Accession of Mahomed Shah, the son of Hoomayoon the Cruel. — The Deccan army takes Kehrla from the King of Malwa. — Kehrla restored, and peace concluded. — Khwaja Mahmood Gawan invades the Concan — takes Kehlna and Ramgur — ascends the table land, and passes the monsoon at Kolapoor — returns to the Concan — takes Goa — leaves Kishwur Khan in charge of the new conquests, and proceeds to the ca­pital. — Honourable reception of Khwaja Mahmood Gawan. — The King takes the field — reduces Rajmundry and Con-dapilly in Tulingana. — Nizam-ool-Moolk Bhyry appointed governor of Tulingana — Yoosoof Adil Khan governor of Dowlutabad — Duria Imad-ool-Moolk governor of Berar. — The King marches to the westward, and reduces Belgam. — Severe famine and drought in the Deccan. — Revolt in Tulin-gana. — The King marches to suppress it — he proceeds to Orissa — returns to the south, and plunders Conjeveram. — Plot against the minister Khwaja Mahmood Gawan. — The King is imposed on by a forgery. — Khwaja Mahmood executed — character of the minister. — The King discovers his error, and repents — his nobles desert the camp. — The King falls sick of a fever — becomes convalescent — indulges in wine, which brings on a relapse, and he dies.

MAHOMED SHAH * ascended the throne of the Deccan in his ninth year; and the affairs of go­vernment were conducted as in the reign of his late brother, by Khwaja Jehan and Khwaja Mahmood Gawan, under the direction of the Queen-mother. Ahmud, the King's younger brother, had an ample separate establishment for his support. Khwaja Je-han took the especial charge of the King's educa­tion, who made great progress in his studies under Sudr-Jehan Shoostery, a celebrated scholar of that age, so that, next to Feroze Shah, he became the most learned prince that ever filled the Bah-muny throne. Khwaja Jehan, acquiring great power and influence in every department of the state, usurped the sole direction of affairs. He deprived many old nobles of their estates, giving them to creatures of his own elevation; and he also peculated largely out of the royal treasury, contriving to keep his colleague, Khwaja Mahmood Gawan, employed on the frontiers, so that he could interfere but little in the administration. The Queen-mother, a woman of great penetra­tion, jealous of the unlimited power of this mi­nister, urged the King to destroy him. For which purpose she made her son promise, on Khwaja Jehan's coming to court next day, to order him to be put to death. Khwaja Jehan attended according to custom, but his suspicion was roused by the appearance of Nizam-ool-Moolk Toork with some guards. He found, however, it was too late to retire, and as usual took his place near the King. Shortly after, two female ser­vants appearing, said to the King in a loud voice, “The Queen expects your Majesty to “perform your promise to her.” Upon which the King, turning to Nizam-ool-Moolk, exclaimed, “That wretch is a traitor; put him to death.” Nizam-ool-Moolk, who was inimical to Khwaja Jehan, and who had been prepared for the duty, dragged him from his place, and cut him down with his sabre in the King's presence.*

After some days, Mahomed Shah having sent for Mahmood Gawan, conferred on him the title of Khwaja Jehan, adding the duties of Vakeel-oos-Sultunut to his other functions. On the King attaining his fourteenth year, his mar­riage with a princess of his own family was celebrated with great splendour, and the Queen-mother, having withdrawn from public affairs, betook herself to a life of devotion. She was, how­ever, still consulted on matters of importance, and the King waited on her every day to pay his re­spects. After his emancipation from the tutelage of his mother and the minister, one of the King's first acts was to make war on his neighbours. To which end, having appointed Nizam-ool-Moolk governor of Berar, he commanded him to proceed

A. H. 872.
A. D. 1467.

with a powerful army, in the year 872, against the fortress of Kehrla, then in possession of the King of Malwa. Nizam-ool-Moolk laid siege to Kehrla, and several times defeated the reinforcements sent to relieve it. On the last occasion a very obstinate engagement occurred, in which twelve thousand Rajpoots and Afghans fought desperately in the Malwa army, and great numbers were slain on both sides; victory, however, in the end, declared in favour of the Deccanies, who pursuing a part of the garrison into the fort from whence they had sallied, entered the gates with the fugitives, * and obtained possession of the place. According to the custom of the common soldiers of the Deccan, the victors gave abusive language to the con­quered garrison, which so exasperated two Raj­poot brothers, that they resolved to prove to their enemies they were not deficient, at all events, in courage. When the confusion was over, and the Malwites had evacuated the fort, the two Rajpoots addressed Nizam-ool-Moolk's attendants, saying, that though they had passed their whole lives in the army, and seen many brave men, they had beheld none equal to him, and they solicited permission to kiss his feet before they departed. Nizam-ool-Moolk, observing they were unarmed, ordered them to approach, upon which they came up in a sub­missive manner; but turning suddenly, and snatch­ing the sabres from the hands of the nearest guards, one of them inflicted a mortal wound on Nizam-ool-Moolk, after which they defended them­selves desperately, till they were both hewn in pieces. Nizam-ool-Moolk had two adopted brothers, Yoosoof Adil Khan Savaee, and Duria Khan Toork, who after establishing a strong garrison in the fort, took the general's body, and marched with a valuable booty to court. The King, ap­proving their services, raised each of them to the rank of commanders of a thousand, with the for­tress of Kehrla and its dependencies in jageer.*

The King of Malwa, perceiving the spirit of the Decannies to be unshaken, and fearful of their resentment for the injuries sustained in the late reign, sent an ambassador, named Shureef-ool-Moolk, with valuable presents to Mahomed Shah's court. This nobleman represented that Sooltan Hooshung had entered into a solemn compact with Ahmud Shah Bahmuny; by which it had been sti­pulated that the province of Berar should belong to the King of the Deccan, while the fortress of Kehrla should remain in the hands of the King of Malwa, and that a lasting peace should subsist be­tween them and their heirs for ever. The ambas­sador represented, that the Deccan troops had now seized the fortress of Kehrla, and it was, there­fore, required that Mahomed Shah should abide by the treaty alluded to, and spare the subjects of both states from the calamities of war.

Mahomed Shah despatched Sheikh Ahmud Sudr, to return with Shureef-ool-Moolk, to Mando with a letter, stating, that he was well disposed to adhere to the former alliance; observing, that while the Carnatic abounded on all sides with strong holds possessed by infidels, he had no occasion to employ his arms against the fortress of Kehrla. He praised God, he added, that the breach of the treaty had not commenced on the part of the house of Bahmuny; it being clear, that in the late reign of his brother, an infant, the King of Malwa, taking advantage of the weak­ness of his administration, had committed such outrages on the possessions of the faithful as had not been perpetrated even by the ferocious Chungiz Khan in his conquests. In conclusion he said, that as what was passed could not be recalled, he had deputed Sheikh Ahmud, a zealous promoter of peace among the faithful, to the court of Malwa, and that he was prepared to fulfil what­ever engagements that holy personage should enter into. Sheikh Ahmud was met near Mando by a deputation of the principal nobles, and con­ducted with much respect and ceremony into the city; where, being introduced to Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy, he delivered his credentials, and the King's letter. The Malwites were ready to acknowledge that the breach of the treaty ori­ginated with themselves; but they hoped that the Almighty, out of his abundant mercy and goodness, would not call them to account for it. Sooltan Mah-mood declared publicly that he had been to blame, but hoped it would be forgotten; and he trusted that such a treaty might now be formed, that his successors and those of Bahmuny would, in future, never act hostilely towards each other. Sheikh Ahmud, on the part of Mahomed Shah, and the Sheikh-ool-Islam, a learned divine, on the part of Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy, drew up a treaty, to which were affixed their seals, as also those of several other holy men of both states. Both princes wrote on the margin in their own hands, “Let “whosoever deviates from the contents of the treaty “be cursed by God, and rejected by the Prophet.” The substance of this treaty was, 1. “That both “parties should refrain from molesting each other's “dominions.” 2. “That the fortress of Kehrla, as “in the reign of Sooltan Ahmud Shah the Just, “should be delivered up to the King of Malwa.” And, 3. “That whatever countries might be “conquered from the Hindoos by either state “should not be coveted by the other.” The ne­gotiation being at an end, Sheikh Ahmud wrote an order to the governor of Kehrla to deliver up that fortress to the deputies of the King of Malwa. After which he returned to the Deccan; and there never, subsequently, happened any contentions be­tween these two states.