The King now gave orders to march; but on the very same night Imad-ool-Moolk and Khodawund Khan, with the Berar and Mahoor divisions, separ­ating from the camp, moved four miles distant. Mahomed Shah, surprised at their conduct, de­ferred his journey, and sent to enquire the cause of their movement. They replied, that as the fa­vourite servants of his Majesty had by their machi­nations destroyed such a minister as Khwaja Mah-mood Gawan, they could not but be apprehensive of their own safety if they remained at court. The King, upon this, sent them a confidential message, desiring them to come to his presence, that by their assistance he might punish the traitors who had thus abused his confidence. To this they replied, that whenever Yoosoof Adil Khan should arrive, they would come with him, and throw themselves at his Majesty's feet. The King, seeing that patience and conciliation alone would avail him, sent an order to Yoosoof Adil Khan, who came with all expedition to Condapilly, and pitched his camp close to that of the two disaffected chieftains; shortly after which, they obtained whatsoever they required. Beejapoor, the jageer of the late Khwaja Mahmood Gawan, was conferred on Yoosoof Adil Khan, who was appointed turuf-dar; while Duria Khan Fukhr-ool-Moolk, Mul-loo Khan, and most of the Mogul officers at­tached to him, obtained estates in that division. Futteh Oolla Imad-ool-Moolk and Khodawund Khan were confirmed in their governments, and also obtained other demands which they made. Having attended the King to Ahmudabad Bidur, these chiefs encamped without the city and refused to enter it; on which the King, finding his au­thority unsupported, did not give way to useless passion, as might have been expected, but sub­mitting peaceably to their conduct, permitted them to return with due honours to their several estates. He vainly hoped, that Nizam-ool-Moolk Bheiry, now appointed minister, would supply the place of Khwaja Mahmood Gawan. In order to strengthen the hands of his new minister, he loaded him daily with public honours and private benefits; but these measures only tended to render him more and more the object of jealousy, hatred, and contempt.

Some months afterwards, the King, in hopes that Yoosoof Adil Khan, Imad-ool-Moolk, and Khodawund Khan, would join him with their armies, marched from the capital; but though they accompanied him, they encamped at a dis­tance, and paid their respects only on the line of march, standing afar off, and being surrounded with their guards. Mahomed Shah, a thousand times in an hour, regretted the loss of Khwaja Mahmood; but as there was now no remedy, he scorned to complain, though he inwardly suffered extreme anguish. When the army reached Belgam, and the King had seen the city and fortifications, he refused to visit Goa and the Concan, though re­peatedly pressed by his officers to do so, but re­turned to the capital. At this time, intelligence arrived that Shew Ray, Raja of Beejanuggur, had sent a large army against Goa; on which the King directed Yoosoof Adil Khan to proceed with the Beejapoor division to oppose him. He himself returned by regular marches to Ferozabad; when Futteh Oolla Imad-ool-Moolk and Khodawund Khan, quitting the army on the route without leave, retired to their respective governments in Berar.

Mahomed Shah, aware that an attempt to enforce his authority must be attended by a civil war, re­solved to take no notice of this conduct. He halted for three months at Ferozabad, and endea­voured to beguile the time in pleasure; but he was inwardly a prey to grief and mortification, which wasted his strength daily. He now proclaimed his son, the Prince Mahmood, his successor, and nomi­nated Nizam-ool-Moolk regent in case of his death. A document to this effect was drawn out in writing, attested by the signatures and seals of the learned and pious men of the court. While this paper was framing, the King frequently said, “If they do “not obey me, who reigned gloriously for many “years, and conquered nations with my sword, “how will they submit to a child?” His weakness daily increased; but upon his return to Ahmud-abad Bidur he grew better, and presuming upon it, indulged in excesses which produced a relapse. His fever had not entirely left him, when one day he drank a large cup of wine, and withdrew to his haram, which brought on a severe fit. The phy­sicians administered to him medicines immediately, and seeing him somewhat recovered, retired. In their absence, the King, from the vulgar notion that nothing is so good to remove the lassitude from intoxication as a fresh cordial, drank more wine, and instantly fell into strong convulsions, during which he cried out that Khwaja Mahmood Gawan was tearing him to pieces; till at length he trod

Suffur 1.
A. H. 887.
March 24.
A. D. 1482.

the path of death on the 1st of Suffur, 887, after a reign of twenty years. The date of his death is comprised in the following verses:—

“Sooltan Mahomed Shah, ruler of kings,
“When suddenly summoned to yield up his breath,
“Abandoned the Deccan, and all worldly things,
“And ‘the ruin of Deccan’ * recorded his death.”