The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c28.75

v3.c28.75

In 1504 Qāsim Barīd died, and was succeeded at Bīdar, as a matter of course, by his son, Amīr ‘Alī Barīd, and Fathullāh died in Berar and was succeeded, in like manner, by his son, ‘Alā-ud-dīn ‘Imād Shāh. In the same year Yūsuf marched to Gulbarga, defeated Dastūr Dīnār, put him to death and annexed the province of Gulbarga to his dominions. He now believed himself to be strong enough to carry out a project which he seems to have cherished for some time, and established in his dominions the Shiah religion, to which he was devoutly attached. The *khutba* and the call to prayer were recited after the Shiah form, and the use of the Sunni form was prohibited. His decree raised a storm of discontent in his kingdom, where the majority of Muslims of the middle and lower classes was Sunni, and furnished all other rulers in the Deccan with a pretext for attacking the daring innovator. Mahmūd Shāh, under the instructions of Amīr ‘Alī Barīd, commanded ‘Alā-ud-dīn ‘Imād Shāh, Khudāvand Khān, Ahmad Nizām Shāh, and Sultān Qulī Qutb-ul-Mulk of Golconda to aid him in punishing the heretic, and the manner in which each received the order illustrates their political rather than their religious views. Ahmad Nizām Shāh responded with alacrity, both as a Sunni and as a personal enemy of Yūsuf, but ‘Alā-ud-dīn ‘Imād Shāh and Khudāvand Khān, though Sunnis, paid no heed to it, being well disposed towards Yūsuf and resentful of Amīr ‘Alī Barīd’s ascendancy at Bīdar. The Shiah Qutb-ul-Mulk, though he was a personal friend of Yūsuf obeyed the order without hesitation. His appointment to Golconda was recent, he still regarded orders from Bīdar, from whatever source they emanated, as binding on him, and he probably disapproved of Yūsuf’s action as inopportune and likely to render his religion odious.