Succeeds his father on the throne — makes war with the Hin-doos of Beejanuggur. — Cummum besieged. — The King builds the city of Bhagnuggur, the name of which is subse­quently changed to Hydrabad. — The army takes Curnool and Nundial — marches and reduces Gundicotta (Ganjicotta), Moosulmooroo, and Kurpa (Cuddapa). — Roostoom Khan is sent to join the army in the south — his cowardly conduct leads to the discomfiture of the Mahomedans. — A rebellion created by Shah Sahib — is defeated near Pagtoor. — Insurrection in Tulingana. — Operations along the eastern coast of the peninsula. — Arrival of an embassy from Persia. — Serious riots in the city of Hydrabad. — Revolt in Cossimcota. — The Raja of Bustar plunders part of the King's territory. — An army is sent to attack him. — Great difficulty experienced in penetrating to Bustar, which project is eventually abandoned. — Death of the King. — Public works executed during his reign.

IBRAHIM was succeeded by his third son, Mahomed Koolly, who assumed the family title of Kootb Shah. The first act of his reign was to proceed and join his army, then engaged in the siege of Nuldoorg, with a large reinforcement. He com­menced his approaches on that side of the fort where the ditch was dry, but the governor making several sallies prevented the batteries from being completed, and little progress was made during two months. At length, a breach was reported practi­cable, and attempts were made to storm the place. The garrison repelled several attacks by hurling boxes filled with gunpowder and stones down the breach and over the walls. In this state of affairs, news arrived that an army of twenty thousand Marratta cavalry had arrived in the skirts of the camp, so that the besiegers were compelled to defer their attacks on the fort for the present. Shortly after this, the allies received overtures for peace from Ibrahim Adil Shah, to which the King of Golconda assented, and raised the siege; and having dismissed the Nizam Shahy troops under Syud Moortuza Khan, he returned to his capital.

During the late reign, one Ally Khan Loor, * a person of low origin, had been raised to the rank of an Ameer (or noble), owing to his great good con­duct in the field; and was subsequently placed in command of the troops south of the Krishna, in the neighbourhood of Condbeer; but the governor of that province, Ray Row, a bramin, not giving him an estate for the payment of his troops as soon as he wished or expected, Ally Khan became disgusted, and joined the Raja of Beejanuggur with a number of his adherents, volunteering, at the same time, to lead an army against Condbeer. Ally Khan being assisted by Meekur Tima, the son-in-law of the Ray of Beejanuggur, with a force of thirty thousand infantry, besides some cavalry, and fifty elephants, marched to the Condbeer province. In the first place, he besieged the fort of Cummum, but was compelled to fight the royalists under Ray Row, who gave him a total defeat; on which occa­sion ten thousand of his infantry are said to have been killed and wounded, and four elephants, toge­ther with the great drum of the enemy, were taken, while Ally Khan and Mekur Tima made the best of their way towards Beejanuggur; but the Raja refused them his countenance or support. Ally Khan, however, marched about from place to place raising troops; and was thus employed when the King directed Raheem Dad and Tahir Ma-homed Khan Patan, * with a large force to the southward. Ally Khan by this time had collected an army, and was laying waste the district of Condapilly. The royalists marched thither, and Ally Khan threw himself into the fort of Ardinga; but not thinking himself secure, he left a force to occupy it, and fled to the hills. The royal­ists having arrived at Ardinga took it by storm, and put every man to death. From thence they pursued Ally Khan, who, having posted a party of infantry in an ambuscade in the woods, surprised and slew many of the royalists; but his party was eventually overpowered by numbers, and compelled to fly, with the loss of a thousand men killed and wounded, and as many taken prisoners. At this pe­riod, Afzul Khan Hawaldar† * of Suntravul joined the royalists with a thousand cavalry; and Ally Khan, informed of the fate of the garrison of Ardinga, marched to the sea-port of Nizampatam, where he plundered all the wealthy merchants of their property; thence he made a rapid march to­wards Condbeer, and fell on Kishwur Khan, who with a small force was encamped near that place. The attack completely succeeded, and the royalists were plundered of all they possessed. Ally Khan now retreated to Anumbole, where he surprised Afzul Khan's detachment, plundered his camp, and put many of his men to death. Ally Khan was subsequently pursued by Raheem Dad; and in an action which he was compelled to fight he was killed, and the royalists under Raheem Dad returned to the capital, where that chief was ho­noured with the title of Alum Khan.

About this time, Mahomed Koolly Kootb Shah espoused the daughter of the famous general Ameer Shah Meer.*

Dilawur Khan, the regent of Beejapoor during the nonage of Ibrahim Adil Shah II., thought that nothing would so effectually preserve the domi­nions of his master as an alliance with the King of Golconda; and after the war a splendid embassy came from that court to Mahomed Koolly Kootb Shah, requesting the hand of the Princess Mullika Zuman, the King's sister, for Ibrahim Adil Shah; and according to an agreement which took place on this occasion, the royal bridegroom marched to the fort of Nuldoorg, where he was met by the bride from Golconda, accompanied by most of the principal nobles of the Kootb Shahy court: a treaty of perpetual amity and friendship was also settled on the same occasion.

A. H. 998.
A. D. 1589. In the year 998 the King determined to remove the seat of his government, on account of the confined situation of Golconda, which from many causes, particularly the want of water, became extremely unhealthy: he accordingly fixed on a spot situated at the dis­tance of five coss from his former capital, on the banks of the river Moosy, where he laid the found­ation of a new city, which was called Bhagnuggur (after his favourite mistress Bhagmutty); but after her death he ordered it to be called Hydrabad, * although for many years it retained its original name. It soon flourished to a very extensive de­gree, the courtiers vying with each other in build­ing palaces, and constructing gardens. Great pains were taken to introduce water in every direction; and the increase of the land-rents alone, arising out of increased facility of irrigation, amounted to four lacks of hoons * annually. Mahomed Koolly Kootb Shah built an elegant musjid and the chahar minar in the middle of the city. The latter building is quadrangular with four arcades, each arch occupying the whole space between the minarets at its corners. Over the centre is a dome, and under the dome is a fountain of excellent water. There are small apartments in each minaret, intended for the use of the professors and students of the college. The King also built baths, hos­pitals, and other colleges, all of which were suitably furnished; and the attendants for the two former, and learned doctors for the latter, were liberally paid by government.

Many years now elapsed without any war taking place, the King's attention being entirely occupied in the framing of good regulations for the go­vernment of his country, and the promotion of the welfare of his subjects: but he at length re­solved to extend his conquests to the south; and having collected his troops, crossed the Krishna, and first of all attacked the fort of Moo-sulmooroo.† * The Hindoos received the Kootb Shahy army with a volley of musketry and dis­charges of cannon; but they suffered for their temerity, as the place soon fell. The army now directed its march towards Nundial and Kulgoor. * These two forts were at this time in the possession of Buswunt Raj, the son-in-law of the late Ramraj, and his nephew Nursing Raj. They were at­tacked by the Mahomedans, when, after a few days, the Raja consented to pay an annual tri­bute, and to deliver up the keys. After which many other zemindars in that neighbourhood were induced to become tributaries; among whom were those of Jumulmooroo, Joodry, Churwul, Nunduat-cota, Dole, Chinnoor, and Gundicota.†*

As most of the petty rajas of Beejanuggur had now bent their necks to the Mahomedan yoke, the King determined to reduce all those in the neigh­bourhood of his camp; he therefore directed his minister, Ameer-ool-Moolk, with the greater part of the army, to attack the fort of Gundicota. This place was in possession of Nursing Raj, the nephew of the late Ramraj, and was celebrated for a famous temple, to which the surrounding Hindoos of Beejanuggur, to the number of one hundred thousand, used to repair once annually, to pay their devotions, and to make large pecuniary offerings to the idol. After standing a siege of some duration Nursing Raj consented to become tributary to the King of Golconda.