Shivaji and His Times c13.s2.10

c13.s2.10

In this state of despair, Nasir Muhammad was invited by the Golkonda Court to come over to its side and join it for conquering Sher Khan's lands. The paralysis of the Government of Bijapur and this civil war between its local agents tempted the Qutb Shah to seize this opportunity of easily conquering Bijapuri Karnatak. Earth-hunger is the ever-present passion of absolute rulers. But there was a special reason which led the Golkonda Sultan to embark on a policy of conquest in the Karnatak. His all-powerful wazir Madanna Pandit was a devout Hindu and Madanna's nephew Gopanna was a Vaishnav saint, for whose benefit the gods were believed to work miracles. It was the heart's desire of the minister to conquer Bijapuri Karnatak nominally for Golkonda, but really to place the whole of it under Hindu rule as had been the case before 1648.