Accession of Ibrahim Kootb Shah — assists the King of Ahmud-nuggur against the King of Beejapoor. — Jugdew Row becomes prime minister — retires from Golconda to Berar, and goes into rebellion. — he is defeated, and flies to Beejanuggur. — The Kings of Beejapoor and Golconda coalesce with the Raja of Beejanuggur against the King of Ahmudnuggur. — Peace concluded through the means of Ibrahim Kootb Shah. — Jug-dew Row induces the Raja of Beejanuggur to make war with Ibrahim Kootb Shah, who is besieged in Golconda. — The Hindoo infantry officers engage to seize the King, but the plot is discovered, and the leaders of it are executed. — Conquests in Tulingana. — Rajmundry attacked. — Dhowleswur taken. — Confederacy of the Mahomedan kings of the Deccan against Ramraj. — Battle of Talikote, in which Ramraj is slain. — Conquests made by Ibrahim Kootb Shah in the vicinity of Raj-mundry. — Ruffut Khan reduces Rajmundry, Cossimcota, and Veeragootum, and proceeds to the vicinity of Cuttack. — Conquests of Condavir, Cummum, and Condapilly. — War with the King of Beejapoor. — Death of Ibrahim Kootb Shah.

AFTER his coronation, the King employed his time daily in rendering himself acquainted with the nature of his government, in distributing justice to the oppressed, and in enacting salutary laws for its furtherance and establishment. When the other kings of the Deccan heard of his accession, they sent letters of congratulation. Hoossein Nizam Shah deputed an officer of rank as ambassador, with magnificent presents, and Ibrahim Kootb Shah sent Moostufa Khan as envoy on his part. On the arrival of Moostufa Khan at Ahmudnuggur it was proposed that the two kings should meet, when they should proceed to reduce the forts of Bidur and Koolburga. These propositions were brought to Golconda by the Nizam Shahy minister, Kasim Beg Shirazy; but all operations were de­ferred till the kings should have an interview at Koolburga, where they shortly afterwards arrived, with their respective armies. Koolburga was ac­cordingly besieged; but it resisted every effort of the allies for a whole month, till having at last effected two indifferent breaches, an assault was made, in which, after the loss of many of the best officers in the Nizam Shahy army, the allies were repulsed. The King of Beejapoor, to whom Koolburga belonged, unable singly to cope with their united forces, sent an ambassador with mag­nificent presents to Beejanuggur, to beg the aid of Ramraj, who immediately marched in person at the head of his army to the assistance of the King of Beejapoor, and on the road addressed the following letter to Ibrahim Kootb Shah: —

“Be it known to your Majesty, that it is now “many years since the two courts of Beejapoor “and Ahmudnuggur have been in a constant “state of warfare, and that the balance of power “between them was so equal, that although every “year each of these sovereigns had been in the “habit of making a campaign on the other's “frontiers, yet no advantage accrued to either. “It now appears that your Majesty (whose an-“cestors never interfered in these disputes) has “marched an army to turn the scale in favour of “Hoossein Nizam Shah, without having any cause “of enmity against Ibrahim Adil Shah of Beeja-“poor, who has accordingly sought our alliance. “As a friendship has long subsisted between our “court and your Majesty, we have thought fit to “lay these arguments before you, to induce you “to relinquish the offensive alliance which your “Majesty has formed, and by returning peaceably “to your capital, show a friendly disposition “towards both parties, who will afterwards con-“clude a peace, and put an end to this long pro-“tracted war.” At this period letters were also received to the same purport from Ibrahim Adil Shah. Ibrahim Kootb Shah consented to meet Ramraj, and to mediate terms between the kings of Beejapoor and Ahmudnuggur; for the fulfilment of which the intermediate powers were respectively to be the guarantees. About this time information was brought that Yeltumraj, the brother of Ram-raj, with a body of cavalry, accompanied by some of the Beejapoor officers, were acting in concert, and that they had laid waste a con­siderable part of the country in the neighbour­hood of Pangul. Having communicated on this subject with Hoossein Nizam Shah, the allies marched to the southward, and the four kings met at the junction of the Beema and Krishna rivers. A peace was now effected, to the mutual satisfaction of all parties, and each returned to his respective capital. During the absence of Ram-raj from his capital, his two brothers, Timraj and Govindraj, who were placed in the government of Adony, taking advantage of his absence, usurped the control not only of Adony, but collecting a force, compelled several other districts to submit to their authority. Ramraj, on his return to Beejanuggur, wrote, in the first place, letters to his rebel brothers, which they treated with con­tempt, relying upon their own force; and he, unable to subdue them, was induced to send ambassadors to the court of Golconda to solicit assistance. Ibrahim Kootb Shah immediately des­patched Kubool Khan, at the head of six thou­sand cavalry and ten thousand infantry, to join Ramraj. On reaching Beejanuggur, Ramraj or­dered his own troops into the field; and having directed Sidraj Timapa, Noor Khan, and Bijly Khan, with their different corps, to join the sub­sidiary force, he ordered them to march against the rebels. The insurgents, finding themselves unable to oppose the royalists, took shelter in the strong fortress of Adony, which was besieged for a period of six months, when being distressed for provisions, the garrison sent petitions to the throne at Beejanuggur. Ramraj pardoned his brothers, and recalled the forces to the capital; whence, after being handsomely rewarded, Kubool Khan received permission to return to Golconda, where the King honoured him with the title of Ein-ool-Moolk.

It has been previously related, that Jugdew Row, supported by the Naigwaries who released him from prison, put to death the principal supporters of the young Prince Soobhan Koolly, and placed him in confinement. Jugdew Row also retained in his own hands the command of the fort and city, till the arrival of Ibrahim Kootb Shah at the capital. The King, feeling himself under great obligations to this chief, raised him to several high stations, till at length he became prime minister. Having attained this elevation, Jugdew Row evinced his ambitious disposition; and entertaining a secret design to dethrone the King, he proposed to place his brother, the Prince Dowlut Khan, who, it was well known, was an idiot, on the throne, in order to have the entire management of affairs in his own hands. In furtherance of this project, the minister's deputy, Ray Row, was guilty of many insolent acts degrading to the principal Mahomedan nobles of the state, who went in a body and com­plained to the King of the power of these two Hin-doos, warning him, at the same time, of confiding too much in them, the more especially as all the gar­risons in the kingdom were composed of the Naig-waries , * who looked up to Jugdew Row as their chief. The King heard these complaints, but took no measures of precaution, till at length the cruelties and oppression of the minister's deputy, Ray Row, came to his ears. About this time, Venkut Row, the brother of Jugdew Row, quitted the capital without taking leave, and proceeded to his estate; a sure in­dication of his intended revolt. The King ordered a party to seize Ray Row, who being overtaken was executed. Jugdew Row, upon learning the fate of his deputy, fled from Golconda, accompanied by two or three thousand cavalry, towards Elgundel, and having laid waste the surrounding country, he proceeded to the court of Berar. Here, on account of his well-known character for bravery, he was graciously received by Boorhan Imad Shah, who appointed him to the command of ten thousand cavalry, and deputed him to conduct the war in which he was then engaged with Meeran Mahomed Khan, the ruler of Kandeish. Jugdew Row defeated the Kandeish troops in several engagements, obtain­ing large quantities of booty on each occasion. In addition to this, he was also successful in reducing to his authority many of the petty rajas of Berar, whom he compelled to pay him homage, till at length having collected in his own jageer a force consisting of three thousand cavalry, besides a body of infantry, composed of Arabs, Persians, and Abyssinians, he set at defiance the power of the rulers both of Kandeish and Berar. Boorhan Imad Shah remon­strated with Jugdew Row, saying, “When you came “here without friends, I received you with atten-“tion, allotted estates for your support, and gave “you the command of my army. You have now ag-“grandised yourself in such a manner as to render “it a matter of state policy that you should quit “my territory; which I command you to do with “the least possible delay.” Jugdew Row, although in the command of a large force, had not yet pro­ceeded so far as to take possession of any of the strong forts in Berar, so that he had no place of strength in which to retreat in case of defeat. Making a virtue of necessity, therefore, he said, that he would not be ungrateful for the kindness he had received at the King's hands, and, conse­quently, retired from Berar, laying waste all the villages in his route till he reached Elgundel, whence he intended to proceed to Beejanuggur.