Before leaving Ahmednagar, which now disappears from all independent share in the history of Deccan affairs, a slight sketch of the civil administration of the kingdom under the Nizam Shahi Kings will not be out of place, and I cannot do better than quote from Mr. Campbell:

"The Ahmednagar dominions extended over the greater part of Berar, and the whole of what was afterwards included in

the Subha of Aurungabad, Jalna, and some other districts in Nassik and Khandeish, and the district of Kalyan in the Konkan from Bankot to Bassein. Under the Ahmednagar Kings, though perhaps less regularly than afterwards under the Moguls, the country was divided into districts or sirkars. The district was distributed among sub-divisions, which were generally known by Persian names, pargana, karyát, sammat, mahal, taluka, and sometimes by the Hindu names of prant and desh. The hilly west, which was generally managed by Hindoo officers, continued to be arranged by valleys with their Hindoo names, Khora, Mura, and Marval. The collection of revenue was generally entrusted to farmers, the farms sometimes including one village. Where the revenue was not farmed, its collection was generally entrusted to Hindoo officers. Over the revenue farmers was a Government agent or Amil, who, besides collecting the revenue, managed the police and settled the civil suits. Civil suits relating to land were generally settled by juries or panchayets. Though the chief power in the country was Mahomedan, large numbers of Hindoos were employed in the service of the State. The garrison of hill forts seem generally to have been commanded by Hindoos, Marathas, Kolis, and Dhangars, a few places of special strength being reserved for Mahomedan commandants, or killedars. Besides the hill forts, some parts of the open country were left under loyal Maratha and Brahmin officers with the title. of estate holder or jaghirdar, and of district head or Deshmukh. Estates were generally granted on military tenure, the value of the grant being in proportion to the number of troops which the grant-holder maintained. Family feuds or personal hate, and, in the case of those whose lands lay near the borders of two kingdoms, an intelligent regard for the chances of war often divided Maratha families, and led members of one family to take service under rival Musulman States. Hindoos of distinguished service were rewarded with the

Hindoo titles of raja, naick, and rav or rao. Numbers of Hindoos were employed in the Ahmednagar armies." (Bombay Gazetteer, vol. xvii.)

In the same year as Ahmednagar fell, an incident occurred which was destined to have a most important effect upon Indian history. During the Holi festival of that year (MarchApril), a Maratha, named Majoli Bhonsla, who commanded a small body of Silledar horse, took his son, Shahji, a boy of five, to pay his respects to his commanding officer, Lukhji Jadhavrao. Lukji's little daughter, Jiji, a child of three, was present, and whilst the elders were talking, the two children began to play together. Lukhji asked his daughter in joke: How would you like that boy for your husband?" and on the girl saying "Yes," Majoli at once Majoli at once rose and called the guests to witness that Lukhji had offered his daughter in marriage to his son Shahji, which offer he, as Shahji's father, accepted. Taken thus at his word, Lukhji and his wife were exceedingly angry, but Maloji remained unshaken, and eventually (1604) the marriage really took place. The issue of this marriage was the great Sivaji, the founder of the Maratha nation. Mr. Campbell, whom I have quoted above says (ibid) that Lukhji's objections were overcome by purchasing from "a falling court like that of Ahmednagar," a command of 5,000 and the title of Rajah for Maloji, and that then, Lukhji having no longer any excuse "for not performing what he was urged to by his sovereign," consented to the marriage. The passage is quoted word for word from Grant Duff's History of the Marathas" (vol I., p. 78), but it is clearly an error, for, as we have seen, there was no longer a sovereign at Ahmednagar in 1604, to give or to withhold promotion. What seems most probable is that Maloji, in the interval between 1599 and 1604, did good service for the Moguls, and received his promotion from them for assisting them in the settlement of their new conquest. The story of Sivaji has,

however, been so exhaustively told by the great historian Grant Duff, that it is out of our province to go into it here, and the incident is only alluded to as marking an important epoch in the history of the Deccan. We shall, of course, frequently come across Sivaji, in the future course of our history, but except as far as he is brought into contact with Bijapur, it is not proposed to recapitulate what has already been so well told.

To return to Ibrahim Adil Shah at Bijapur. After the catastrophe at Ahmednagar, the Sultan took but little active share in the affairs of the Deccan. Alarmed at the growing power of the Moguls, he made overtures to the Emperor Akbar, and an alliance was agreed upon, one of the conditions of which was that he should give his daughter in marriage to the Emperor's son, Daniyal. An ambassador was sent by Akbar to bring the Princess, but he remained so long at Bijapur that another, Asad Beg, was sent to bring him and the Princess back, with orders to stay at Bijapur only one night. The Princess seems to have been very reluctant to enter upon this marriage, and when at length she was despatched with the ambassador, accompanied also by the historian Ferishta, together with rich presents, she managed one night to escape from her guardians in order to return to her father. In the morning, however, she was caught and was eventually safely handed over to her husband. At this time Bijapur must have been at the height of its splendour and magnificence. Asad Beg, coming from Delhi, where Akbar's court was at the summit of its grandeur, speaks most enthusiastically of the Southern city. His description is worthy of being quoted, as it is not likely to be tinged with any partiality."That palace, which they called Hajjah, was so arranged that each house in it had a double court. Where there are

*Elliot and Dowson, vol. vi., p. 163, et seq.

*

two courts they call it in those parts Hajjah. All round the gate of my residence were lofty buildings with houses and porticos; the situation was very airy and healthy. It lies in an open space in the city. Its northern portico is to the east of a bazaar of great extent, as much as thirty yards wide and two kos (four miles) long. Before each shop was a beautiful green tree, and the whole bazaar was extremely clean and pure. It was filled with rare goods, such as are not seen or heard of in any other town. There were shops of cloth sellers, jewellers, armourers, vintners, bakers, fishmongers and cooks. To give some idea of the whole bazaar I will describe a small section in detail. In the jewellers' shops were jewels of all sorts, wrought into a variety of articles, such as daggers, knives, mirrors, necklaces and alse into the form of birds, such as parrots, doves, and peacocks, &c., all studded with valuable jewels, and arranged upon shelves, rising one above the other. By the side of this shop will be a baker's with rare viands placed in the same manner upon tiers of shelves. Further on a linen draper's with all kinds of cloths shelved in like manner. Then a clothier's. Then a spiritmerchant's with various sort of China vessels, valuable crystal bottles, and costly cups, filled with choice and rare essences arranged on shelves, while in front of the shop were jars of double-distilled spirits. Beside that shop will be a fruiterer's filled with all kinds of fruit and sweetmeats, such as pistachio nuts and relishes, and sugarcandy and almonds. On another side may be a wine merchant's shop, and an establishment of singers and dancers, beautiful women adorned with various kinds of jewels, and fair faced choristers, all ready to perform whatever may be desired of them. In short, the whole bazaar was filled with wine and beauty, dancers, perfumes, jewels of all sorts, palaces, and viands. In one street were a thousand bands of people drinking, and dancers, lovers, and pleasureseekers assembled; none quarrelled or disputed with another,