CHAPTER V.

THE GULBURGA SULTANS FROM 1374-1397, A. D.

the late Sultan.

1374

to 1377

URING the twenty-four years which followed on the death of Muhammed Shah there were five sultans who reigned at Gulburga, four of whom were assassinated,

the aggregate duration of whose reigns being only 4 years. The first of these Princes was Mujahid Shah, the only son left by

He is said to have been a tall, handsome

man of great bodily strength, and of considerable intelligence and education. He chose as his favourite companions Persians and Turks, and thus sowed the first seeds of the jealousy which, for the last five hundred years, has existed between the Deccannee and foreign Mahomedans. It is mainly due to these jealousies that throughout the rest of the Deccan history we come across the constantly recurring intrigues, plots and assassinations, and which, a hundred and fifty years later, led to the dismemberment of the Gulburga kingdom, and eventually, three hundred years

later, to the absorption of all the Mahomedan States of the Deccan into Aurungzebe's unwieldy empire. Sultan Mujahid was brave but revengeful, and during his father's lifetime committed an act which was destined to bring about his own premature death. When he was fourteen years old, he managed to break open his father's treasury and abstracted some bags of gold, which he divided amongst his playfellows. The treasurer, Mubarik, discovering this, reported the theft to the Sultan, who administered personal chastisement to the young culprit in so severe a manner as to draw blood. The Prince disguised his resentment towards the informer, and pretended an affection for him, until a month later he challenged him to a bout of wrestling, during which he threw him with such violence to the ground that the unfortunate treasurer broke his neck and died on the spot. No sooner had Mujahid ascended the throne than war again broke out between Gulburga and the neighbouring State of Vijayanagar. The cause seems to have been the possession of that debatable territory, the Doab. Mujahid called upon the Rajah to evacuate the whole of the districts between the Tungabadhra and the Kistna, and the Rajah replied by calling upon the Sultan to restore the forts of Raichore and Mudkul which had been conquered by his father, and to restore the elephants which had been given as part of the war indemnity. Mujahid at once marched with a large army and crossed the two rivers, leaving the veteran Seyf-ud-Din Ghoree as regent in his absence. On this occasion the Sultan is said to have killed an enormous tiger on foot by shooting it with an arrow through the heart, an act which struck such terror into the Hindoo Prince that he at once took to the jungles. Mujahid then advanced to Vijayanagar, but finding the city too strong went in pursuit of the Rajah. This pursuit is said to have lasted as far as Rameswaram in the extreme south, where the Sultan is reported to have repaired the mosque built fifty years before by the

Delhi general. There can be no doubt that at this time the rule of the Vijayanagar Prince extended over the whole of Southern India, and that his supremacy was recognized by the Rajahs of Madura and Tanjore. A little bit later we shall come across an instance of this, and it seems clear that at this time the Vijayanagar house was looked upon by all the Princes of Southern India as the head of the Hindoo nation, and as forming the last bulwark against the Mahomedan stream of invasion.

The Rajah seems to have hoped that by leading the Sultan through the jungle, the Mahomedans, who were accustomed to good living, would fall sick, and that he would then be able to harass them on their retreat. The only record of this campaign is to be found in Ferishta, and he says that the Rajah himself was attacked by jungle fever and, therefore, fell back upon his capital. Ferishta merely alludes to the Sultan having destroyed several towns; but as he makes no mention of any plunder, upon which the Mahomedan historians always lay great weight, it is probable that the Sultan was not strong enough to attack any of the great strongholds of the South. He pursued the Rajah back to Vijayanagar, and being joined by fresh forces attempted to besiege the city. It would seem that the Hindoos were dispirited, and the Sultan might have been successful in his attempt if he had not allowed himself to give way to a spirit of fanaticism. Outside the city there was a sacred temple, the shrine of numerous pilgrims. This temple Sultan Mujahid, fired by a zeal, either for religion or for plunder, attacked and destroyed *. Religious feelings,

* The story goes that a number of Brahmins took refuge in the shrine of Hanuman (the favourite monkey-God). They were all put to the sword and Mujahid Shah himself struck the image of the God in the face with his battle-axe, mutilating the features; a dying Brahmin then raised himself with a last effort and exclaimed: "For this act you will never see your kingdom again, and will not return to your capital alive!" A prophecy which proved to be only too true.

outraged in this manner, brought about what a sense of patriotism had not been able to effect. The Hindoos rose to a man, and so threatening was their attitude that the Sultan had to retreat. He was not, however, able to go very far before he was compelled to give the enemy battle. A furious conflict ensued, in which, although it is claimed for the Mahomedans that they killed forty thousand men, still their losses were so considerable that they had to retire. This was effected in good order, the Sultan holding the passes until his army had got through. There seems to be little doubt that on this occasion the Mahomedans suffered a defeat, which, had it not been for the Sultan's personal bravery, would have become a serious disaster. It is stated that it was mainly owing to the disobedience of Daoud Shah, the Sultan's uncle, that the battle was lost. This Prince had neglected to occupy an important post, which, being taken up by the Hindoos, the Mahomedans were compelled to retire. After the battle, the Sultan gave his uncle a sharp reprimand, so severe, indeed, that it rankled in the Prince's bosom, and led eventually to the catastrophe which ended Mujahid's reign. After his retreat from Vijayanagar, the Sultan laid siege to Adoni, but not only was his army greatly reduced in numbers, but it was hampered with an enormous number of prisoners, said to have amounted to between sixty and seventy thousand persons, mostly women. Malek Seyf-ud-din Ghoree who had been left at Gulburga in charge of the Kingdom, now advanced with reinforcements. to his master's assistance. This veteran general soon saw that the capture of Adoni was likely to prove a serious matter. It is described as having had fifteen forts, all communicating. with one another, and to have been of immense strength. The Vizier advised the Sultan to first of all reduce the forts on the north side of the river, and, in consequence of this advice, the Sultan resolved to raise the siege and retreat to his capital, which, however, he was not destined to reach.

After crossing the Tungabadhra, the Sultan, taking advantage of the peace which his Vizier had succeeded in forming with the Vijayanagar Rajah, left his army with a small bodyguard to enjoy the pleasures of the chase. His uncle, Daoud Khan, who was still sore over the public reprimand that had been administered, resolved to take this opportunity to carry out a conspiracy which he had hatched with the son of Mubarik Khan, the betel-bearer, who was burning to avenge the death of his father caused by the wrestling match, narrated in the beginning of the chapter. Before long, an occasion happened. One day the Sultan was amusing himself with fishing, but, being seized with a sudden pain in the eyes, retired to sleep in his tent alone. That night Daoud Khan and his fellow conspirators entered the tent with their daggers drawn. The Sultan's only attendant was an Abyssinian slave, who was rubbing his feet. He at once raised an alarm, but it was too late. Daoud Khan plunged his dagger into the Sultan's stomach, and Musaoud Khan, the son of the betel-bearer, then cut down the slave and gave the finishing stroke to the Sultan. As Mujahid left no children, his uncle, Daoud Shah, became the heir to the throne, and after having made the army swear allegiance to him, he marched upon Gulburga and ascended the throne amidst great pomp and magnificence. This deed of blood soon brought about its own revenge. Sultan Mujahid, who had just been murdered, was the grandson of the aged Vizier Sayf-ud-din Ghoree, whose daughter had been married to Sultan Muhammed. The old man asked to be allowed to resign his office, and he was permitted to retire. The rest of the Royal family appear to have acquiesced in the change of affairs, with one exception, the sister of the murdered Sultan, Rûh Parwar Ageh. This princess was looked upon by the rest of the ladies as the head of the harem, and she did not find it difficult to induce a young man, a favourite of the late Sultan, to avenge his patron's murder. The assassin's name is not mentioned,