The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c29.21

v3.c29.21

In 1537 Burhān Nizām Shāh was converted to the Shiah faith by Shāh Tāhir, who had taken advantage of his successful treatment of the dangerous illness of 'Abd-ul-Qādir, a favourite son, to influence a grateful father. The conversion did not improve Burhān's relations with his Sunni neighbour, Ibrāhīm, and gave the enemies of Asad Khān Lārī, one of the few Foreign Shiahs left in the kingdom of Bījāpur, an opportunity of compassing his downfall by accusing him of being in treasonable correspondence with the Shiah Burhān. The accusation was false, but it suited Burhān to assert its truth and in 1540 he marched, with Amīr 'Alī Barīd, to Parenda, annexed Sholāpur, and advanced towards Belgaum. His dexterous use of the false accusation paralyzed resistance, for Ibrāhīm saw in his advance confirmation of Asad Khān's treason, and Asad Khān was not strong enough to meet him in the field and dared not, for fear of misconstruction, march to his master's assistance, and the only course left open to him was to join the invader with a view to using his influence in the direction of peace.