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286
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1899:
Malik Nizâm-al-Mulk took most of the forts of those districts, and assigned them to the nobles and ministers on feudal tenure; then hastening back to the royal court he made his obeisance to the Sultan and presented to him the booty which he had obtained from the land of the infidels, and he was rewarded by kingly gifts and a robe of honour.
At this same period the prime minister, Khwajah Jahan, founded four lofty and beautiful domes and colleges in the basar of Bidar. Maalânâ Mahmud Shirazi has composed a chronogram recording the date of the building of the college24 (A. H, 876, -- A. D. 1471). tp to the time of the writer of these pages - which is & thousand years from the Hijrah (A. D. 1591) - those buildings and the four domes, in ornament and elegance, are still the admiration of the world.
In the year 879 (A. D. 1474) the Sultân sat in state on his throne and gave a public audience to the amérs and nobility, and in elegant language explained as follows:-“The announcers of pews hare informed me that the district of Wairagadh, which is in possession of Jatak Baya, the ungrateful, is a mine of diamonds; and I am resolved that that district also, like all the others, shall te bronght into the possession of the servants of this count; and that in those districts the rites of Islám shall be introduced, and the symbols of infidelity and darkness be obliterated."
Majlis Rafi' 'Abd-Ulláb Adil Khân; or - according to one historian - Fatb-Ulláh Darya Khâu 25 (according to the diversity of opinion of historians) stood up, and saluting the Saltán, said: "I hope that I may be intrusted with this duty in order that at the risk of my life I may, by the aid of God and the favour of Your Majesty's good fortune, take the fortress of Vairagadh'and conquer the infidels of that country.”
The Sultan rewarded Adil Khân with kingly gifts, invested him with a special robe of honour and despatched him in that direction with several nobles and ministers. The said Adil Khan with a large force marched towards Wairagadh, and in due time encamped in the neighbourhood of that fortress, which was exceedingly lofty and strong, and laid siege to it. The troops displayed much gallantry and strove their utmost, so that the defenders were at last reduced to extremities. When Jatak Raya witnessed the strength and bravery of the attacking force he was overcome with fear, and sued for quarter. He sent a message to Majlis Rafi Adil Khân, tendering his submission; and said that if a written promise of safe conduct for his family were granted, he would surrender the fort. "Adil Kbån accordingly gave the required written promise, and took possession of the fort ; and leaving some of his troops in charge of it, returned with the rest of his army to the royal court, and presented to the Sultan the valuable booty which he had obtained. The Soltan rewarded him handsomely, invested him with a special robe of honour, and assigned to him as a jágir the districts wbich he had Conquered.
The Sultan's army proceeds to repel the faithless Farkatapah.20 In this same year,27 and in the midst of these occurrences Khwajah Jalan Khwajah Mahmûd Gawan informed the Sultan that the perfidious Parkatapah Lad withdrawn bis head from the collar of obedience, and raising the standard of revolt had taken possession of the island of Goa. He added: "With Your Majesty's permission I will go and put down this rebellion and chastise that accursed one, conquer the whole country of Kanara and Vijayanagar and annex then to the dominions of Islam."
The Sultan was astonished at the military ardour and bravery of that pure-minded, incomparable minister; but, preferring to enjoy the bappiness of himself waging a jihad, he
3
ربنا تقبل منا The words recording the date Are
25 These are the two tone of the murdered Nigam-ul-Mulk mentioned on page 194.
26 Iu nearly every place in which this name occurs in the MSS. it is spelt ditferently, ..., Parkatapah, Birkanah, Parkatabtal, Parkatiyah, Parkita and Barkabtah. It ought to be writton Birkina Ray, or, perbapo, Vikram&clityn - ride Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. I., Part II., p. 638.
* A, H. 879 (A.D. 1471).
