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AUGUST, 1899.]
HISTORY OF THE BAHMANI DYNASTY.
211
fat, to make a rapid plundering expedition against the people of that fortress: accordingly he marched back to Muhammadâbâd Bidar (sic).
After the lapse of a year the idea of eradicating the heretics again entered the mind of the Sultan, and he determined upon a jihád; so, with a large army he set out on the march for the fort of Mahûr. The infidels of those parts having shut themselves up in the narrow parts of the fortress closed upon themselves the doors of ingress and egress.
The Sultan ordered his troops from all sides of the fortress to strive their utmost to take it by assault. According to his orders the brave troops with bows and arrows, swords and spears fought bravely, and by the help of God and the good fortune of Ahmad, the troops by the strength of their manly arms took the fortress, one so strong that no king had previously been able to conquer it; and opening their hands to slaughter and plunder, swept the whole fort with the broom of spoliation,
From that place the Sultan hastened to the fort of Kalam which he took by one gallant assault, and put the inhabitants to the sword. So in one expedition the Sultan took two forts which no king had ever before been able to conquer. He levelled with the ground all the idoltemples and infidel buildings of that country, erecting in their places masjids and monasteries of the true believers, and after that returned to Bidar with immense booty.
After these victories the Sultan despatched Khalf Hasan - who had been given the title of Malik-ut-Tijâr - with an army of brave and experienced men to the Konkan. Khalf Hasan went into the country of Konkan and the sea-coast, and extirpated root and branch the dwell. ing-places of the infidels, and in whatever direction he heard of any infidels, he proceeded against them, and cleansed the earth from the im parity of their existence ; till having taken many forts and towns of that country he greatly enhanced his reputation. The Sultan's regard for him daily increased, and he loaded him with favours; but this excited the jealousy of the people of the Dakhan, and they were always at enmity with him; yet, owing to Khalf Hasan's past services and the Sultan's favour, as proved by the daily increasing good fortune, of the former, they had no power to injure him.
In the midst of these affairs the Sultan conceived the idea of exterminating the infidels of the country of Vijayanagar; and with this view he assembled an army. When the splendour of the royal, victory-denoting standard threw the rays of conquest round the kingdom of Vijayanagar, and cleared up that tract of country from the darkness of error and infidelity, the brave soldiers of the conquering army, opening the hand of domination and lordship to slaughter and plunder, took many of the forts and towns of that district, and an enormous amount of booty, prisoners of war, horses and elephants. After devastating the country of the infidels far and wide the Sultan returned to his capital, Muhammadabad Bidar.
At this time a petition reached the Sultan from Narsing Râye, governor of the fort of Khorla, expressing his obedience and submission, and asking the Sultan to come to his assist. ance.
The Sultan goes to the fort of Kherla Battle between Alp Khan, governor of Malwd and the royal army.
Alp Khan is defeated, When the Sultan became aware of the contents of Narsing Raya's letter he gave orders that an army should be assembled, and that from all parts of his dominions the nobles, ministers and generals with their followers should proceed to the royal court. The Saltîn with a large army then set out for Kherla; but when he had encamped in that neighbourhood he was informed that Narsing Raya had broken faith with him, and joining himself to Alp Khan who at that time was Wall of the country of Malwa, had asked for his assistance, promising
Alp Khin, who assumed the title of Sultan Hashang Ghart on his accession, was the second king of the Ghart dynasty in Malwa -vido Firishtah, Briggs, Vol. IV. p. 171 et seq.
Khorld was the capital of Gondwana,
