The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c18.22

v4.c18.22

The kingdom of Ahmadnagar, like that of Bījāpur, was under a nominal ruler, swayed against his will by factions among the nobles. Muqarrab Khān had superseded and strictly confined his brother-in-law, Fath Khān, who was a son of Malik ‘Ambar. While Muqarrab Khān was attempting to resist the Mughal forces, the king of Ahmadnagar asserted himself for a brief space and released Fath Khān. Feeling that resistance was useless, Muqarrab Khān, who was of Persian origin and had no hereditary connection with the kingdom, changed sides and offered his services to the emperor, which were accepted, and he was shortly afterwards transferred to Katehr (now Rohilkhand) in northern India. Fath Khān himself, knowing his master’s changeable mood, placed the king in confinement, as his father had done, and reported this to Āsaf Khān; expecting some mark of favour. Āsaf Khān, who was ruthless in such matters, suggested that his sincerity would be best proved by murder, and Fath Khān poisoned the king and replaced him by Husain, a boy of ten. With the hesitation usually found in traitors he delayed the surrender of treasure and elephants he had agreed to give up, and Shāh Jahān despatched Muqarrab Khān, now dignified by the title of Rustam Khān, to reduce Daulatābād which had become the actual headquarters of the Ahmadnagar kingdom. This fresh danger alarmed Fath Khān, who submitted.² Randola Khān, the Bījāpur general, had still shown opposition to the Mughals and had detained an envoy who was carrying presents to the emperor. Hearing of the collapse of resistance in Ahmadnagar, he also offered peace and promised allegiance to the emperor and that he would let the envoy pass. A‘zam Khān, however, rejected the terms and marched south but suffered losses and fell back. In December, 1631, the emperor deputed Āsaf Khān to invade Bījāpūr. Taking a route farther east than that followed by A‘zam Khān in the earlier campaign, Āsaf Khān reached Bhālkī³ and took it. A message of submission from Bījāpur was rejected and the Mughals marched on, sacking Gulbarga and massacring the population. The army camped between Nauraspur and Shāhpur, a few miles north-west of Bījāpur, and opened the siege. Fresh negotiations were set on foot and Mustafā Khān, who headed the party favourable to the Mughuls, came into the camp of the besiegers to discuss terms. His offer seemed favourable, but his colleague, Khavāss Khān, declined to concur in them, and made a fresh suggestion, which Āsaf Khān was disposed to accept, owing to his difficulties in obtaining supplies, as the Bījāpur army, while falling back, had destroyed whatever the famine had left. During the truce and parley, however, the straitened circumstances of the besiegers had become known to the garrison, and a letter dropped in the Mughul camp by an adherent of Mustafā Khān warned Āsaf Khān that he was merely being played with till exhaustion should overcome his force. During the short siege of twenty days no grain had been brought in and the provisions which had been carried with the army were almost finished. Āsaf Khān therefore retreated west to Mīrāj,¹ seeking supplies, plundering the country and killing or enslaving the population. He then struck north past Sholāpur, where the pursuing army of Bījāpur turned back, and he returned to the Mughul territories. The emperor was by this time disgusted with the Deccan where his wife had died, his plans had not succeeded and the desolation of famine still continued. He was persuaded by Mahābat Khān that the conquest of Bījāpur was not impossible, and entrusted to him the command in the Deccan, recalling to court Āsaf Khān, who was more distinguished in political craft than as a general in the field.