The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c25.150

v3.c25.150

Mahmūd had not forgotten the death of his uncle, Bahādur, nor its authors, and his failure to expel the Portuguese from Diū in 1538 had not discouraged him. Khvāja Safar, who maintained an outwardly friendly correspondence with them, and was well acquainted with their affairs, encouraged his master to make another attempt to recover Diū, but before resorting to arms endeavoured to gain possession of the fortress by treachery. The plot was discovered and Khvāja Safar opened the siege. The fort was small, and would accommodate only a small garrison, and Safar's bombardment caused heavy losses, but the Portuguese fought with unflinching valour. They were encouraged by the death, on June 24, 1546, of Khvāja Safar, whose head was taken off by a gunshot. He was succeeded in the command by his son, Muharram Rūmī Khān, who made desperate efforts to take the place, one assault being repulsed with the loss of 2000 men and of Bilāl Jhūjhār Khān, his second in command, but the numbers of the Portuguese were reduced to 200, until a timely reinforcement of 400 men under Alvaro de Castro encouraged them to sally forth and attack the enemy. They were repulsed with heavy loss, but on November 7 a fleet of nearly 100 sail, under the command of João de Castro, governor of Portuguese India, appeared off Diū.