Suffur 16.
A. H. 941.
Aug. 27.
A. D. 1534.

dangerously ill of a fever and flux, of which he shortly afterwards died on the 16th Suffur, A. H. 941, and his eldest son, Mulloo Adil Khan, ascended the throne of Beejapoor with the title of Mulloo Adil Shah. Peace was immediately after concluded. Among the brave garrison of Kovilconda were a number of Hindoo Naigs, who distinguished them­selves in its defence, and who received handsome presents from the King for their conduct. As the army had now endured a continued campaign of three years, the King permitted his officers and soldiers to proceed to their respective homes, while he marched to his capital.

Shuval,
A. H. 936.
June,
A. D. 1530. In the month of Shuval, A. H. 936, the King had a son born, who was called Ibrahim Koolly. — At the time that Sooltan Koolly was engaged in war with Ismael Adil Shah, Kasim Bereed Shah of Bidur took advantage of that circumstance to devastate many of the northern towns and districts of Tu-lingana. After having remained some time at his capital, Sooltan Koolly was again in the field with the determination of taking revenge for the late incursions into Tulingana. He accordingly marched to Bidur, where an action was fought, which terminated in a drawn battle on the first day; but on the second it ended in the total overthrow of the Bereed Shahy troops, with the loss of one hundred and fifty elephants; after which Sooltan Koolly gave orders for his cavalry to disperse in all directions, and to lay waste the whole of the Bereed Shahy territory. On this occasion the zemindars of Gujweel, Ellore, and Tipran, came forward and paid tribute, and delivered over their country to the King's troops, of which they immediately took possession. Sool-tan Koolly Kootb Shah now proceeded to reduce the strong fortress of Koheer. * When Kasim Be-reed Shah heard of this movement, he marched to oppose the Kootb Shahy army. On his arrival, he was opposed by Sooltan Koolly with half of his army, the other half being left to continue the siege: an action took place, which terminated in a drawn battle. The Bereed Shahy troops, however, hovered about the Kootb Shahies, and endeavoured to cut off their supplies for the space of three months, during which time several partial skirmishes ensued. At length it was agreed by both parties, that, on ac­count of the approaching rains, Kasim Bereed Shah should cede the fort of Koheer, and that the King of Golconda should retreat to his capital.

Having remained for some time at Golconda, the King gave orders for a campaign against the infidels; and after collecting his army, marched to Nulgonda, the raja of which province had, during the late campaign, made some incursions into his country. On reaching the place it was required to surrender; but the demand was re­jected, and the King immediately commenced the siege. Shortly after the brother of the Raja made a sally from the fort, in which he was taken, and his troops defeated. This event did not deter Raja Hurry Chundur, the commandant of the place, from making several other attacks by day and by night on the trenches, in which many brave men were killed on both sides.

The King in vain made several attempts to storm this strong hill-fort, but was as often repulsed: at length he sent a flag of truce to the walls, and pro­claimed, that if Hurry Chundur would consent to become tributary to Golconda, and promise never again to invade the Kootb Shahy dominions, he would withdraw the Mahomedan forces to the ca­pital; but, on the contrary, if the Raja refused these terms, he called on God to witness that he would send for more troops, destroy the towns, devastate the country, and thus reduce the place by cutting off its supplies; in which case he would give no quarter either to man, woman, or child, in the garrison. Hurry Chundur agreed to the terms, and sent mag­nificent presents to the King; at the same time he promised to pay an annual tribute. When the Raja's messengers arrived, the King said, that as Nulgonda was the only hill-fort which he had not reduced, he wished to see it, and proposed, while his body-guard remained in the town below, that he with one or two attendants might be allowed to go up and look at it.

The Raja consented, as he thought by this means to seize and put the King to death; while Sooltan Koolly, also bent on treachery, told his body-guard, that the moment he entered the fort with three or four attendants, he would draw his sword and occupy the gateway till they arrived. He accordingly took with him only four tried soldiers in complete armour, and ascended the hill. The moment he entered he drew his sword, and cut down the centinel at the gate with his own hands; while his companions attacking the rest of the guard retained possession of the gateway till the King's body-guard arrived, and, subsequently, the rest of his army. Neither man, woman, nor child, was spared on this occasion. The Raja, on being made prisoner, was confined in an iron cage, and eventually put to death. From Nulgonda the King marched to Condbeer, to demand tribute which the Raja had hitherto neglected to pay. Condbeer was, as before, vigorously besieged, and as bravely defended for a considerable time; till at length the Raja bribed some of the Mahomedan officers to recommend the King to accept terms; but he declared he would not quit the place till it was taken. It fell in a few days after. The garrison having surrendered at discretion, the King built a tower in the middle of the fort, in commemor­ation of its reduction, and then returned to his capital.

Subsequent to the death of Ismael Adil Shah, his elder son Mulloo was proclaimed King; but shortly afterwards the minister, Assud Khan Lary, conspired against him, and in conjunction with his younger brother, the Prince Ibrahim, de­throned Mulloo, put out his eyes, and raised Ibra-him to the throne under the title of Ibrahim Adil Shah. While Sooltan Koolly was engaged in the siege of Koheer, Ibrahim Adil Shah, in conjunction with Kasim Bereed, had attacked part of the Tu-lingana territories; and Sooltan Koolly, having now returned to his capital, resolved to revenge himself for the insult and injury done to him. He accord­ingly led an army against the fort of Etgeer, be­longing to the King of Beejapoor, and also sent different detachments to recover the districts of Kakny, Gorowly, and Nargy, which had been usurped by Ismael Adil Shah during the time Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah was engaged in war with Ramchundur and Seetaputty. The several detachments in a short time succeeded in reducing those districts, and occupied them in the name of Sooltan Koolly; after which the King invested the fortress of Etgeer, and at the same time sent an am­bassador to Kasim Bereed Shah, demanding the cession of the towns of Meduk and Kowlas. Kasim Bereed Shah, aware that he could not re­sist the forces of Sooltan Koolly, deputed an am­bassador to Boorhan Nizam Shah of Ahmudnuggur, begging him to ward off the impending blow. Boorhan Nizam Shah, who was engaged in a war with Ibrahim Adil Shah concerning the district of Sholapoor, was glad of the opportunity of opening a negotiation with Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah, whose favour he wished to conciliate. He accord­ingly deputed his minister, Shah Tahir, to the Kootb Shahy camp; and it was stipulated that Kasim Bereed Shah should deliver up the fort of Meduk to Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah, who, on his part, was to forgive past injuries. When Shah Tahir reached Golconda, he learned that Sooltan Koolly, in consequence of the rains, had raised the siege of Etgeer, and was on his return to his capital. Shah Tahir was received with all due respect, and he easily procured the signature of the treaty with Kasim Bereed Shah. He also induced Sooltan Koolly to send a force of five thousand horse to assist Boorhan Nizam Shah in the reduction of the fort of Sholapoor. The ambassador having been presented with twenty thousand hoons received his audience of leave.

After a series of victorious campaigns, Sooltan Koolly Kootb Shah having nearly attained the age of ninety resolved to spend the few remaining years of his life in arrangements for the improve­ment of that country in peace, which had been ac­quired by his personal valour in war. Though his frame was infirm, his mind still remained active; and he now thought of beautifying his capital with mosques, palaces, and gardens. It is related that he came one Thursday, in the latter end of the month

Jumad-ool-
Awul,
A. H. 950.
August,
A. D. 1543.

of Jumad-ool-Awul, A. H. 950, to su­perintend some improvements and alter­ations making in the principal mosque at Golconda, which were to enable him to enter it by a private door, and so escape the observation of the congregation. His wish for making this arrangement was, because he always fancied the eyes of the people were attracted towards him, owing to the sabre wound he had received on the face, which he thought rendered his appearance frightful. On the day above alluded to he was giving directions to the builders, when his handkerchief, which was imprinted with the names of the twelve Imams, fell from his hands. This incident induced him to put off the alterations till the next day, and he returned from the mosque.

Jumad-oos-
Sany 2.
A. H. 940.
Sept. 4.
A. D. 1543.