Succeeds his brother — writes to Akbur, acknowledging his supre­macy. — Character of Raja Ally Khan. — A body of revolted chiefs from Ahmudnuggur arrive at Boorhanpoor — they plunder the town, and are pursued by Raja Ally Khan — they return, with a force of Moguls, into Berar — are again defeated by Raja Ally Khan. — The Prince Moorad Mirza, the son of Akbur, invades the Deccan — he is joined by Raja Ally Khan, who eventually loses his life at the battle of Peitun, on the Godavery.

ON the first intimation of the illness of which Meeran Mahomed Khan subsequently died, his brother Raja Ally, then at Agra, proceeded direct to Boorhanpoor, and arrived at the latter city three days after his death. The nobles went out to meet him; and in conse­quence of the minority of Hoossein Khan they deposed that prince, and placed Raja Ally on the musnud. At this period, the princes of Hin-doostan, from Bengal to Sind, including Malwa and Guzerat, had been subdued by the victorious arms of Akbur Padshah; and Raja Ally Khan, in order to avoid so unequal a contest, dropped the title of king, which his brother had assumed, and wrote a letter to Akbur, begging that he might be considered as his vassal and tri­butary; and in order to convince him of his sincerity, sent him many rich and valuable pre­sents. He also maintained a friendly inter­course for a period of years with the kings of the Deccan. Raja Ally Khan was a person of superior talents: just as a governor, wise and prudent as a statesman, brave and intrepid as a warrior, and possessing a high spirit and a laudable ambition. He was the idol of his people, and neither engaged in wars of conquest nor patiently permitted his country to be invaded. He employed his time in reading with doctors of the Hunefy sect, and in the cultivation of the arts, until the

A. H. 1002.
A. D. 1593.

year 1002, when (during the secession of Moortuza Nizam Shah of Ahmud-nuggur from public affairs) a dispute arising between Sulabut Khan, the Ahmudnuggur regent, and Syud Moortuza, the governor of Be-rar, a battle took place at the distance of twelve miles from Ahmudnuggur; wherein Syud Moor-tuza was defeated, and retreated with twelve thousand men, accompanied by some of his offi­cers, to Elichpoor. On being closely pursued, these chiefs directed their march towards Boor-hanpoor, and requested the assistance of Raja Ally Khan, who neither gave them encouragement nor a direct refusal. Meanwhile, impatient of delay, Syud Moortuza's soldiers sacked the city, and directed their march towards Agra. Raja Ally Khan pursued and defeated this mutinous body on the banks of the Nurbudda, taking all its baggage and carriage-cattle; among the latter of which were one hundred elephants. Syud Moor-tuza, however, was enabled to cross the river, and proceeded to join Akbur Padshah, to whom he complained of the ill usage he had experienced from Raja Ally Khan, but more particularly from Sulabut Khan. Akbur, who had long been de­sirous of invading the Deccan, thought the pre­sent a good opportunity to carry his project into effect. For this purpose he received the Dec-can refugees into his service, and gave them high military stations. Raja Ally Khan, on hearing of their elevation, foresaw the future destination of the Dehly arms, and therefore deputed an envoy to Akbur, to whom he presented all the elephants he had taken from the Deccanies, as also a considerable sum of money. The offer­ing was accepted; and on the following year,

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

viz. 1003, Syud Moortuza and the rest of the Deccan chiefs were directed to proceed to Mando, whence Mirza Azeez Koka furnished a considerable force for the purpose of invading Berar, while Mirza Ma-homed Tuky was deputed by the King of Ah-mudnuggur to oppose them. When the Dehly force arrived at the town of Hundia, on the banks of the Nurbudda, the commander sent a person to wait on Raja Ally Khan, in order that he might mediate an accommodation between the Ahmud-nuggur and Berar officers; while, on the other hand, Mahomed Tuky, the Nizam Shahy gene­ral, was empowered to make overtures to Raja Ally Khan, to induce him to join the Deccan army. After the most mature deliberation, Raja Ally Khan thought fit to join the Deccanies, with whom he proceeded towards Hundia; and having arrived within two miles of the Moguls, intended to attack them on the following day. During the night, however, the Mogul general, leaving his tents standing and lights burning, de­camped, and taking the road to Berar, plundered the country, and sacked the towns of Elichpoor and Balapoor. Raja Ally Khan and Mirza Mahomed Tuky, on hearing of this manœuvre, countermarched, but the Mogul rejoined the force he had left at Hundia * without encountering opposition; and the Deccan allies, having secured themselves from attack, returned to their respective governments of Ahmudnuggur and Kandeish.

A. H. 1004.
A. D. 1595. After the death of Boorhan Nizam Shah II., in the year 1004, the Prince Moorad Mirza, son of Akbur Padshah, and Khan Khanan, the son of Beiram Khan, marched for the purpose of subduing the Deccan. Raja Ally Khan of Kandeish accompanied them, and was killed, with many officers of distinction, by the explosion of a powder tumbril, in the famous battle fought between Khan Khanan and Soheil Khan, general of the Ahmudnuggur forces.†*

The reign of Raja Ally Khan lasted for a pe-

A. H. 1005.
A. D. 1596.

riod of twenty-one years; and his body was carried to Boorhanpoor, where he was buried with due honours.