Firishta's History (Gulshan-i Ibrāhīmī) 79.3
History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India (Briggs) 79.3
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79.3.1
Mahmood Shah, in order to celebrate his escape from this danger, held a magnificent festival during forty days, and went in solemn procession through the city, the streets of which were handsomely ornamented for the occasion. Regarding the royal tower as auspicious, he caused a splendid building to be erected on it, wherein he afterwards spent most of his time in a continued round of licentiousness. He totally neglected the affairs of his government, leaving them entirely to the direction of his favourites. Musicians and dancers flocked to his court from Lahore, Dehly, Persia, and Khorassan; as also story-tellers, reciters of the Shah Nama, and other agents of pleasure. The people, following the example of the Prince, attended to nothing but dissipation: reverend sages pawned their very garments at the wine-cellars, and holy teachers, quitting their colleges, retired to taverns, and presided over the wine-flask. The governors of provinces, seeing the court thus abandoned, acted independently, so that the royal officers only who entered into their views were permitted to retain their posts, and those who refused to connive at their encroachments were expelled. The consequence of this state of affairs became in a short time apparent; for excepting the province of Tulingana, and the districts adjacent to Ahmudabad Bidur, no parts of the kingdom in reality remained in the King's possession.
79.3.2
The turufdars, however, with the exception of Mullik Ahmud Bheiry, professed obedience to the royal authority; but their submission was only nominal. If the King, at the desire of his minister, Kasim Bereed, took the field, and the provincial governors perceived any advantage to themselves in the expedition, they accompanied the royal standard, but with a retinue before which the King's sunk into insignificance; and on his return to the capital they quitted him without going through the ceremony of asking leave. To evade the mortification of standing in the royal presence, or performing the customary obeisance to the King, these governors declined attending the court; and Mullik Ahmud Bheiry, who never forgave the King for the death of his father, refused to accompany the royal standard at all, but declared his independence at once, founded the city of Ahmudnuggur, and assuming the honours of majesty, sent ambassadors to Yoosoof Adil Khan and Futteh Oolla Imad-ool-Moolk, in order to prevail on them to follow his example and read the Khootba in their own names. It was accordingly resolved by all three of those chiefs to declare their independence at an early period. Kasim Bereed, who had chosen for himself the turufdary of Ahmudabad Bidur and its vicinity, wished that the forts within his government should be occupied by his own dependents, but the royal garrisons refused to deliver them up.
79.3.3
Regarding their refusal as proceeding from the King's private orders, he also threw off his allegiance, and endeavoured to reduce them by force. On two occasions he defeated the royal troops, and was near expelling the King from his capital, when Dilawur Khan, Abyssinian, who had taken shelter at Boorhanpoor from the resentment of Nizam-ool-Moolk, hastened with an army to his sovereign's relief. Kasim Bereed being defeated fled to Golconda, pursued by Dilawur Khan, when Providence decreed a change of fortune. In the heat of pursuit, near Kowlas, a vicious elephant belonging to Dilawur Khan, refusing the guidance of his driver, ran back upon the army, and trampled many persons to death. Dilawur Khan, seeing the circumstance, seized a spear, and with some of his attendants attempted to turn the animal, but in vain; till the elephant rushing on, the soldiers gave way, and Dilawur Khan was seized by the furious animal in his trunk, and crushed to death. Kasim Bereed, hearing of this event, turned back upon the late victorious army, which, dispirited by the loss of its chief, fled, leaving all the baggage to fall into Kasim Bereed's hands. The King, unable to resist his power, now admitted him into the capital: a hollow reconciliation took place; and the minister, seated securely in his administration, left nothing but a nominal authority to Mahmood Shah. The historians of the Bereed Shah dynasty date its establishment from this period.
79.3.4
Kasim Bereed, envious of the increasing power of Yoosoof Adil Khan at Beejapoor, wrote to the Ray of Beejanuggur, that Yoosoof Adil Khan, having rebelled against the King, had assumed royal titles. Kasim Bereed promised the Ray if he would invade Beejapoor he should be rewarded by the restoration of the forts of Moodkul and Rachore. The Ray, being a child, deputed his minister Timraj, with a powerful army against Yoosoof Adil Khan, and having committed great devastation obtained possession of the two forts. Yoosoof Adil Khan, however, having effected a peace with Timraj, marched to take revenge on Kasim Bereed, who applied for assistance to Mullik Ahmud Bheiry, the son of the late Nizam-ool-Moolk; offering, when his enemy should be expelled, to assist him with the royal influence in obtaining possession of Goa in the Concan, and of Punala and Mohkeir out of the hands of Bahadur Geelany, to be placed entirely at his disposal. Mullik Ahmud, assenting, induced Fukhr-ool-Moolk, entitled Khwaja Jehan, and his brother Zein Khan, from Purenda, to accompany him, and marched towards Ahmudabad Bidur, where he was shortly after joined by Kasim Bereed Toork, who had brought the King with him (though he never consulted him), and the whole proceeded against the enemy. Kasim Bereed placed the King in the centre of the army, and himself assumed an advanced position. Khwaja Jehan occupied the left, and Ahmud Nizam-ool-Moolk the right wing.
79.3.5
Yoosoof Adil Khan drew up his troops as will be hereafter explained. The engagement which ensued was obstinately contested, till at length the centre, and the left under Khwaja Jehan, gave way, and the King's troops were defeated; while Ahmud Nizam-ool-Moolk and Yoosoof Adil Khan, after mutual explanations, each withdrew to his own country. In the year 899, Mahmood Shah Guzeratty sent an ambassador to the King, representing that Bahadur Geelany, who commanded on the sea-coast, had seized many rich ships belonging to the Guzerat merchants; and not content with committing such excesses, had sent his slave Yakoot, an Abyssinian, with twenty ships of war to Mahim, which he had laid waste, without mercy, imprisoning the people, and burning mosques and other buildings, and even threatened to proceed against Surat. The ambassador represented that an army from Guzerat could not march into the country of Bahadur Geelany without passing through the Deccan, and it was impossible to convey a sufficient force by sea; therefore it was incumbent on the King to punish those excesses; but should he declare himself unequal to the task, the necessary measures should be taken by sending troops from Guzerat.
79.3.6
Mahmood Shah, roused by this message, resolved to reduce Bahadur Geelany, and applied for support from his vassals; who apprehensive of incurring the resentment of the King of Guzerat, and hoping to share in the plunder of the rebel, complied with his orders. Yoosoof Adil Khan sent his general, Kumaul Khan, with five thousand horse, to join the royal standard; Mullik Ahmud Bheiry supplied the same number under Moetibar Khan; and Imad-ool-Moolk also furnished a body of troops under the command of one of his chief officers. Meanwhile Mahmood Shah despatched a mandate to Bahadur Geelany, informing him of the complaints of his ally, the King of Guzerat, and demanding restitution of the places, ships, effects, and captives he had seized from that state. Bahadur Khan, hearing that a confidential servant had been despatched with this communication gave orders for his being detained on the road, in the town of Mirch, and treated with contempt the royal authority, upon which Mahmood Shah began his march, and pushed on without delay. Upon his arrival before the fortress of Jumkindy, he ordered Kootb-ool-Moolk, turufdar of Tulingana, to besiege it; but that general being killed by an arrow from the walls, as he was reconnoitring, the King conferred his office and titles on Sooltan Koolly, with Bongeer, Doorgy, and other districts of Tulingana, in jageer, to support his dignity.
79.3.7
Jumkindy being taken, and delivered over to the troops of Yoosoof Adil Khan, they moved to Sunkeswur, where Bahadur Khan had taken up his residence; but before the royal army arrived, he abandoned the place, which was taken from his garrison in three days, the works not being completely finished. Mahmood Shah, by the advice of Kasim Bereed, next moved against Mirch; and the troops of Bahadur Khan having met him in the field were defeated with great slaughter, the survivors retiring into the fortress. After a long siege, the governor, seeing no hopes of relief, begged for quarter, which (with the approbation of Kasim Bereed) was granted, and the latter received twenty-five horses belonging to Bahadur Khan. At the same time assurances were given to his followers that such as chose to enter into his service should be enrolled, and the rest be allowed to depart, but without retaining either their horses or their arms. The troops replied, that after surrendering the fort, as also their horses and arms, they could not approach their chief, and would rather suffer death. The King, admiring their fortitude and fidelity, acquiesced in their request, and gave them permission to rejoin Bahadur Khan.