Dilawur seized and blinded him, and afterwards put him to death; nor could the queen prevent his assumption of the re- Abool Hussun gency, for she was now confined to the palace, and de- blinded by prived of authority. Dilawur Khan, however, proved in Khan. the sequel to be both able and loyal, and in the course of the six years of his regency, the affairs of the kingdom were completely retrieved. There had been no further quarrel with Ahmednugger, and in 1584 the king's sister, Khodeija Sooltana, was Chánd betrothed to the son of its sovereign, Moortuza Nizam Beebee, the Shah. On the occasion of the journey of the bride to dowager, Ahmednugger, the queen-dowager, her aunt, accom- Ahmedpanied her on a visit to her brother Moortuza, and nugger, 1584. never afterwards returned to Beejapoor. queen returns to The king In 1586, Mullika Jehán, the daughter of the King of Golcondah, was asked in marriage for the young king—a The king's transaction which gave great offence to the King of marriage. Ahmednugger, and had well-nigh produced a fresh war; but the difficulties were overcome, and the marriage took place at Shahdroog, with great pomp, though not without the cover, as it were, of an army of observation from Beejapoor. The king, who displayed great aptitude for public business, now desired to be freed from the trammels of his minister, whose conduct had become offensive, not only to the king, but to others. Buleel Case of Khan, an officer of great ability and distinction, who Buleel Khan, had been employed as viceroy in Malabar, arrived at court when the Beejapoor army was in the field against Ahmednugger, and was received with honour by the king; but the minister, jealous of the distinction that had been shown him, caused him to be seized and blinded-an act which the king would have resented at once had he been able. He, however, declares his watched his opportunity, and soon afterwards escaping indepen 1587. from his guards, proceeded at night to the camp of Mary queen Ein-ool-Moolk. Dilawur Khan followed him at day- of Scots light, and a slight skirmish ensued, when the minister, seeing that he had no further chance, fled to Ahmednugger, and the revolution was complete. In his history, Ferishta, Dilawar who was a spectator and actor in the whole scene, to Ahmedgives a graphic account of it, which is highly interest- nugger. ing (Briggs's Trans. vol. iii. pp. 163–170). Ibrahim now returned to Beejapoor, and entered on the administration of public affairs with great ability and success; but his character is tarnished by his conduct to Dilawur Khan, now upwards of eighty years old, whom he induced to return to Beejapoor Dilawur under promises of favour; and on his arrival, caused to be blinded and imprisoned in the fort of Sattara, where he died. beheaded. Khan Khan blinded and im prisoned. Rebellion of He is In 1593, the king's brother, Ismail, who resided at Belgaum, rebelled, and the insurrection grew formidable. Einool-Moolk, who was sent to quell it, joined the prince, Ismail, 1593. and proclaimed him king; but, in an action which followed, he was defeated and slain; his head was sent to the king, who caused it to be fired from a cannon on the executed. walls, and the prince was executed. These events were hardly at an end before the ever-restless King of Ahmednugger entered into an alliance with the Rajah of with Ahmed- Penkóndah, and invaded the Beejapoor territory. nugger. During the campaign, he fell ill and died; but the war was continued by his son, or rather by the regent, as he was a minor, and in a severe general action, the young king was killed. Ibrahim Adil Shah, who had acted only on the defensive, returned to his capital on September 9, 1596, making New war a triumphal entry amidst the rejoicings of his people. This proved to be the last war with Ahmednugger; and the conclusion of those frequent and desperate struggles for superiority which had lasted throughout their existence, which treaties and intermarriages did not prevent, and which weakened and at times exhausted both. Cadiz taken by the English. From this period henceforth the kingdom of Beejapoor had no special historian, and its progress and final extinction by the Emperor Aurungzebe, form events of general history which supplies only great occurrences; but it can be gathered, that the last portion of the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah was prosperous and splendid. In the first attack by the Moghuls upon Ahmednugger his forces were too late to relieve the city, and in the attempt, conjointly with Golcondah and the Ahmednugger army, to drive them from Berar, bis best troops were defeated in the battle of Soopa, as already related in Chapter X. of this Book, and the contest was never renewed. On the arrival of the Emperor Akbur at Boorhanpoor, in 1603, Ibrahim Adil Shah sent an embassy to him with costly presents, and overtures of alliance. It is believed that a secret treaty was then executed, which, while it protected Beejapoor, left the emperor free as regarded Ahmednugger; the marriage of Ibrahim's daughter to the Prince Daniel followed, and his subIbrahim Adil sequent neutralility saved his kingdom from any attempt at subjugation by the Moghuls, during the reign of his son. Ibrahim Adil Shah died in 1626, in the fifty-sixth year of his age. He was the greatest of all the Adil Shahy dynasty, and in most respects, except and acts. its founder, the most able and popular. Without the distraction of war, he applied himself to civil affairs with much Death of Shab. His character Separate history of Beejapoor ceases. care; and the land settlements of the provinces of his kingdom, many of which are still extant among district records, show an admirable and efficient system of registration of property, and its valuation. In this respect, the system of Toder Mul, introduced by the Emperor Akbur, seems to have been followed with the necessary local modifications. Although he changed the profession of the State religion immediately upon assuming the direction of State affairs from Sheea to Soony, Ibrahim was yet extremely tolerant of all creeds and faiths. Hindoos not only suffered no persecution at his hands, but many of his chief civil and military officers were Brahmins and Mahrattas. With the Portuguese of Goa he seems to have kept up a friendly intercourse. Portuguese painters decorated his palaces, and their merchants traded freely in his dominions. To their missionaries, also, he extended his protection; and there are many anecdotes current in the country that his tolerance of Christians equalled, if it did not exceed, that of his contemporary Akbur. He allowed the preaching of Christianity freely among his people, and there are still existent several Catholic churches, one churches at Cheetapoor, one at Moodgul, one at Raichore, and others, endowed by the king with lands, and other sources of revenue, which have survived the changes and revolutions of more than 300 years. Each of these churches now consist of several hundred members, and remain under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Goa. Catholic endowed. Architecture. Ibrahim Adil Shah was fond of architecture, and during his long reign, and its peaceful close, embellished his now splendid capital with many noble buildings. His own mausoleum, which is still perfect, and kept in repair by the British Government, is one of the most elaborate specimens of Indo-Gothic architecture in India; and both of the tomb, and the fine mosque and terrace attached to it, the basalt of which they have been constructed has been worked with admirable skill and grace of design, and much of it is polished like marble. These buildings were not quite finished at the king's death: and the inscription records their compietion in the reign of his son Mahmood, at a total cost of 528,150%. at the present value of gold coinage, which was perhaps greater at the period. The work occupied thirty-six years. The noble palaces at Toorwah, three miles west of the city, which were entire till unroofed by the Mahrattas, with their gardens, were constructed by the king in 1604, and were connected with the fort by a broad street, three miles long, and perfectly straight, which can be traced by its ruins; while to the right and left the extent of the old city can be followed for several miles. At his death the king left a full treasury, a large and well-paid army of 80,000 horse, and his dominions extended to the borders of Mysore. He was succeeded by his son Mahmood, then in his sixteenth year, and the history of his reign and that of his successors, in the absence of any local record, must be traced in connection with the general history of India. CHAPTER XVII. OF THE NIZAM SHAHY DYNASTY OF AHMEDNUGGER (continued from Chapter XVIII., Book III.), 1532 тo 1586. BOORHAN NIZAM SHAH, after the death of Ismail Adil Shah of Beejapoor, in 1532, enjoyed a period of peace until 1542, when he endeavoured to take advantage of the quarrel between Ibrahim Adil Shah and his minister, Assud Khan. The real object of the attack seems to have been the acquisition of the districts of Purainda and Sholapoor, always in dispute between the States; and having taken possession of them, he marched to Belgaum. Here there appears some inconsistency in Ferishta's history, for Boorhan Nizam Shah is represented as having induced Assud Khan to join him in attacking Beejapoor; whereas, as is most probable from the general loyalty of Assud Khan's conduct, the history of the events as given in the account of Ibrahim's reign, is much more probable. The result of the attack on Beejapoor was unfortunate: and the king was not only obliged to surrender what he had taken, but to retreat to Dowlatabad. His restless disposition, however, impelled him into a fresh defeated at war in 1546, when he was defeated at Oorchán, as has been related in Chapter XV. of this Book, with the loss of his artillery, elephants, and camp-equipage. Failing against Beejapoor, the king now attacked the Beeder State, in revenge for having denied him assistance against Beejapoor; defeated the Beeder troops, and took Owsa, Kandhar, and The king is Oorchán. other forts, which occupied him till 1545, when the rebellion of the Prince Abdoolla of Beejapoor, and his flight to Goa, occurred. In this matter he was able to effect nothing; Assud Khan rejected his overtures, and the Portuguese would not join the confederacy against Beejapoor. The king now invited the cooperation of Ramraj of Beejanugger, and of the Rajah advanced as far as Kulliany to meet him. Near this town he defeated Ibrahim Adil Shah, with severe loss, and returning by Purainda, again took possession of it. This war The king invites the co-operation of Beejanugger. Defeats the troops of Beeder. Boorhan succeeds, continued till 1549, in which year the king proceeded into the Raichore Dooáb, and had a conference with the Prince of Beejanugger; the result of which was, that each was left to pursue the conquest of such portions of the Beejapoor territory as he could effect. Ramraj, therefore, occupied Moodgul and Raichore, while Boorhan Nizam Shah besieged Sholapoor, which was taken by assault. In the year 1553, the affairs of Mary queen Beejapoor being in a distracted condition, Boorhan of England. Nizam Shah again commenced operations against its dominions, and besieged Beejapoor; but being taken ill of dysentery, the siege was raised, and he returned to his capital, where Death of he died at the age of fifty-four, having reigned forty- Nizam Shah, seven years. He left two sons, Hoosein and Abdool 1553. Khadur, by his wife Ameena, and two by Beebee Muryam, the daughter of Yoosuf Adil Shah. Of these Hoosein was Hoosein the eldest, and at thirteen years of age succeeded him. Nizam Shah Notwithstanding his youth, Hoosein Nizam Shah 1553. entered upon the conduct of public affairs with much spirit. A rebellion by his brother Abdool Khadur, supported by the Deccany party, was quickly suppressed, while his half-brothers took refuge with their uncle at Beejapoor. These desultory contests, as has been already related, continued to the last with Ibrahim, and were revived after Ally Adil Shah's succession. They eventually provoked the invasion of the Ahmednugger dominions by Ally Adil Shah and Ramraj conjointly, with, according to Ferishta's account, 100,000 horse Ally Adil and 900,000 infantry, by whom the country was over- Shah. run and plundered. But Ahmednugger, though besieged, was not taken; provisions were supplied to the garrison from without; the allies seem to have been unprovided with artillery, by which alone the fort of Ahmednugger could be attacked, and the monsoon compelled them to retire. The danger, however, was imminent, and Hoosein Nizam Shah begged for peace, when it was offered on the condition of giving up Kulliany to Ally Adil Shah; putting Jehángeer Khan, the Berar general, to death, and accepting a pâu, or betel, from Ramraj. These terms were accepted, and the brave Jehángeer was murdered by a band of assassins, an act which, done at the desire of 'an infidel,' produced universal execration, and the king afterwards proceeded to the camp of Ramraj. Ferishta's account of the scene which ensued is too characteristic to be omitted. 'Ramraj rose on his entering the tent, and took him by the hand. Hoosein Nizam Shah, who possessed great pride, called for a basin and ewer, and washed his hands, as if they had been polluted by the touch of Ramraj, who said in his own language, "If he were not my guest, I Invasion of |