Mirza Khan, in the mean time, proceeded to Mando. Boorhan Nizam Shah II. of Ahmud-nuggur now sent Inayut Khan with professions of entire submission; but shortly after falling

A. H. 1003.
A. D. 1594.

sick, that monarch died in the year 1003. His son, Ibrahim Nizam Shah, who succeeded him, was killed in battle, against the troops of Ibrahim Adil Shah; and Meean Munjoo, his vizier, raised to the throne one Ahmud, a boy, said to be of the Nizam Shahy family. The Ahmudnuggur nobles, refusing to ac­knowledge the new king, rebelled, and besieged Meean Munjoo in Ahmudnuggur. In this dilemma, finding himself unable to cope with his enemies, the minister sent persons to Ahmudabad, the ca­pital of Guzerat, to wait on the Prince Moorad Mirza, entreating him to come to his assistance, and promising to put him in possession of the fort. Moorad Mirza having previously received orders from his father to march into the Deccan, gladly embraced the proposal, and moved with great ex­pedition to the south; while Mirza Khan, who had now reached Mando, hearing of the Prince's inten­tion, put his own army in motion, attended by the divisions of Mirza Shahrokh, governor of Malwa, Shahbaz Khan Kumbo, Raja Jugnat, the maternal uncle of Raja Man-Sing, Raja Doorga Das, Raja Ramchundur, and others, and marched towards the Deccan. He induced Raja Ally Khan, ruler of Kandeish, also to join him with six thousand horse. The Mogul forces formed a junction * at Galna, in Kandeish, and from thence proceeding by regular marches continued its route to Ahmudabad.

Meean Munjoo having, by this time, suppressed the rebellion, repented of his having called in the Moguls, and had already laid in a store of provisions in Ahmudnuggur to defend it. He left Chand Beeby†, * the daughter of Hoossein Nizam Shah, to assume the command of the fort, and himself marched with the remainder of his army, and a large train of artillery, towards the Beejapoor frontier. The Prince Moorad Mirza and Mirza Khan, instead of coming as allies, now proceeded to lay siege to Ahmudnuggur, as will be found in the history of the Nizam Shahies. In the month

Rubbee-oos-
Sany,
A. H. 1004.
November,
A. D. 1595.

of Rubbee-oos-Sany, 1004, the besiegers opened their trenches, and carried on approaches by raising mounds, erecting batteries, and sinking mines; while Chand Beeby, defended the place with masculine resolution, and wrote letters to Ibra-heem‡ * Adil Shah of Beejapoor, and Kootub Shah of Bhagnuggur, for aid. At the end of three months the besiegers carried five mines under the wall and bastions, two of which the garrison destroyed by counter mines, and continued to search for the others. The Prince Moorad Mirza and Sadik Mahomed Khan were jealous of Mirza Khan, they accordingly put on their armour, and proceeded towards the bat-

Rujub 1.
A. H. 1004.
Feb. 17.
A. D. 1596.

teries in the afternoon of the 1st of Ru-jub, without communicating with Mirza Khan; and desirous of gaining all the credit of taking the place, set fire to the trains of the mines, upon which three exploded, and blew up fifty guz (eighty feet) of the wall. The Moguls now waited for the explosion of the other two mines, which had been destroyed by the besieged, who, recovering from the surprise occasioned by the explosion, defended the breach with great bravery. Chand Beeby appeared with a veil on her head. She caused guns to be brought to bear on the assailants, and stones to be hurled on them, so that they were repulsed in several repeated attacks. During the night, she stood by the work­men, and caused the breach to be filled up nine feet before daylight with wood, stones, and earth, and dead carcases. Meanwhile a report prevailed, that Soheil Khan, the general of Ibraheem Adil Shah, was on his march, in conjunction with some Kootb Shahy * troops, at the head of an army of seventy thousand horse, to raise the siege. At the same time, a scarcity of provisions prevailing in the Mogul camp, the Prince and Mirza Khan thought it advisable to enter into negotiations with the besieged. It was stipulated by Chand Beeby, that Akbur should retain Berar, while Ahmudnuggur and its original dependencies should remain entire in the hands of Bahadur Shah, the grandson of Boorhan Nizam Shah II. These terms being ratified, the Prince Moorad and Mirza Khan marched towards Berar; where they built the town of Shapoor, near Balapoor, and formed cantonments in that place. On this spot, the Prince espoused the daughter of Bahadur Khan Farooky, the son of Raja Ally Khan, ruler of Kandeish, and subdivided the province of Berar among his chiefs. Shahbaz Khan Kumbo, about this time, becoming disgusted with some indignities offered him by the Prince, quitted the army, and proceeded without leave to Malwa.

After the departure of the Mogul forces, Chand Beeby resigned her authority to Bahadur Nizam Shah, who transferred the reins of government into the hands of Nehung Khan and other chiefs. These, contrary to her advice, and in violation of the late treaty, marched with fifty thousand horse to the north, in order to expel the Mo­guls from Berar; while Khan Khanan, leaving the Prince and Sadik Mahomed Khan in Shapoor, moved with twenty thousand horse, accompanied by Raja Ally Khan Farooky, to oppose them on the banks of the Godavery. On reaching the village of Soopa, Khan Khanan halted for some days to inform himself of the situation and strength of the enemy, and having forded the river, then only knee-deep,

Jumad-ool-
Awul 17.
A. H. 1005.
Dec. 27.
A. D. 1596.

drew up his army on the south bank. On the 17th of Jumad-ool-Awul, 1005, Soheil Khan, who commanded a body of auxiliary troops sent by Ibrahim Adil Shah, assuming the command of all the Deccan troops, marshalled them in front of the Moguls. The Nizam Shahy troops were on the right, the Kootb Shahy on the left, and the Adil Shahies in the centre.

On the side of the Moguls, Khan Khanan took post in the centre. Raja Ally Khan of Kan-deish, and Raja Ram Chundur, at the head of a body of volunteers, began the attack. The onset of the Moguls was conducted with much intrepidity; they broke the advanced troops of the Deccanies, and fell on those of Soheil Khan, where he com­manded in person. Here, however, they met with a check from a heavy discharge of artillery, small arms, and rockets, which did such execution among the Rajpoots and the Kandeish troops that Raja Ally Khan and Raja Ram Chundur were both killed, and above three thousand of their men fell; the Mogul centre and left also gave way at the same time, and left Soheil Khan master of the field in that quarter. Meanwhile Khan Khanan, who had taken the command in person of the right wing during the action, made an impression on the Deccanies, and went in pursuit without being aware of what had hap­pened on his left. Night, shortly after, came on, and each party, equally ignorant of the true state of affairs, thought he had gained a victory. Soheil Khan contented himself with keeping pos­session of the field, without pursuing the enemy, while half of his army deserted during the night with the booty it had obtained.

Khan Khanan, returning from the pursuit, un­expectedly came upon the Deccany artillery during the night, within a small distance of their head­quarters. Thinking the enemy had been entirely routed, he was much surprised at this discovery, but determined to remain where he was till morn­ing, with the few men that continued with him. He now learned, for the first time, that by far the greater part of his army had been defeated, and had fled to Berar. Soheil Khan's troops uncon­sciously lit fires and flambeaux, which gave to Khan Khanan an opportunity of perceiving their position. He accordingly ordered a few shot from his artillery to be fired among them, which threw them into temporary confusion; but Soheil Khan causing the fires to be extinguished, and changing his ground, avoided the danger, and sent skir­mishers to collect such of his troops as might be found over the plain and in the adjacent villages.

Khan Khanan also took similar steps to collect his men, by blowing his trumpets and beating to arms; which being heard by such of his troops as were in the vicinity, they hastened to join him. Several of the Moguls meeting with bands of the Deccanies in the dark, they fought, and formed a scene of confusion not easily described, while “Alla! Alla!” Oh God! Oh God! resounded from all sides; and every eye was fixed with anxiety upon the east, in expectation of the dawn. When day appeared, Soheil Khan was seen march­ing towards the Moguls with twelve thousand horse; and though the troops of Khan Khanan did not exceed three or four thousand in number, he determined to dispute the field, and formed his line. The second battle raged with redoubled fury on both sides. Soheil Khan, after performing prodigies of valour, worn out by fatigue, and loss of blood from wounds he received in the action, fell from his horse. Some of his dependents, how­ever, bore him off the ground; and his army, ac­cording to custom, followed, leaving Khan Khanan master of the field; but being in no condition to pursue the fugitives, the Moguls returned to Shapoor.