The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c11.86

v1.c11.86

II. At about the same time, the intervention of Vijayanagara put an end to a long family dispute that had annoyed the Sultan of Bijapur. During the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah the Prince Abdullah 2, having effected his escape to Goa from the harsh treatment of his brother, was induced, by the advice of some of the nobility who attended him, to proclaim himself Sultan of Bijapur. One of those nobles was Asad Khan, the lord of the fortress of Belgaum, the most powerful subject of Adil Shah 3. This chief entered into correspondence with the Captain of Goa, Dom Garcia, who was governing in the absence of Dom Martim Affonso de Souza, then in the South. Asad Khan offered to give to the Portuguese the whole of the Konkan that belonged to him if Garcia would dare to fetch Prince Abdullah who had retired to the kingdom of Gujarat, and set him up against the power of Ibrahim Adil Shah as the real Sultan of Bijapur. Dom Garcia was much pleased with this proposal and at once sent a lateen to Cambay, in which Abdullah with the whole of his family reached Goa some time after. He was received as a king, and entertained by the Captain in a magnificent house near the Jesuit College of St. Paul. Dom Martim Affonso de Souza reached Goa shortly after. Ibrahim Adil Shah at once despatched ambassadors to him to renew the old friendship, and to ask for the expulsion of his brother from Goa. But, at the same time Asad Khan, too, sent his messengers to the Governor and renewed his old offer. There was hot discussion on this question in the Council of State. At last it was decided not to join the cause of Abdullah, on account of the old friendship with the reigning Sultan. But Ibrahim was not fully pleased. The presence of his brother at Goa was a continuous menace to him: so he wished Abdullah to be handed over to him; but as this prince was a guest of the Portuguese State the Governor promptly refused to do so. Again the Sultan insisted, and asked that at least his brother should be sent to some distant country where he could not endanger the peace of his kingdom. The Governor then agreed and Abdullah was sent to the fort of Cananor. It was then that the Sultan of Bijapur, on August 22, 1546, declared that the territories of Salsette and Bardez should be the property of the King of Portugal for ever¹. But Abdullah re-appeared in Goa after a while; and although the Governor promised the Sultan to send him in exile to Malaca, this was never intended.