The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c29.13

v3.c29.13

The inveterate plotter Amīr ‘Alī Barīd had endeavoured to tamper with the loyalty of the contingent sent from Bījāpur to the assistance of Ahmadnagar, and Burhān could not withhold his approval from Ismā‘īl’s proposal to punish him. Ismā‘īl marched to Bīdar, and Amīr ‘Alī, now an old man, retired, leaving the defence of the fortress to his sons, and sought aid of Sultān Qulī Qutb Shāh. Ismā‘īl defeated a relieving force from Golconda and Amīr ‘Alī withdrew to Udgīr and begged ‘Alā-ud-dīn ‘Imād Shāh to help him. ‘Alā-ud-dīn would not oppose Ismā‘īl, but marched to Bīdar and interceded with him, but he refused to hear of negotiations until Bīdar should have been surrendered. Amīr ‘Alī sorrowfully withdrew to drown his troubles in drink, his troops followed his example, and Ismā‘īl, hearing of their demoralisation, sent Asad Khān Lārī to attack his camp. He found all, even those on guard, in a drunken stupor, and he and his followers were able to enter Amīr ‘Alī’s tent, place the old man in a litter, and bear him away. The jolting of the litter gradually awoke him from his drunken sleep, and, starting up in terror, he cried that the *jinn* were carrying him off. He was undeceived by Asad Khān, who rebuked him for his gross indulgence and unsoldierly behaviour, and carried him before Ismā‘īl. At the public audience the wretched old man was compelled to stand for two hours, bareheaded and neglected, in the burning sun, and was then led forward and sentenced to death unless Bīdar were immediately surrendered. To the order which he sent to his son the reply sent was that he was an old man, the short remainder of whose life would be dearly purchased by the surrender of such a fortress as Bīdar, but with this official reply his son sent a private message to the effect that he would surrender the place should all other means of saving his life fail. It was surrendered when Amīr ‘Alī was about to be trampled to death by an elephant before the bastion on which his sons took the air, and Ismā‘īl, after permitting his prisoner’s sons to leave the fortress with their dependants, who smuggled out most of the jewels of the Bahmanids, entered the capital of the Deccan and took his seat upon the turquoise throne. He made Amīr ‘Alī a noble of the kingdom of Bījāpur, and it was agreed that he and ‘Alā-ud-dīn ‘Imād Shāh should first aid him in recovering the Rāichūr Doāb, and that they should then march northwards to recover Māhūr and Pāthrī for ‘Alā-ud-dīn.