Jumad-oos-
Sany 20.
A. H. 972.
Jan. 25.
A. D. 1565.

On Friday, the 20th of Jumad-oos-Sany, the celebrated action took place which cost Ramraj his life, and which ended in the defeat of the Hindoo army, with the loss of nearly one hundred thousand men. * The allied armies halted for ten days on the field of action, and then proceeded to the capital of Beejanuggur, where the efforts of the conquerors were directed to the plunder of the country and the city, and the destruction of the stone temples. After which the three monarchs deputed severally their generals — Moostufa Khan, on the part of the King of Golconda; Mowlana Inayut Oolla, on the part of Hoossein Nizam Shah; and Kishwur Khan, on the part of Ally Adil Shah — to attack Moodkul and Rachore, which places were easily reduced. Moostufa Khan, without waiting for further orders, delivered over the keys of the forts to Kishwur Khan, which so incensed Hoos-sein Nizam Shah, that he wrote to the King of Golconda, informing him of the circumstance, and requiring that Moostufa Khan should suffer death. Ibrahim Kootb Shah, unwilling to slay a descendant of the Prophet, sent for Moostufa Khan, and taxed him with treachery.† * The latter was not allowed to make any defence, but was directed to quit the kingdom and proceed to Mecca, there to repent of his sins. The King caused letters to be written to Golconda to send all the family and property of Moostufa Khan to one of the western sea-ports, to be ready to accompany him; and it is a well authenticated fact, that his wealth and family required seven hundred carriages and five thousand porters to transport it. Moos-tufa Khan left the King's presence, and proceeded direct to the court of Ally Adil Shah, by whom he was honourably received, and became his prime minister; after whose death he was assassinated, in the year 988 (A. D. 1580), in the country of Mala­bar, a country which he had previously reduced, and of which he was governor.

After halting for six months at Beejanuggur, the three sovereigns returned to their respective capitals; and all the districts which had been taken from Ibrahim Kootb Shah in the reign of Ram-

Rumzan 14.
A. H. 973.
April 8.
A. D. 1566.

raj were now recovered. On the fol­lowing year, 973, on Friday the 14th of Rumzan, the King had a son presented to him, called Mahomed Koolly.

Upon the return of Hoossein Nizam Shah to his

Zeekad 7.
A. H. 972.
June 7.
A. D. 1565.

capital he was taken dangerously ill, and died on Wednesday the 7th of Zee-kad, A. H. 972, * and was succeeded by his eldest son Moortuza, who assumed the title of Moortuza Nizam Shah. This Prince was devoted to excesses, and left the affairs of his government in the hands of Khonza Hoo-mayoon, the Dowager-queen, who in a short time becoming very unpopular, Kishwur Khan the peshwa wrote privately to Ally Adil Shah, inviting him to march and attack Ahmudnuggur, where there was a strong party in his favour. On ob­taining information of this intrigue, Moortuza Nizam Shah, roused from his lethargy, called together his council. They recommended that an envoy should be forthwith sent to Ibrahim Kootb Shah, the old ally of the house of Nizam Shah, for assistance; but before any aid could arrive from Gol­conda, Ally Adil Shah had already reached the frontier, and Moortuza Nizam Shah was compelled to quit Ahmudnuggur. He retreated to Berar, where he formed an alliance with Toofal Khan, the ruler of that province, who had usurped the government, and confined the princes of the blood-royal of the Imad Shahy dynasty. With the aid of the Berar troops, Moortuza Nizam Shah marched to Kowlas, by which time the troops of Ibrahim Kootb Shah had also moved, and a junction was effected between the towns of Kand'har and Kow-las, where a treaty was formed. It was resolved that the united forces of Ahmudnuggur, Berar, and Golconda, should march direct to the attack of Beejapoor. Ally Adil Shah, deserting his capital in his turn, retreated to the Concan, leaving a con­siderable army for the defence of the city, while the allies laid siege to Beejapoor, and laid waste the surrounding country. Ibrahim Kootb Shah, perceiving that Ally Adil Shah was driven from one spot to another, and unwilling that he should be reduced to cede any large tract of country to Moortuza Nizam Shah, contrived to persuade the the other allies to raise the siege, and to return to their own capitals.*

After this event, Ally Adil Shah made secret overtures of alliance to Moortuza Nizam Shah, and proposed they should meet at the fort of Owsa. Here they entered into a compact, by which it was agreed that Moortuza Nizam Shah should reduce the kingdom of Berar, and Ally Adil Shah those of Bidur and Tulingana. In the first place, however, the combined forces marched to the northward against Toofal Khan, who, unable to resist them, fled to Gavulgur, which after a considerable time was on the point of surrendering, when Toofal Khan paid two lacks of hoons†, * and agreed to present fifty elephants to Ally Adil Shah, in order to induce him to raise the siege. In consequence of this secret engagement, Ally Adil Shah sent a person to Moortuza Nizam Shah, saying, that it was shameful for two armies like theirs to throw away their time in the reduction of a fortress, and that it would be more profitable for them both to march and reduce Tulingana. On which Moortuza Nizam Shah raised the siege, and went southward; having, in the first instance, detached a force under Yekhlas Khan on his own part, and another under Ein-ool-Moolk on the part of Ally Adil Shah, to reduce Kowlas; but on the road an accident occurred which saved the kingdom of Tulingana from de­struction. One day six thousand Marratta cavalry belonging to the Beejapoor army made a sudden attack on the rear-guard of the Nizam Shahy troops, in order to plunder the baggage. Munsoor Khan, the commander of the rear-guard, opposed them, and many troops on both sides were killed, among whom was Munsoor Khan himself. This circum­stance caused a dispute between the monarchs, and brought on the dissolution of the alliance; when each returned to his own capital.

Upon the arrival of Moortuza Nizam Shah at Ahmudnuggur, he, in order to be revenged on Ally Adil Shah, sent an envoy to Golconda, in­viting Ibrahim Kootb Shah to form an alliance against the King of Beejapoor; while at the same time an envoy had been previously despatched for the same purpose to Ahmudnuggur, by the King of Golconda, proposing that they should march to the river Krishna, when Yeltumraj, the brother of the late Ramraj, might be invited to join with his forces, when they could all proceed to the reduc­tion of Beejapoor. After reaching the Krishna, the kings of Golconda and Ahmudnuggur wrote to Yeltumraj, requiring him to become a member of the confederacy; but a circumstance occurred, which tended to dissolve this union as suddenly as it had been formed.

On the accession of Moortuza Nizam Shah to the throne, he had scarcely attained his twelfth year; and the affairs of his government were conducted by his mother, the Queen-dowager, Khonza Hoo-mayoon. At that time she had been induced by ill-advised persons about her to demand from Yel-tumraj two lacks of hoons * for aid to be afforded to him by the allies against the encroachments of the King of Beejapoor. Yeltumraj, who rather ex­pected that the allies would restore the countries taken by Ally Adil Shah from Ramraj instead of applying to him for money, sent a message to Ibrahim Kootb Shah, informing him of the cir­cumstance. The King of Golconda immediately deputed a person to wait on the Queen-dowager, expressing his astonishment at this unexpected demand; and observing that it appeared very im­politic, in the present posture of affairs, to make demands of money on Yeltumraj, instead of con­ciliating one who was a useful ally at the head of ten thousand men, and who had reason to bear great enmity towards the powerful state which they were on the point of attacking. Instead of at­tending to this remonstrance, the demand was again urged by the Queen with threats; and Yeltumraj not only refused to pay the money, but prepared to treat the allies as enemies. Ibrahim Kootb Shah, finding that matters were assuming an unfavour­able appearance, sent to Yeltumraj, advising him to retreat to his country, and promising that his own troops should also move at the same time. On the following day, Ibrahim Kootb Shah struck his camp and retreated to Golconda, and Yeltumraj marched to Penkonda. Moortuza Nizam Shah, thus suddenly deserted by his allies and surrounded by the Adil Shahy cavalry, who had occupied the route by which he came, commenced his retreat through the kingdom of Tulingana; and his army laid waste the districts of Kovilconda and Gunpoora. Ibrahim Kootb Shah detached Sulabut Khan, with three thousand horse, to protect the country from the depredations of the Nizam Shahies; and orders were issued to the Munewars and Ha-valdars * to throw every obstacle in the way of their march, to shut the gates of the towns, and to secure the property of the people, as far as was practicable, from their hands. The village magistrates were very active during the nights, and kept the enemy on the alert by incessant firing in small parties all round the camp. The Nizam Shahies suffered so much from these irregular attacks, that they were induced to dig a trench round the camp for their protection, as well as to prevent the approach of the Kootb Shahy cavalry, which constantly hovered round them. The Nizam Shahies con­tinued to plunder; and Sulabut Khan, finding re­monstrances of no avail, charged the rear of their army, and completely routed them. Moortuza Ni­zam Shah halted his line, and sent a large body of cavalry under Moatimid Khan to attack the Kootb Shahy detachment. In this latter engagement, the Nizam Shahy commander was killed, and Kamil Khan, another general, was wounded. The Kootb Shahy army also lost one general (Mookurrib Khan). Night put an end to the contest; and on the fol­lowing morning the Nizam Shahies marched, and did not halt till they arrived on the Bereed Shahy territories.