The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c29.63

v3.c29.63

Chingīz Khān was sent against ‘Ain-ul-Mulk of Bījāpur, who was marching with 10,000 horse to relieve Kishvar Khān, and defeated and dispersed his troops, thus enabling Murtazā to invade the kingdom of Bījāpur. He was joined at Wākdari by Ibrāhīm Qutb Shāh, but Bījāpur was saved by a series of intrigues. Ibrāhīm, who was trimming as usual, sent a friendly letter to ‘Alī ‘Ādil Shāh. ‘Alī suspected his minister, Shāh Abu-’l-Hasan, a son of Shāh Tāhir, of being in league with Murtazā, and of having instigated the invasion, and Abu-’l-Hasan, who was innocent, sent Murtazā Nizām Shāh a message through Sayyid Murtazā Sabzavārī, begged him to avert, by retiring, the danger in which his master’s suspicions placed him, and supported the request by warning him that his ally intended to play him false and sending him a copy of Ibrāhīm’s letter to ‘Alī. Murtazā in his wrath made a night attack on his ally’s camp, captured his elephants, and drove him in headlong flight to Golconda, whither a detachment pursued him, but after returning to Ahmadnagar repented of his hasty action and, fearing lest Ibrāhīm should ally himself with ‘Alī, strove to conciliate him. He discovered that Ibrāhīm attributed the sudden and treacherous attack on his camp to the machinations of Mullā Husain Tabrīzī, Khān Khānān, lieutenant of the kingdom of Ahmadnagar, and, as the Mullā’s recent conduct supplied a pretext, Murtazā conciliated Ibrāhīm by dismissing and imprisoning him, and appointed in his stead, in 1569, Shāh Haidar, a son of·Shāh Tāhir.