第64章

"Ambur Khan,enraged at the alienation of his estate,and meeting Ibrahim Kootb Shah in the streets of Beejanuggur,accused him of depriving him of it.The latter replied that monarchs were at liberty to dispose of their own property,and that the king of Beejanuggur had chosen to give him the estate.Ibrahim Kootb Shah proceeded on his way;but the Abyssinian called him coward in refusing to dispute his title with the sword.Ibrahim warned him of his imprudence;but the Prince's mildness only added fury to the Abyssinian's anger,who proceeded to abuse him in grosser language.On this the Prince dismounted and drew.The Abyssinian rushed upon him,but the Prince's temper giving him the advantage,he killed his antagonist,whose brother,standing by,insisted on taking up the cause,and he also fell a victim to his temerity."Prince Ibrahim succeeded to the throne of Golkonda In A.D.1550.In the previous year,says Firishtah,an alliance was cemented between Sultan Ibrahim of Bijapur and the new sovereign of Bidar,Ali Barid,son of Amir Barid.

Rama Rajah having at this period accepted the presents and professions of regard sent to him by the Nizam Shah with an embassy,Sultan Ibrahim,roused to indignation,treated the Vijayanagar ambassadors at Bijapur with such indignity that they fled in fear of their lives,and Rama Rajah,offended in his turn,induced Burhan Nizam to attack Ibrahim.He did so successfully,and captured the fortress of Kallian;and on Ibrahim's retaliating by seizing one of the Ahmadnagar forts,an open alliance was entered into between Burhan and Rama.The two kings met near Raichur in 1551,laid siege to the place and took it.Mudkul also capitulated,and the Doab was thus once more restored to the Hindu sovereign.

About this time,[312]so we are told by a Muhammadan historian,Rama Raya's two brothers rebelled against his authority during his absence from the capital,and seized the fortress of Adoni;upon which Rama begged aid from the Qutb Shah Ibrahim,and this being granted,Rama besieged Adoni for six months.The place eventually capitulated,and the brothers were then pardoned.

In 1553Burhan died,and once more the two leading Muhammadan states became friendly for a short time;but the air was too full of intrigue and jealousy for this to last long.Sultan Ibrahim negotiated an understanding with Vijayanagar,and this led to a renewal of the war,in the course of which a battle took place at Sholapur,where Ibrahim was worsted.

But the most serious reverse which he suffered was at the hands of a chief named Ain-ul-Mulkh,whom by ingratitude and ill-treatment he had driven into open rebellion.At the end of a short campaign against this person the royal troops were completely beaten,and the Sultan was driven to take refuge at Bijapur.In a state of desperation he called on the Raya of Vijayanagar for aid,and Rama,as usual representing the puppet sovereign,sent his brother,Venkatadri,with a large force to expel the enemy from the Sultan's dominions.[313]

The story of the rebel "Ein-al-Moolk's"discomfiture at the hands of Venkatadri is thus told by Firishtah:[314]--"Syef Ein al Moolkh,imitating Assud Khan,resolved to surprize the infidels;but Venkatadry,having intelligence of his designs,ordered his troops to be on their guard;and having procured long faggots,with cloth steeped in oil bound round one end of each,commanded his followers upon the alarm being given to light them,and holding them up as high as possible,give the troops a full sight of the enemy.Ein al Moolk,agreeably to his intentions,having one night chosen two thousand men for the purpose,marched with Sullabut Khan to the enemy's camp,which he was allowed to enter unmolested;but upon a signal given,all the brands were instantly lighted up,and Venkatadry,who was prepared with his troops,rushed upon the surprizers,who expected no resistance,with such success that above five hundred of them were killed before the detachment could clear the camp.Ein al Moolk and Sullabut with the greatest difficulty made their escape;but,losing,the road through the darkness of the night,a report spread in his camp on the return of some of the fugitives,that he was killed;and his troops being immediately struck with a panic,separated and fled to different quarters.Ein al Moolkh and Sullabut Khan,with two hundred horse,about daylight arriving at their ground,and seeing it deserted,fled in confusion by the route of Maan to the dominions of Nizam Shaw,where they sought protection,but were basely assassinated by his treachery."In 1555an attempt was made by the Portuguese under their new Viceroy,Pedro de Mascarenhas,to place Prince Abdullah on the throne of Bijapur,the foreigners being dazzled by the magnificent offers made to them,should the joint efforts of the conspirators be crowned with success.Abdullah was established at Ponda,and proclamation made of his accession to the throne.On the death of De Mascarenhas in 1555,Francisco Barreto succeeded him with the title of governor,and having installed the prince at Ponda he proceeded to collect the revenues of the country.He was,however,opposed by an officer of Ibrahim Adil who was backed by seven thousand troops,and several fights took place.

Meanwhile Ibrahim himself had not been idle,and aided by fifteen thousand of Sadasiva's troops from Vijayanagar he dethroned and captured the ambitious prince,following this up by several attacks on the Portuguese forces.The war lasted during the whole winter of 1556,but with no very decisive results.Next year a fresh relay of troops from Bijapur attacked Salsette and Bardes,but were beaten by a small force of Portuguese near Ponda,and hostilities were suspended for a time.