Indian Antiquary Vol 50

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 216

206
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JULY, 1921
manner the enemy, being upon the flanks and rear of the royal army during its march, attacked them, putting to death many of the sick men of the army and of the baggage guard. It was then ordered that some of the amirs with their troops and with the royal guard should use the greatest vigilance in protecting the sick and the baggage guard and should repulse the enemy whenever they appeared. These orders were carried out and the marauders were slain whenever they appeared.
Suddenly, in the course of the march, news was received that the army of Ibrâhîm Qutb Shah had appeared in force on the left, which was under the command of Dastur Khân and Khudâvand Khân Jatâ Khânî, and had attacked it, and that heavy fighting was going on be. tween them and Dastûr Khân and Khudâvand Khân. By the royal command, Miyân Manjhû Khân Begî with his troops hastened to the aid of Dastur Khân and Khudavand Khân and fought so bravely that the army of Ibrâhîm Qutb Shah was defeated. Meanwhile, however, news was received that Muqarrab Khân and Salâbat Khân, with a force from Qutb Shâh's army, had attacked the right wing of the royal army, under the command of Kâmil Khân and other amirs, and that the battle was now raging in that quarter. Mu'tamad Khân, Sar-i-Naubat, who was then in attendance on the king, was sent to the assistance of Kâmil Khân, and it was also ordered that Miyân Manjhû, as soon as he had beaten off the enemy on the left wing, should march to the right wing and assist Kâmil Khân in repulsing the enemy there.
Mu'tamad Khan and Miyân Manjhû with their troops joined Kâmil Khân, and the three commanders with their combined forces attacked the Qutb Shâhî troops with great valour, defeated them, and repulsed them with great slaughter. Mu'tamad Khân Sar-iNaubat was slain in the fight and Kâmil Khân was wounded, but victory remained, nevertheless, with the troops of the king, and on the death of Muqarrab Khân Qutb Shâhî, who was slain, the hearts of his troops failed them, and they fled and were dispersed.
After thus dispersing and punishing his enemies, the king proceeded in peace on his way to Ahmadnagar. LXXIV. AN ACCOUNT OF THE QUARRELS, INSTIGATED AND FOMENTED BY ENVIOUS TRAITORS, WHICH AROSE BETWEEN KHONZAH HUMAYON AND THE KING MURTAZA NIZAM SHAH.
It has already been mentioned that at the beginning of the reign of Murtaza Nizâm Shah the whole of the business of state was carried on by the queen-mother Khânzah Humâyûn, owing to the king's devotion to sensual pleasures, in which he spent all his time. Khânzah Humâyûn devoted the whole of her time, except what was spent in religious duties, to public business, and conducted the administration with great wisdom and ability. The queen-mother, at the beginning of the reign, wisely appointed a learned man, remarkable for his virtue, veracity, and good birth as tutor to the young king, in order that he might be instructed in religion, in holy law, in the Qur'an and the traditions, and in wise precepts, and might be weaned from his fleshly lusts. Her choice fell on the learned Maulana Husain Tabrizi, who afterwards received the title of Khânkhânân. He, in a short time, gained great influence over the king and was distinguished above all the servants of the court by becoming the repository of his secrets, being never absent from his presence, night or day, or in public or in private. When he had thus gained entire influence over the king, ambition and the desire of place and power entered his heart, and forgetting what was for his soul's good, he listened to the temptations of the devil and schemed to obtain the appointment of vakil and pishvá, regardless of the dangers which lay ahead, until at length he suffered what he suffered.