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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[DEO. 1920
with Ahmadnagar and opposed the king on every possible occasion, Burhân Nigam Shab made it his principal object to overthrow this promoter of strife, to take vengeance on him, and to deliver the people of the country from his oppression and tyranny. He also sent Shah Tahir to win over Malik Barid, who was just now not on good terms with Ahmadnagar, and with instructions to go on, after he had sent Malik Baild to Ahmadnagar, to Telingana and to attempt to induce Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk to enter into an offensive alliance with Ahmadnagar, for at this time Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk followed his usual policy of keeping himself to himself, and of avoiding both enmity and alliance with the other Sultans of the Dakan.
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Shah Tahir had an audience of Molik Barid (All Barid Shah) and stated the case to him. It is said that Khân Jaban, the brother of Malik Barid, set himself dexterously to annoy Shah Tahir and uttered words regarding him which bore a contemptuous signification. Shah Tahir was very angry and returned angry answers. Malik Baid was much annoyed at his brother's conduct and did his best to pacify Shah Tahir, and actually punished his brother, but Shah Tahir never forgot the insult. This matter ended in Malik Barid joining Burhan Nizam Shah at Ahmadnagar, and Shah Tahir wert to Telingana.
When Shah Tabir waited on Sultan Quli Qutb Shah he soon persuaded him not to oppose, but to further, the designs of Burhân Nizam Shah. Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk set out with his army to aid Burhân Nizam Shah, and sent on in advance a force which accompanied Shah Tâhir. Burhân Nizam Shah, when all his forces had assembled, marched towards Bijâpûr.
Darya 'Imad Shah and 'Ali Barid Shah paid their respects to the king at about the same time and the army moved forward &1 d crossed the Bhinur. When the troops thus entered the Bijapuûr dominions, Burhân Nigam Shab sent bis artillery on towards Bijapur by the main road, while be, with the rest of his army, marched rapidly on Bijapur by another and less well-known road.
When Ibrâhîm 'Adil Shah learnt that Burhân had separated his artillery from the main body of his army, he, with a picked force, moved on the artillery by forced marches. The amirs, who were with the artillery, defended the guns manfully and, since they had a large force with them, they beat off the attacking force and wounded many and made many prisoners. They loaded some of the guns to the muzzles, so that they burst when fired.
Meanwhile the main body of the army, marching rapidly by the other road, had arrived before Bijapûr, and the king encamped there and opened the siege. A messenger now came from Asad Khân to say that the prospect of the success of a siege of Bijapur was not very hopeful, and to advise the king to march on Belgaum, as that fortress would more easily all into their hands.
The king then marched from Bijapûr, and halted at Miraj, 105 the distance from which place to Belgaum is three gåûs. Here he heard that Asad Khân had died and that Ibrahim 'Adil Shah had reached Belgaum and was prepared to defend the place. He therefore turned aside and, instead of marching on Belgaum, marched on Fanhåla, 106 a very high and strong fortress, and besieged that fortress. The army besieged it vigorously for three days, in the course of which Rajan Maḥalldar, one of the king's intimate associates, was slain. It soon became manifest that the army would not be able to capture that fortress, and the king
105 Miraj is situated in 16° 49' N. and 74° 41' E. Sayyid Ali's geography is as bad as his history. The distance from Miraj to Belgaum is not three gusie (twelve miles) but about sixty-eight miles.
108 Fanhala is about thirty-five miles west of Miraj. I have not been able to find Pamin, but pekape we abould read "the lower fortress."
