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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JUNE, 1918
Handiya, and, on learning that Khân-i-A'zam was plundering in Berar, attacked and burnt that town and at once turned southwards in pursuit of the imperial troops, whom they largely outnumbered. The imperial troops plundered Balapúr and the amirs of the Dakani army pressed on so rapidly in pursuit that only a few of their troops could keep pace with them. An indecisive action was fought at Chandûr, but Khân-i-Azam would not stay his flight towards Nandurbar, for which town he was making in the hope of being able to persuade his brother-in-law, the Khân thânân, who was then Governor of Gujarat, to join him in invading the northern districts of the Dakan. His flight was so rapid that he was even obliged to maim some of his elephants to prevent their falling uninjured into the hands of the enemy. His troops reached Nandurbar on April 10, 1586, and as the Khân khânân could not then join Khån-i-A'zam in his enterprise hostilities ceased and the armies of Berar and Khandesh retired.
The Dakan thus enjoyed a brief respite from foreign aggression, but the progress of events in Ahmadnagar favoured Akbar's designs. On June 14, 1588, Murtagå Nizam Shah I, the madman, was murdered by his son Husain Nizâm Shah I, who succeeded him and was himself murdered a few months later, when the party in Ahmadnagar who had embraced the heretical Mahdavi doctrines raised to the throne the boy Isma'il, son of Burhan-al-din, who had fled from Ahmadnagar and taken refuge at Akbar's court.
Burhân, who had lately been employed by Akbar in the Bangash country, where he had done good service, was now the undoubted heir to the throne upon which a faction had placed his youthful son, and Akbar dispatched him to Malwa in order that he might attempt to secure it, at the same time sending instructions to Khân-i-Azam and Raja 'Ali Khan to give him all the assistance in their power. Burhân refused, however, the help which Khân i-A'zam offered him, on the ground that his people would resent his appearance in his country at the head of a foreign army; the true reason for the refusal being evidently the desire to avoid laying himself under an inconvenient obligation, and invaded Berar with only his own contingent of 1,000 horse and 300 musketeers. Leaving Elichpûr on his right he marched on Bâlâpür, but was defeated by the commandant of that post and fled back to Malwa.
On receiving the news of the failure of Burhan's first attempt to recover his throne Jamal Khân the Mahdavî, who was now supreme in Ahmadnagar, attempted to inveigle Burhân to Ahmadnagar by means of a proposal that he should come himself and take possession of his kingdom, but Burhan was too wary thus to deliver himself into the hands of his adversary.
Burhân now perceived that he could not recover his kingdom without foreign aid, and sank his pride. Raja 'Ali Khân, in obedience to Akbar's orders, not only prepared his own army for the field but wrote to Ibrâhîm 'Adil Shah II of Bijapur and his powerful minister, Dilâvar Khân the African, proposing that the army of Bijapur should invade Ahmadnagar from the south simultaneously with its invasion from the north by Burhån and his allies. Dilâvar Khân gladly seized the opportunity of striking a blow at Ahmadnagar and invaded the Nizam Shahl dominions from the south while Burhan and Raja 'Ali Khân invaded Berar. This double attack caused much dissension in Ahmadnagar but Jamal Khân ultimately decided first to turn southwards, and trusted to the army of Berar to check Burhan's advance. He defeated the army of Bijapur but almost in the moment of victory learnt that the army of Berar had gone over to Burhân, and he was obliged to turn northward without delay. He was pursued by the army of Bijapur, which had not been broker by its defeat, and now harassed him by cutting off his supplies. On reaching Ahmadnagar
