boorhan Nizam Shah, in this situation, called a council of his nobles, some of whom proposed to raise the siege, and, retreating on Ahmudnuggur, to make peace; while Shah Jafur and Kasim Beg recommended a sudden and vigorous attack on the enemy. The latter advice being adopted, Seif-ood-Deen Ein-ool-Moolk, with several other Toorky officers, on the morning of the fast of Rumzan, surprised the Beejapoor army at dawn of day. Ibrahim Adil Shah, who was then in a warm bath, had scarcely time to make his escape, and fly towards Beer and Purenda, while his troops were so completely surprised, that they deserted their tents, baggage, and artillery, all of which fell into the hands of the victors. At the same moment, also, an attack was made on the fort of Kulliany, which surrendered without much op­position. After this defeat, Ibrahim Adil Shah, in order to save his own territories from devastation, fled through the enemy's country, and coming sud­denly before Purenda, rushed in before the gates could be shut, and taking possession, gave charge of it to one of his Deccany officers. He then laid waste the surrounding country, and levied heavy contributions on the people; but hearing of the ap­proach of Boorhan Nizam Shah, he retreated towards Beejapoor. The Nizam Shahy troops con­tinued to advance towards Purenda; and the das­tardly governor, whom Ibrahim Adil Shah had left there, fled during the night, before the enemy had arrived within forty miles of the place. Shah Jumal-ood-Deen Anjoo, a contemporary, told me, * that the governor of Purenda persisted in declaring he heard the trumpets of Boorhan Nizam Shah when he was forty miles distant, and this proved to be nothing but the buzzing of a gnat in his room. The third day after his flight, the empty fortress was occupied by the Nizam Shahy troops; and Boorhan Nizam Shah having restored it to Khwaja Jehan Deccany, retreated to Ahmudnuggur.†* A. H. 957.
A. D. 1549. On the following year, Boorhan Nizam Shah marched his army through great part of the Beejapoor territory without opposition, and had a conference with Ramraj in the vicinity of the fort of Rachore, when it was resolved that they should both aggrandise them­selves by attacking the Beejapoor territories; that Ramraj should take the forts of Rachore and Moodkul, with their dependencies on the south of the Krishna, and that Boorhan Nizam Shah should attack Sholapoor and Koolburga.