Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c14.s2.34

v1.c14.s2.34

In about A.D. 1549 "the sovereigns of Beejanaggur, and others, acknowledged his (i.e., Assud Khān's) great abilities and influence, by frequently honouring him with letters, and propitiating him with valuable presents".⁵ When Rāma Rāja joined in a league with Būrhan Nizām Sāh, who had sent him "presents and professions of regard",⁶ Ibrāhim 'Ādil Shāh I broke off all relations with the Hindu court, and in an engagement compelled the Hindus and Muham-madans to suffer in company. He ordered a blockade, and his orders "were so implicitly obeyed, that a famine soon prevailed in the camp of Boorhan Nizam Shah, so that in the month of Ramzan, the King and his army, true believers and Hindoos, all fasted, alike from absolute necessity".¹ This disaster discouraged neither the Muhamadans nor the Hindus. And in the following year (A.D. 1551) Rāma Rāja "with a considerable force" assisted Būrhan Nizām Shāh to take the forts of Raichur and Mudkul, and "having left his younger brother, Venkatadry with an army, to assist Boorhan Nizam Shah, returned to Beejanuggur".² In a series of complications which followed soon after, Rāma Rāja, on receiving 1,200,000 hoons as a present from Ibrahim 'Adil Shāh, "despatched his brother Venkatadry with a considerable force, to expel the enemy" (i.e., Saif Ain ul-Mulk, who had besieged Bijapur.)³ Veṅkaṭādri's success was complete.