The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c18.37

v4.c18.37

The death of Mahābat Khān and the removal of Mughul forces from the Deccan had the usual result of causing the rival factions in the Bījāpur state to renew their bickering. For a time, Khavāss Khān obtained the upper hand and imprisoned Mustafā Khān in the fort of Belgaum, as he had refused to give up the royal seals when ordered by the king. An intrigue was started which ended in the murder of Khavāss Khān and his right-hand man Murārī Pandit. Mustafā Khān obtained his release and was restored to the position of Peshwā or chief minister. The emperor now took the opportunity of obtaining renewed pledges of allegiance from Bījāpur and Golconda, and himself came south to direct what operations might be necessary, crossing the Narbadā early in 1636, and proceeding to Daulatābād. He called on the king of Bījāpur to be regular in payment of tribute and to make over to imperial officers the Ahmadnagar territories which Bījāpur had seized. In particular he demanded that the Marāthās and other supporters of the evicted Ahmadnagar dynasty should be turned out of Bījāpur. To strengthen his demands he detached a force towards the Bālāghāt with instructions to take the forts of Udgīr and Ausā, which had belonged to Ahmadnagar. Mustafā Khān, who had always favoured the Mughuls, agreed to the terms, and sent apologies for recent contumacious behaviour for which he had not been responsible. The envoy who returned to the imperial camp reported that there were still dissensions among the leading nobles and, as it was discovered that money had been sent to the commandants of Udgīr and Ausā, Shāh Jahān decided to invade Bījāpur. This danger induced the general Randola to unite with Mustafā Khān in suing for peace. Delay and secret contumacy had made the emperor inclined to greater severity and his first impulse was to execute the envoys to prove the reality of his intentions. Āsaf Khān, however, succeeded in dissuading him and the entreaties of Mustafā Khān's son, who had come to court, appeased his anger. The terms were, however, severe. Bījāpur was to acknowledge Mughul supremacy, to pay an annual tribute of two million rupees, and to keep the peace with Golconda, submitting to the emperor's arbitration any dispute with that kingdom. The boundary of the old Ahmadnagar state, now Mughul, was settled, and Bījāpur was confirmed in the possession of Parenda, and of the Konkan, while that state agreed to assist the Mughuls if Shāhjī did not surrender his chief possessions near Junnar and Trimbak. The peace thus concluded (May, 1636) continued till the death of Muhammad 'Ādil Shāh of Bījāpur in November, 1656, though Mughul authority had to be asserted on one or two occasions.