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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ Остовин, 1 22
XCV. AN ACCOUNT OF THE MARCH OF SAYYID MURTAZA, AMIR-UL-UMARA FROM BERAR TO AḤMADNAGAR WITH HIS ARMY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF HUMBLING THE POWER
OF SALIBAT KHAN, AND OF THE RENEWAL OF PEACE BY THE EFFORTS OF
ASAD KHAN.
It has already been mentioned that Sayyid Murtagâ, when he returned with his army from the expedition to Bîjâpûr, would not enter the capital, owing to his quarrel with Salâbat Khân, which was sedulously promoted by the ill-wishers of both, but turned aside and entered Berar by way of the town of Ausa. Meanwhile the power and influence of Salabat Khân had been constantly growing greater until he began to decide all affairs of state without in any way consulting Asad Khin, and used not even to submit Asad Khin's peti tions on affairs to the king, and even when a farman issued to Asad Khân by name it was not, for fear of Salâbat Khân, carried to him. Asad Khan therefore proposed to summon Sayyid Murtazâ, with the army of Berar, to Ahmadnagar, in order to overthrow SalâbatKhân. The amir-ul-umara Sayyid Murtaza and his officers, such as Jamshid Khan, Khudâvand Khân Bahri Khân, Chanda Khân, Tir Andaz Khân, Rustam Khan, Shir Khan Dastur Khân and others, having renewed their compact to support Asad Khân, marched with their troops from the capital of Berar towards Ahmadnagar. When they reached the capital they encamped without the city, and Salabat Khân, who feared the strength of the army of Berar and was, moreover, suspicious of the fidelity of the greater part of the troops under his own command, began to make overtures to Asad Khan and so succeeded in pacifying him that Asad Khan went to the Amir-ul-umard and used his utmost endeavours to persuade him to refrain from any act of warfare, which could not fail to lead to the ruin and desolation of the great part of the kingdom. Asad Khan succeeded in making peace between the amirs of Berar and Șalábat Khân, and the amir-ul-umard with all his, amirs returned with great pomp and honour to the capital of Berar. 263
At this time Khvâjagî Fathullâh Khâshi264 arrived at the royal court as ambassador from Jalâl-ud-din Muhammad Akbar Shâh, and, after having been honourably received by the amirs and the principal officers of the army, was honoured with an audience of Murtaza Nizam Shah. According to the royal command a suitable palace was placed at his disposal and many of the courtiers, amirs, and officers of state entertained him at choice banquets in pavilions erected for the purpose.
The Bagh-i-Farah Bakhsh, laid out by the command of Murtaza Nizam Shah, had at this time just been completed, and was one of the most beautiful gardens that the world has seen. The king now held his court in this garden and gave a great banquet there. Here
303 According to Firishta it was in 1584 that the quarrel between Sayyid Murtaza and Salabat Khân developed into open hostility. In that year Salabat Khân sent Qasim Beg and Mirza Muḥammad Taqi Shirazi on a mission to Bijapur to arrange a marriage between the sister of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and the young prince Husain of Ahmadnagar. He ordered Jamshid Khan Shirâzî, one of the amire of Berar, to accompany the mission with his contingent as an escort. Jamshid Khanreplied that he was subordinate to Sayyid Murtaza, and would take orders from him only. He sent the order to Sayyid Murtaza, who informed him that he had been instructed to obey no orders but those bearing the king's own signature and that as this order had not been signed by the king it should not be obeyed. Jamshid Khan passed on this reply to Salabat Khan, and the ill-feeling between Sayyid Murtaza and Salabat Khan became so acute that the former marched on Aḥmadnagar, as described-F. ii, 281, 282.
264 Khvajagi Fathullah, son of Haji Habibullah of Kashân, not to be confounded with Mir Fathullah of Shiraz, was serving under the Khan i-A'zam in Malwa in the 30th year of Akbar's reign (1585) and was sent as an envoy to Ahmadnagar when his namesake, the Shirazi Sayyid, was sent to the court of Raja Alf Khan of Khandesh. Sayyid 'All seems to be a year out in the date of Khvajagi Fathullah's mission, unless Fathullah had been sent from Agra and joined Khan-i-A'zam in Malwa after returning from Ahmadnagar.
