A. H. 874.
A. D. 1469. In the beginning of the year 874, Mahmood Gawan, the minister, * marched with a powerful army against Shunkur Ray of Kehlna, and other refractory rajas in the Concan. The troops of Joonere, Chakun, Kolhar, Dabul, Choul, Waee, and Man, and other parts, were ordered to join him on this service. Shunkur Ray of Kehlna† * constantly maintained a fleet of three hundred vessels, and interrupted the traffic of the Mahomedans. Upon the report of Khwaja Mahmood Gawan's approach, the infidels con­tracted defensive alliances with each other, and assembled in great numbers at the head of the passes, but Mahmood Gawan, by degrees, forced all their positions. Finding his cavalry useless in the mountainous country, he sent back the horse he had brought from the capital, and con­tented himself with the troops under Asud Khan Geelany, with the Joonere division, and his own dependents under Khoosh Kuddum, with the troops from Kolhar and Dabul. With this army he made his way by means of fire and the axe through the woods. He lay five months before the fort of Kehlna without reducing it, and the rains setting in, compelled him to relinquish the siege; when, committing the passes to the protection of ten thousand infantry inured to the climate, and on whom he could depend, he ascended the moun­tains, and constructed thatched huts to pass the wet season in the district of Kolapoor, where he conquered the fort of Ramgur. After the rainy season he again descended the passes, and, by stra­tagem and gifts of money, obtained possession of the fortress of Kehlna, which had never, till then, been in the hands of the Mussulmans. On the approach of the monsoon of the fol-

A. H. 875.
A. D. 1470.

lowing year, he took the same measures as he had done in the former season; and at the expiration of the four wet months, marched into the country of Ray Shun-kur, which he reduced, taking ample revenge for the slaughter of the former Mullik-oot-Toojar and his army. Khwaja Mahmood Gawan then moved against the port and island of Goa, belonging to the Ray of Beejanuggur; sending an hundred and twenty vessels to attack it by sea, while he marched with his army against it by land; and before the Ray of Beejanuggur could oppose his design, he made himself master of the place. Ma-homed Shah, on receiving information of this im­portant conquest, ordered the nobut to beat the march of triumph * for seven days, and made other rejoicings.

Khwaja Mahmood Gawan having established a strong garrison in the fort of Goa, and supplied it plentifully with stores of every description, returned, after an absence of three years, to the capital of Ahmudabad Bidur. On this occasion, the King condescended to honour him with a visit of a whole week, conferring upon him the highest titles, with a suit of his own robes; and the Queen-mother† * gave him the appellation of brother. Khoosh Kuddum, the commander of his own dependents, who had behaved with distinguished gallantry in the different campaigns, was, at the general's recommendation, promoted to high rank, with the title of Kishwur Khan, and the forts of Goa, Poonda, Kundwal, and Kolapoor, were granted to him in addition to his other estates. * On Maho-med Shah's leaving the house of the minister, Mah-mood Gawan, retiring to his chamber, disrobed himself of his splendid dress, threw himself on the ground and wept plenteously; after which he came out, put on the habit of a dervish, and calling together all the most deserving holy and learned men, and Syuds of Ahmudabad Bidur, distributed among them most of his money, jewels, and other wealth, reserving only his elephants, horses, and library; saying, “Praise be to God, I have escaped “temptation, and am now free from danger.”

Moolla Shums-ood-Deen asked him why he had given away every thing but his library, his ele­phants, and horses? He replied, “When the “King honoured me with a visit, and the Queen-“mother called me brother, my evil passions began “to prevail against my reason; and the struggle be-“tween vice and virtue was so great in my mind, “that I became distressed even in the presence of “his Majesty, who kindly enquired the cause of my “concern. I was obliged to feign illness in excuse “for my conduct; on which the King, advising me “to take some repose, returned to his palace. I “have, therefore,” said the minister, “parted with “wealth, the cause of this temptation to evil.” His library, he said, he had retained for the use of students, and his elephants and horses he regarded as the King's, lent to him only for a season. After this day, the minister always wore plain apparel; and when at leisure from state affairs, retired to his own mosque and college, where he spent his time in the society of the learned, and persons eminent for piety and virtue. On Friday night, he went disguised through the different wards of the city, and distributed alms to the poor, saying, as he gave them, “This is sent by the King.” Notwithstand­ing this conduct, the people of the Deccan, ever prone to wickedness and intrigue, accused this virtuous minister of corruption, and brought him to an untimely end, as will be hereafter related.

A. H. 876.
A. D. 1471. In the year 876, Ambur Ray, cousin to the Ray of Oorea, * complained to Mahomed Shah, that the Ray being dead, Mungul Ray, a bramin, his adopted son, had usurped the government in defiance of his prior claim to its inheritance; and Ambur Ray now pro­mised, if the King would assist him with troops to regain his right, he would become his tributary. Mahomed Shah, who had a great desire to possess the territory of Oorea, including Rajmundry and Condapilly, thought this request favourable to his views; and by the advice of Khwaja Mahmood Gawan having conferred the title of Nizam-ool-Moolk on Mullik Hussun Bheiry, directed him to proceed with a considerable army to that quarter. On the borders of Orissa, he was joined by Ambur Ray with his troops, who became the guide of the army against Mungul Ray. The usurper was de­feated, and Ambur Ray placed in possession of his hereditary dominions. Nizam-ool-Moolk, accom­panied by Ambur Ray, now proceeded against Condapilly and Rajmundry, both which places he reduced, and by the orders of Mahomed Shah, having established proper military garrisons to en­sure their security, he permitd Ambur Ray to depart to his own country, himself returning with much booty to court. On this occasion, Nizam-ool-Moolk, at the recommendation of the Queen-mother and Khwaja Mahmood Gawan, was con­firmed in the government of all Tulingana. At the same time, also, Duria Khan, entitled Imad-ool-Moolk, was appointed governor of Berar, and Yoosoof Adil Khan Savaee, one of the followers of Khwaja Mahmood Gawan, eminent for many great qualities, and whom the minister had adopted as his son, was nominated to the government of Dowlut-abad, the most important post in the state. Mahomed Shah, confiding in the abilities of Yoosoof Adil Khan, directed him to reduce the fortress of Wy-ragur , * and to recover that of Antoor, which during the Malwa invasion had fallen into the possession of a Mahratta chief, who did not pay proper sub­mission. Yoosoof Adil Khan, on reaching Dow-lutabad, despatched Kasim Beg Suf-Shikun† * to reduce Antoor, and Duria Khan against Wyragur. The chief of the former delivered it up without opposition, on promise of receiving quarter; but the raja of the latter place held out against the besiegers for six months; at the end of which time, seeing no hopes of relief, he sent a message to Yoosoof Adil Khan, promising, if his life should be spared, to make an offering of all his effects in the fort, and to evacuate it with his family. Yoo-soof Adil Khan, agreeing to these terms, ordered Duria Khan to permit the inhabitants to retire without molestation. Accordingly, the Ray Beejy Sing, with his family and dependents, quitted the ancient abode of his ancestors, leaving behind him his public treasures and hereditary wealth. Yoosoof Adil Khan, who had come post to the camp, en­tered the fort the same day, and took possession of the property; after which, he conciliated the prin­cipal inhabitants and farmers of the country by assurances of his protection. He then marched against the fort of Ranjny * the chief of which, whose father was lately dead, surrendered on con­dition of his life being spared. Yoosoof Adil Khan, having selected some elephants, horses, and such articles as he deemed fit for the King's use, received the Raja (Amur Sing) under his protection, and restored to him his fort and country. Yoosoof Adil Khan now returned to Ahmudabad Bidur, where he laid before the King such sums of money and jewels, besides presenting several elephants and horses, that the rich booties of Rajmundry and Nowlgoond appeared insignificant when compared with them. Mahomed Shah accordingly conferred of regard to his future safety, sent persons se­cretly to Khwaja Mahmood to obtain terms; but Mahomed Shah, in order to show his power and to deter other fortresses from holding out, refused to accede to any conditions, and resolved to take it by storm. He commanded the fire-workers, as they valued their own safety, to effect a practi­cable breach in fourteen days, and committed to Khwaja Mahmood Gawan the duty of filling up the ditch, saying that he expected to have it passable for the troops when the guns had effected a breach. Though Khwaja Mahmood Gawan during the day threw great quantities of wood and earth into the ditch, the enemy in the night always removed them, upon which he changed his operations to another quarter, and began to form trenches and dig mines which till now had not been used in the Deccan. Birkana, confiding in his wet ditch, fancied himself secure, when sud­denly three mines from the posts of Khwaja Mah-mood Gawan, Yoosoof Adil Khan, and Futteh Oolla Imad-ool-Moolk, having been conducted under the fort wall, succeeded in forming breaches. The troops of Birkana advanced gallantly to defend the place, and nearly two thousand of the King's troops fell in the attempt to storm. The besieged had nearly repaired the work with wood and stones, when Mahomed Shah, advancing to the assault, drove the enemy before him, and gained the ramparts. While in the act of attack­ing the citadel, the Raja himself, having assumed a disguise, came to the royal attendants, and re­quested to be introduced to the King as a messen­ger from the Ray. On being admitted to the presence, he threw his turban round his neck, and discovered himself, saying, that he had come with his family to kiss the foot of the throne. Mahomed Shah, flattered with this exhibition of confidence and magnanimity, admitted him into the order of the nobility of his court. When opposition had ceased the King entered the citadel, and gave God thanks for the success of his arms. Having added Belgam and its dependences to the estates of Khwaja Mahmood Gawan he returned to the capital. Soon after this expedition, in which she had accom­panied her son, the Queen-mother, by whose pru­dence the state had acquired such eminence, died on the road, and the King sent her corpse to be interred with great pomp at Ahmudabad Bidur.