Indian Antiquary Vol 51

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

Page 243

DECEMBER, 1922) HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAHİ KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR
235
There was for him also the other asset, viz., the fidelity of the provincials. Generally, important viceroyalties were held, in the Vijayanagara times by members of the royal family. This. was the custom under the first dynasty especially. Sons of the king held the important forts. Udayagiri had been under Bhaskara a younger brother of Harihara II. In the time of Devaraya I, Vijayarâya had the charge of the Muļuvâyi province, while Ramachandra Odaya, the eldest son of Devaraya I, ruled the Udayagiri province. No conquests were made during the reign of Vijayaraya. But in Deveraya II's time the Vijayanagara dominion was almost at its zenith. Accounts of foreign travellers, like Abdu'r-Razak, inform us that the kings of 'Pallecoto (Palemcottah), Coullao (Kollam i.e., Travancore). Ceyllao (Ceylon), Peggu (Pegu), Tennaserim and many other countries paid him tribute'. His inscriptions are found almost throughout the Dravidian part of the Peninsula.
(To be continued.)
THE HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAHI KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR. BY LIEUT.-COLONEL SIR WOLSELEY HAIG, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., C.M.G., C.B.E.
( Continued from p. 203.) XCVII.-THE RENEWAL OF STRIFE BETWEEN SALABAT KAN AND SAYYID MURTAZA,
AND THE BUIN OF THE LATTER. When Salabat Khân had obtained all power in the state he sent revenue collectors into Berar to collect revenue from all the khalifa lands in that province. Sayyid Murtaza, who could not endure şalábat Khân's tenure of the office of valil, refused to assist or recognize the collectors in any way and returned nothing but reproaches to all their requests. Salabat Khan of courge showed Sayyid Murtazâ's contumacy to the king in its darkest light and obtained an order for the arrest of Sayyid Murtazâ, but since all the amire of Berar, and especially Khudavand Khan, Tir Andaz Khan and Shîr Khan, who were among the greatest of the amtra of the kingdom, were devoted to the interests of Sayyid Murtaza, and Asad Khân also, who held the titular office of vakill and pishvd, was secretly in correspondence with him, to arrest him was no easy matter. But Şal&bat Khån was considering day and night how it could be compassed.
As Asad Khan was in league with the amits of Berar, Salábat Khân, in the petition which he sent to the king in this case, represented him as a partner in their guilt, and as there was nobody to carry petitions from Asad Khân, or present his case to the king, SalAbat Khan's statements naturally carried great weight and so enraged the king with Asad Khan that he gave Şalábat Khan full authority to depose him from his office.
Just now Şalâbat Khân bethought him of a device whereby he could sow disoord between the amirs of Berar. It had been customary to send all the yearly khal'ats for Berar to Sayyid Murtaza, leaving the distribution of them to him, but this year Şalâbat Khân caused a separate khal'at to be sent to each amír, each by & separate messenger, and each amir was bep rately encouraged to hope for advancement and for the royal favour. When the amirs of Berar appeared wearing their khal'ats without having consulted Sayyid Murtaza in the matter. Sayyid Murtard grow suspicious of them, and the concord that had previously reigned among them was changed into discord.
Khudávand Khan was more intimate with, and more devoted to Sayyid Murtaza than were any of the other amire, and he suspected that the khal at and the message which he had received with it, were a devioe to sow discord, and did not wear his khal at but hastened to Sayyid Murtaza and placed his services at his disposal. When the other amire heard