The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c29.33

v3.c29.33

Ibrāhīm, without attempting to verify this story, retreated towards Bījāpur, his march being accelerated by a report that Saif ‘Ain-ul-Mulk, who was attempting to rejoin him, was pursuing him with hostile intent. Husain, whose army had been severely handled, retired to Ahmadnagar, and Saif ‘Ain-ul-Mulk sent a message to his master assuring him of his unwavering loyalty and asking for an advance from the treasury to enable him to equip his exhausted troops, but Ibrāhīm coldly replied that he had no longer any need of his services, and ‘Ain-ul-Mulk, thus summarily dismissed, became a rebel and a free lance, and in March, 1555, occupied the fertile Mān district, in the north-western corner of the kingdom, where he supported his troops by levying taxes on the cultivators. He gained more than one victory over the royal troops, declared for ‘Abdullāh, who was still at Goa, and at length signally defeated the royal army, led by Ibrāhīm in person, followed the fugitives as far as Torwa, within four miles of Bījāpur, and there proclaimed ‘Abdullāh king. Ibrāhīm, in his extremity, appealed to Sadāshivarāya, who sent his brother Venkatādri, with 15,000 horse, to his assistance. ‘Ain-ul-Mulk made a night attack on the Hindu army, but Venkatādri, accustomed to the tactics of Asad Khān Lārī, was on the alert, and ‘Ain-ul-Mulk’s force was nearly annihilated. Ibrāhīm captured ‘Abdullāh and imprisoned him, and Saif ‘Ain-ul-Mulk and his nephew Salābat Khān fled to the borders of Ahmadnagar and begged to be readmitted to the service of that kingdom. Husain treacherously returned a favourable answer, and caused ‘Ain-ul-Mulk to be assassinated as he made his obeisance. Some of his followers saved their lives by accepting service under Husain, but the rest, including Salābat Khān, were murdered. The ladies of the murdered man’s harem found an asylum at Golconda through the interest of his principal wife, who was a sister of Ibrāhīm Qutb Shāh.