Meean Munjoo Deccany is appointed minister. — Yekhlas Khan
is pardoned, and permitted to return to court — he puts himself
at the head of a party to oppose Meean Munjoo. — The Bee-
AFTER the death of his father, Ibrahim Nizam
Shah succeeded to the throne, and in conformity
with his dying request, he appointed his father's
tutor, Meean Munjoo Deccany, to be his prime
minister. Upon his accession, Yekhlas Khan
(though he had during the late reign opposed his
sovereign in the field) now made overtures to obtain
pardon; and the King and his new minister, taking
into consideration the daring and ambitious character
of Yekhlas Khan, thought it politic to grant
it. He no sooner arrived at Ahmudnuggur than
he began to collect a number of Abyssinians and
Movullids about his person; which being observed
by the minister, he began also to collect adherents,
so that in fact, in a few days, it was evident that
two parties existed, each of whom insisted on preeminence.
The consequence was, that the affairs
of state were thrown into confusion, and civil war
appeared inevitable. In every meeting it was discussed,
whether it were not advisable to march
against the King of Beejapoor; and both parties
behaved insolently towards Meer Sufvy, the ambassador
of Ibrahim Adil Shah II., who had arrived
to condole and congratulate as is usual in lineal
successions to the throne; a conduct the more
unjustifiable, when we know he was a syud of
indisputable descent. Ibrahim Adil Shah no
sooner heard of these proceedings than he declared
war, and marched to Shahdoorg for the purpose
of supporting Ibrahim Nizam Shah, who had now
entirely lost his authority. Yekhlas Khan made
preparations to oppose the Beejapoories; while the
minister, Mean Munjoo, making overtures to
him, proposed that a peace should be concluded
with Ibrahim Adil Shah, in order that the whole
of the forces of the Deccan might co-operate
against the intended invasion of Akbur Padshah.
Yekhlas Khan, however, was not to be diverted from
his purpose, and determined to risk every thing
by fighting an action with Ibrahim Adil Shah.
Meean Munjoo said nothing, while Ibrahim Nizam
Shah assented to the measure. When the
Nizam Shahy troops reached the frontier they
found that Ibrahim Adil Shah had yet made no
attack on the Nizam Shahy territory, and Meean
Munjoo again ventured to recommend that overtures
for peace should first be made; but Ibrahim
Nizam Shah, having engaged in a fit of debauchery,
thought of nothing less than retreating; and accordingly,
having passed the frontier, he levied contributions
on the Beejapoor villages. Humeed
Khan, the Adil Shahy general in advance, marched
to oppose him; and Meean Munjoo, who saw
matters approaching to a crisis, sent some confidential
persons to Humeed Khan, apologising
for the King's conduct; saying, that he was but
a boy; that he had given himself up to drinking,
and was in the hands of designing and wicked
people; that the present also was the month of
Zeehuj; that it was unlawful to fight in these
days; and he therefore requested that he would
defer attacking Ibrahim Nizam Shah for a short
time, before the expiration of which, he hoped to
bring the King's mind to consent to peace. Meean
Munjoo having pledged himself to refrain from
attack, Humeed Khan avoided the Nizam Shahies,
and encamped at the distance of two miles from
them; but Ibrahim Nizam Shah concluding that
this manœuvre proceeded from the weakness of
Humeed Khan's force, resolved to attack him on
the following day; and although Meean Munjoo
and several officers sat up the whole night to endeavour
to restrain his folly, he persisted in
drinking, and on the next day attacked Humeed
Khan. The two armies consisted of nearly fifty
thousand cavalry besides infantry: a severe action
ensued, but a most extraordinary occurrence took
place. The right wing of the Nizam Shahies
broke the left of the Adil Shahies, while those on
the right wing compelled the enemy's left to give
way, pursuing them to the distance of six miles
from the field of action. Ibrahim Nizam Shah,
who was with the right wing, concluded he had
gained a victory, while Soheil Khan, who commanded
the Adil Shahy right wing, still kept his
ground during the night, which closed the action.
On the morning, the opponents were mutually astonished
each to find his enemy still on the ground;
and Ibrahim Nizam Shah adding some strong doses
of liquor to the former night's debauch, ordered his
troops under arms, many of whom were absent in
pursuit of the fugitives of the Adil Shahy left wing,
while others were employed in plunder. Soheil
Khan, the second in command in camp, now took
the command of the Adil Shahies, and sustained
the onset of the Nizam Shahies, headed in person
by their King, who, receiving a shot in the head,
was killed, and his troops fled to Ahmudnuggur
with his body. Meean Munjoo also accompanied
them; and upon his arrival at the capital, sent for
Ahmud, a boy of twelve years of age, from Dow-