The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c11.14

c11.14

Yusuf Adil Khan, who, after he had achieved greatness was declared to have been born to greatness,³ had entered the service of the Bahamani king Mahmud Shah II., and had risen from rank to rank till he was made governor of the province of Daulatabad, a post which he held at the time of the minister's death. Immediately after that event the king sent for Yusuf Adil Khan, being compelled to do so by the attitude assumed by the other chiefs, and conferred on him the province of Bijápur. This and the other provinces seem to have been bestowed under pressure; and the leaders, who in this way gained power and place retained but a slender tie of allegiance to the sovereign to whose weakness and not to whose favour they were indebted. The Bahamani kingdom was distracted by the rivalry between the Dakhanis or born subjects, and the foreigners, who had introduced themselves in great numbers: and Yúsuf Ádil Khán was the leader of the latter party. It is needless to recapitulate the details of the struggles of the opposing parties. Ere long Yúsuf Ádil Khán followed the example of Malik Ahmad Beheri, who had declared himself king of Ahmadnagar, by having the public prayer read in his own name as king of Bijápur (A.D. 1489) and by assuming the canopy of royalty. He soon drove out the royal garrisons that were in the forts in his district and made himself complete master of the territory under Bijápur. Notwithstanding this he appears for some time to have kept up friendly relations with his former sovereign. He assisted Máhmúd Sháh to put down the rebellion of Bahádur Giláni, and afterwards entertained him royally at Bijápur.¹ He subsequently joined Máhmúd Sháh in his expedition against Kásim Barid, another chief who had assumed sovereignty; and it is especially noted that after the victory obtained on this occasion the king treated his former vassal as an equal, and made Yúsuf sit in his presence. The alliance was further cemented by the betrothal of Yúsuf's daughter to Ahmad, the king's son. Some years later Máhmúd Sháh got up a league against the Bijápur prince, the ostensible ground of action being that the latter had not only revolted against his sovereign but had also introduced Shia tenets into the country. The confederation failed to secure their object, and by their defeat Yúsuf Ádil Khán was able to establish his kingdom on a secure basis.²