CHAPTER 3—THE NIZAMSHAHI OF AHMADNAGAR BACKGROUND. THE ECLIPSE OF MAHMUD GAVAN FROM THE POLITICAL SCENE OF THE DECCAN and the death of Sultan Muhammad Sah Bahamani in 1482 had created confusion in the Bahamani capital of Bidar. The provincial governors now began to visualise the prospects of becoming independent. However, none of them had reached that state of political preparedness which would have enabled him to take such a step. At the time of the death of Muhammad Sah most of the newcomers and the respectable from among the oldcomers were absent from the capital. Malik Naib Bahri who was appointed to succeed Mahmud Gavan, now placed on the throne Mahmud, the son of Muhammad Sah, after consultations with Qasim Barid-ul-Mamalik and Qivam-ul-Mulk the younger. The latter was the governor of Warangal. At this time Yusuf Adili who was away on an expedition to Goa returned to Bidar with full force to pay respects to the new Sultan. He remained completely indifferent to the advances made by Malik Naib. He demanded the distribution of the offices of the state. When the nobles met in assembly under the new scheme of redistribution Malik Naib retained the prime ministership. Qivam-ul-Mulk, the elder, became minister, Qivam-ul-Mulk the younger, master of ceremonies and Dilavar Khan, the African, assistant minister of finance. In the meanwhile Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk also arrived in the capital from Berar. Malik Naib now arranged for the review of the troops of Bijapur and Berar by the Sultan. At the same time he gave secret orders to the Deccani troops to fall upon the foreigners. At the time of the review the young Sultan, tutored by Malik Naib, repeated the instructions of Malik Naib to the Deccanis about the attack on the foreigners. The Deccanis executed the orders and fighting broke out between the two parties. The fighting continued for twenty days, during which hundreds fell dead on both sides. Ultimately Yusuf Adil withdrew from the city and retired to his province of Bijapur. For the next four years Malik Naib, Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk, and Qasim Band now appointed the Kotval of Bidar, carried on the administration. However, Imad-ul-Mulk soon got disgusted with the intrigues in the Court and left for his province of Berar. Malik Naib now became supreme. He appointed two deputies at Daulatabad to represent his son Ahmad, extracting from them promises of loyalty to Ahmad1 1 It will be interesting to know the antecedants of Mullik Ahmed as given by Ferishta. They are as under :— Ahmud Nizam Shah was the son of Mullik Naib Nizam-ool-Moolk Bheiry, originally a bramin of Beejanuggur, whose realname was Timapa, the son of Bheiroo. 72 MAHARASHTRA STATE GAZETTEER He also put Fakhruddin in charge of Solapur and Parenda whom he created Khvaja-i-Jahan. He then sent his son Ahmad to take charge of Junnar. The provincial governors and varipus officers of the kingdom now realised that Sultan Mahmud was powerless and Malik Naib had usurped the real power. In consecpence revolts broke out in the various parts of the kingdom. In 1486 Qivam-ul-Mulk the younger, revolted in Telangana. Malik Naib marched against him. He took the king along with him. At Goa, Najmuddin Gilani, the governor, died and his slave Bahadur Gilani seized the fortress, refusing to owe allegiance to Sultan Mahmud. At Cakan, Zainuddin Ali, the governor, refused to acknowledge the authority of Ahmad as the governor of Junnar. He was backed by Yusuf Adil Khan, who sent five to six thousand cavalry to assist him. The news of this defiance of orders reached the Sultan and Malik Naib in Telangana. Qasim Barid, Dastur Dinar and other nobles sought this opportunity to seek audience of the Sultan. They impressed upon him that the sorry state of affairs, was due to the arrogance of Malik Naib and mishandling of the administration of kingdom by him. They advised the Sultan that Malik Naib should be put to death. When Malik Naib was informed of the conference, he fled to Bidar and took asylum with one of his own proteges, Dilpasand Khan, a noble at the Bidar court. Together, they started raising troops. When this news reached the Sultan, he at once marched in the direction of Bidar. Dilpasand Khan now withdrew from his alliance with Malik Naib and affirmed his loyalty to the Sultan. The Sultan sent orders to Dilpasand Khan to execute Malik Naib. Dilpasand Khan strangled the helpless Malik Naib to death and presented his head to the Sultan when the latter arrived in the capital. contd. In his infancy he was taken prisoner by the Mahomedan army of Ahmud Shah Bahmuny, when, being admitted among the number of the faithful, and having received the name of Hussun, he was brought up as one of the royal slaves. The King was so struck with his abilities, that he made him over to his eldest son, the Prince Mahomed, as a kind of companion, with whom he was educated, and attained eminence in Persian and Arabic literature. From his father's name Bheiroo, he was called Mullik Hussun Bheiroo; but the Prince being unable to pronounce the word correctly, he obtained the appellation of Bheiry. When the Prince ascended the throne, he raised his favourite to the rank of a thousand horse; and it is also said, on account of his surname Bheiry, which signifies a falcon, he was nominated to the office of falconer, which in Toorky is Called Kooshbegy : some people have asserted that he obtained the name of Bheiry from his office alone. In course of time he rose to the first offices in the state, and was dignified by the titles of Ashruf Hoomayoon and Nizam- ool-Moolk. Being a great favourite of the minister Khwaja Mahmood Gawan, he was recommended by him to the government of Tulingana including Rajamundry and Condapilly, which were granted to him in jageer. On the death of that minister he succeeded to his office under the title of Mullik Naib and on the demise of Mahomed Shah Bahmuny he was appointed prime minister to that monarch's son, Mahmood Shah, who added Beer, and other districts in the vicinity of Dowlutabad, to his estates. The administration of this new jageer was made over to Mullik Naib's son, Mullik Ahmud, who took up his residence at Joonere while Khwaja Jehan Deccany was appointed governor of Purenda. Although Mullik Naib had procured for his son the necessary orders to occupy those districts, yet several Marhatta officers, in whom Khwaja Mahmood Gawan placed great confidence, refused to give them up, until the King was of an age to act for himself. Mullik Ahmud, having determined to enforce the orders, attacked the fort of Soonere, situated on the top of a hill, and of uncommon strength. After a siege of considerable duration, the garrison came forward with swords suspended from their necks, and habited in shrouds, to sue for quarter. The place being occupied HISTORY – MEDIAEVAL PERIOD 73 The Deccanis or oldcomers were not happy with this turn of events. They decided to dethrone the Sultan. They encircled the palace where the Sultan was having his drinking bouts and forced the palace guards to join them. The Sultan, however, managed to escape to the roof of the palace bastion and contrived to send a message to the foreigners or newcomers to come to his help. A contingent of the foreigners arrived and drove away the Deccanis killing many of them. On the next day, the Sultan ordered a general massacre of the Deccanis. The ruthless carnage of the Deccanis continued for three days and was stayed only at the earnest prayer of Sah Muhibullah. The Sultan now gave himself up to pleasure and debauchery. When these events were taking place in the capital, Malik Ahmad was busy consolidating his position. He had assumed the titles of his father under the name of Malik Ahmad Nizam-ul-Mulk Bahri. Likewise, Qasim Barid who had the charge of Qandhar and Ausa had revolted and had succeeded in defeating Dilavar Khan who had been sent against him by the Sultan. He marched to the capital and forced the Sultan to appoint him as prime minister and assign to him Daulatabad and Balaghat in Jagir. Qasim Barid had now to face a formidable opponent in the person of Malik Ahmad. Malik Ahmad had already subjugated most of the forts in the Konkan and the Ghats including Sivneri, Jond, Lohogad, Tung and Tikona, Kondana, Purandar, Bhorap, Marabdev, Judhan, Khaj; Muranjan, Tungi and Tavni, Mahoil, Pali and Kotdanda Rajapuri. Qasim Barid could not look with equanimity on these resounding victories of Malik Ahmad. He forced the Sultan to send orders to Yusuf Adil to unite with Khvaja-i-Jahan and Zainuddin Ali Talis, the governor of Cakan to march against Ahmad and destroy him. Yusuf Adil evaded these orders. However, Nadiruzamani Saikh Movaddi, a Bahamani officer, volunteered to march against Malik Ahmad. He reached Parenda on his way to Junnar with an army of 12,000 cavalry. Malik Ahmad who had already been cautioned by Yusuf Adil about these court intrigues against him, prepared himself for war. But instead of engaging the Bahamani army in the open, he hovered round their camp and allowed them to advance. At this time Ali Talis was making preparations to march against Ahmad. Ahmad suddenly wheeled round and contd. it was found to contain five years' revenue of Marhatt and Concan, which had been deposited therein ; and this sum enabled Mullik Ahmud to assume a new line of conduct.