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Oor., 1920 ]
HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAHÎ KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR
177
THE HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAH KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR. By LIEUT.-COLONEL T. W. HAIG, C.S.L., C.M.G., C.B.E.
(Continued from p. 167.) XXVII.-AN ACCOUNT OF THE COMING OF SULTÁN BAHADUR OF GUJARAT TO THE DAKAN,
AND OF HIS RETURNING WITHOUT ACOOMPLISHING HIS OBJBOT. It has already been mentioned that when 'Imând-ul-Mulk, the governor of Berar, was defeated by the royal army at Vâlor and fled before them, he found it difficult to escape from them, and therefore in his terror fled and took refuge with Sultan Bahadur, the king of Guiarát, who at that time excelled all the kings of Hindastan in the strength of his army, and the state which he maintained, and appealed to him for assistance, doing his utmost to stir up strife by representing the conquest of Burhân Nigâm Shah's dominions as an exceedingly easy matter. For a long time Sultan Bahadur hesitated and neglected to return an answer to. 'Imâd-ul-Mulk's request, or to further his object, but at length he was deceived and beguiled by 'Imåd-ul-Mulk's tales and the desire of conquering the Dakan took Possession of his heart, and he collected a very numerous army.69
Sultân Bahadur then marched from Gujant to Daulatâbâd and encamped before the fortress. His amars and officers of state incited him to capture the fortress by saying that as soon as it was in his hands the submission of the Nizâm Sbihi dominions would follow as
matter of course, as Daulatáband was the stronghold and the greatest fortress of that country. Sultan Bahadur socordingly, laid siege to the fortress, but though the siege was
80 Sayyid 'Ali has confused the sequence of events and has thus failed to explain the ciroumstances which led to the invasion of the Dakan by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
In 1526-27 (sce noto 62) 'Ald-ud-din 'Imad Shah. of Berar, encouraged by IsmA'LLAdil Shah of Bijapůr and assisted by Sultân Qull Qutb shah of Golconda, recovered Pathri, which he had lost in 1518. Burbån Nigam Shah allied himself with 'Ali Barid of Bidar and again captured the place, after a siege of two months They then advanced to Mahur, captured that fortress, and marched towards Elicbpar. "All-ud-din' who was not strong enough to withstand them, fled to Burhanpur and sought help of Muhammad Shah I of Khandesh, who joined him and marobed with him to moot Burhan and Amir 'Ali Barid. A battle was fought in which Muhammad and 'All-ud-din were defeated. They fled to Burhanpur, after losing 300 elephants. From Burhanpur they sent envoya to Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, entreating him to assist them, and Bahadur, seizing the opportunity of intervening in the affairs of the Dakan, set out in 1528, marching by way of Nandurbår. He drove Burhan and Amir 'Ali Barid out of Berar, but lingered so long in that country as to excite the apprehensions of 'Ald-ud-din, who urged him to hasten on towards the Ahmadnagar dominions.
Burhån was much alarmed and appoaled to Isma'il Adil Shah and Sultan Quli Qutb Shah to assist him in repelling the invaders. He even wrote to Babur, who had recently conquered Delhi, for help. Sul. tan Quli was too much oocu pied with a campaign against the Hind us to be able to spare any troops, but Ismå'il gent 6,000 good cavalry, which forop was joined by Amir 'Ali Barid of Bidar with 3,000 horse of his own.
Bahadur advanced, but his objective was Burhan's army, encamped in the hilly country about Btr, not Daulatábåd. Amir 'Ali Barld inflicted two defeats on his army between Paithan and Bir, but he 000. tinued to advance, and Burhan retired from Bir to Parenda, and, being pursued thither, to Junnar. Bahsdur then occupied Ahmadnagar, where he remained for forty days, and built, in this time, the large platform known as the Kala Chablira or 'black platform. Meanwhile, Burhan's army wus engaged in cutting off Bahadur's supplies and it was when the army in Ahmadnagar had already begun to feel the pinch of hunger that his amiro urged him to complete his conquest by reducing DaulatAbad and he accordingly marched thither, and opened the siego. Burhan, who had obtained another contingent of 500 horses from Isma'll, and Amir 'Ali Barid enoamped in the hill above Daulatabad. See ZW. 1, 151.
It was now that Shaib Ja'fer was dismissed from the office of vakil and plahod and Kanha Narai the Brahman, perhaps a relation of Burton, appointed in his place. See ante, p. 166.
