Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 49

FBRUARY, 1923 ] HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAH KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR
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Mirza Khan was now much alarmed, and attempted to persuade the king's servants, under whose charge he was, to let him go free, in order that he might persuade the amirs to cease their opposition to the king's wishos, and to attack the 'Adil Shahi army. The fool Ismail Khân. in his simplicity, believed that Mirza Khan was speaking the truth and let him go free. Mirza Khân then made off to the amire and at last openly showed himself a traitor. On the follow. ing day, he and all the amirs marched with the army to Daulatâbâd and placed themselves at the disposal of the prince 391.
When Mirza Khân fled towards the amirs, the royal camp moved from the village of Pátori to Mahkarî, and thence to the capital.
Before Mirza Khan and the amirs could reach Daulatâbâd and make obeisance to the prince, the kotwal of that fortress and all its garrison had concurred in raising the prince to the throne, and had actually seated him on the throne. Rastîn Khân, governor of the city of Bir, and all the citizens had followed the example of Daulatâbâd and declared for the prince. In the meantime Mirza Khân also, with the chief amirs, arrived at Daulatâbâd and made obeisance to the prince. The accession of Mirza Khan and the amirs greatly strengthened the position of the prince, and adherents began to assemble from all sides. The prince entrusted all affairs of administration to Mirza Khân and made him his valil and pishvá, and even entered into an engagement with Mirza Khân to the effect that he would never even think of deposing him from the office of valil and pishvd.
On the following day at sunrise Mirza Khân brought the prince forth from Daulatâbâd and they marched out into the open plain. It is said that when the prince left the fortress, the moon was in Scorpio, and although he was strongly advised not to leave the fort then, he paid no heod to the advice.
*1 This account of the last days of the reign of Murtad Nizam Shah I is not correct. Firishta, who was employed by the king as a confidential agent and adviser during his contest with the prince, is & far better authority than Sayyid 'Ali. He says that when the amirs and the army halted at Dhanora and refused to advance any further against the army of Bijapur, which was besieging Ause, he was himself sent by the king to make inquiries in the camp and report the cause of the delay. Mirza Khân, who had returned to the city, was much-alarmed by the deputation of Firishta, whom he knew to be devoted to the king's interest, and offered the dancing girl, Fathi Shah, a bribe of 12,000 hans to obtain an order appointing him to investigate the cause of the army's slothfulnose, The bribe was accepted and the imbecile king sent Mirza Khan to the camp. Firishta fled from the carp on Mirza Khan's arrival and was pursued, but contrived to eludo his pursuers and to reach Ahmadnagar in the morning, when he made his report to the Jaing. He said that Mirzi Khân intended to go to Daulatâbâd, release the prince, and raise him to the throne. Fathi Shah, who was present at the interview, gave him the lie and said that it was inconceivable that Mirzê Khân should be meditating treason. Firishta replied that he had no motive for wishing to injure MirzKhân but feared that the truth of his report would soon ba manifest. He was yet speaking when spies came in and reported that Mirza Khan and the amirs were marching to Daulatábåd with the object-of proclaiming the prince. The king, in great alarm, asked Firishta what was to be done. Firishta replied that two measures, either of which was certain of success, were open. The first was to assemble the guards and march rapidly to Paithan to oppose the progress of the rebellious amits, who would be desorted by the army when it was seen that the king had taken the field. To this the king pleaded sickness caused by poison administered by a eunuch, who, he feared, had been in the pay of Mirza Khån. Firishta's second proposal was that Şalábat Khân should be recalled from Danda Rajpuri, and that the king should be carried in his litter as far as Junnar, to meet him. He said that the army, on learning that the king and Salabat Khan had met and were reconciled, would at once desort the prinoo and Mirza Khan and return to its allegiance. The king issued an order recalling SalAbat Khan from Danda Rajpuri and would have started to meet him, had not the dancing girl dissuaded him by alarming him. The miserable king lost heart, and decided to await ŞalAbat Khan's arrival in Ahmadnagar. It was ŞalAbat Khan's arrival that Mirza Khân had feared, and in order to forestall it he was marching on Daulatâbâd by double stages. Firishta, seeing that the king was entirely in the hands of Fathi Shah, was constrained to let events tako their courseF. ii, 286-288.