________________
SEPT., 1920 ]
HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAH KINGS OF AĦMADNAGAR
161
Azhdar Khân. As the king was too young to be able to manage a' charger, Azhdar took him in front of him, and tied a sash round the king's waist and his own, lest the horse should beoome restive on hearing the noise of battle and unseat the king. The duty of the other division was to attack the enemy.
'Imâd-ul-Mulk also divided his army into two divisions, and appointed one to repel the attack of the second division of the army of Burhân Nigam Shah, while he led the other division against the division appointed to guard the person of the king.
The royal army marched out of the town of Råndbari and met the enemy, and a fierce battle was fought. While the battle was in progress, two of the fieroest of the king's elephants, named Barkhurdar and Buzurgwar, were taken by their mahouts to a river which ran near the field of battle in order that they might be watered. At the river they met and fought and, so fighting, being beyond the control of their drivers, moved in the direction of the enemy. When the royal troops saw that two of the king's own elephants were going towards the enemy, they charged after them, fearing lest they might be seized by the enemy. It fortunately happened at this moment that 'Imad-ul-Mulk was informed that the amfrs of Burhan Ni âm Shah, who had joined themselves to him, were deserting him and joining the army of Burhan Nizâm Shah. When 'Im&d-ul-Mulk heard this news and at the same time saw the bravest of the royal troops charging his army, he lost heart and fled, halting not until he had reached the midst of his own country. The viotorious army pursued the enemy and slew very many of them, taking also large quantities of spoil, horses, elephants, arms and tents. It is said that on that day the army of 'Imád-ul-Mulk was utterly dispersed and fled into all parts of the country, so that most of their horses and elephants fell into the hands of the country people by whom they were brought and presented to the king.
After this victory the king returned to Ahmadnagar.
XXII-AN ACCOUNT OF THE DOMINATION OF 'AZIZ-UL-MULK, OF THE GENERAL MISCHIET
CAUSED BY HIS ELEVATION TO THE OPTIONS OF VAKIL AND risavt, OY AIS
AMBITIOUS DESIGNS FOB DEPOSING THE KING, AND OT HIS PUNISHORNT. A short time after the defeat of the army of 'ImAd-ul-Mulk and the extinguishing of the fire of war, Mukammal Khan, who had been vall and plahud, since the reign of his late majesty Sultan Ahmad Babri, departed this life. After his death the king bestowed the offices of valal and prahud on his son, 'Aziz-ul-Mulk, who had some hereditary claim to them. Aziz-ul-Mulk, who had an evil disposition, soon raised the standard of strife and turbulence, and the banner of tyranny and injustice, and got all power in the administration of the state into his own hande, ruling like an independent king, while to the king was left nothing but the name of a king.
When 'Aziz-ul-Mulk had thus seized all power, pride and folly established themselves in his disposition, and he conceived in his base heart the design of still further extending his power and of rebelling against the king. Moreover, he devoted the whole of his atten. tion to undermining the foundation of the kingdom, and excluded from the royal service most of those who had been in close attendance upon the throne, and the king's old servants, and admitted to the king's presence nobody except three wet-nurses who had nursed tho king and brought him up, and three eunuchs who had been in the service of his late majesty. Ho also tried to overthrow the state-altogether, and one day put some deadly poison into home milk of which the king was extremely fond, and sent it to the king. The king's nurses,
