Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/92

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urged the necessity of withdrawing from the cramped position before the fortress and meeting the Hindus in the open plain, but the Khaja-i-Jahan opposed any change of position on the ground that the enemy would certainly attribute it to fear, and would pursue the army as it withdrew, and Nizam-ul-Mulk was forced, against his own better judgment, to acquiesce in his colleague's view. What he had foreseen happened. The allied Hindu army attacked the Musalmans in a position in which the cavalry of the latter could not act and completely routed them. The two generals, with the remnant of the army, fled to Warangal closely pursued by the Hindus. The Khaja-i-Jahan was the first to find his way to the presence of the tyrant Humayun, and when asked what had been the cause of the defeat, basely lied, and said that it had been due to the insistence of Nizam-ul-Mulk on awaiting the enemy in a bad position. Humayun soundly rated the Khaja and then, as his custom was, issued immediate orders that Nizam-ul-Mulk should be put to death without allowing him an opportunity of explaining matters. Whether Nizam-ul-Mulk actually suffered death or whether he succeeded in escaping, as his followers did, to the court of Mahmud Shah Khalji of Malwa is not quite certain, but it is probable that he was executed. The Khaja-i-Jahan was tortured and imprisoned. Humayun Shah was preparing to send a second army against Devarkonda when in April, 1460, he received information of a rebellion in the capital and returned to Bidar in haste, leaving Mahmud Gawan to settle affairs in Tehngana. In September 1461, Humayun Shah died and was succeeded by his son Nizam Shah, a boy of eight. Khaja-i-Jahan the Turk was appointed governor of Telingana and the country appeared to be settled, but evil days were in store for the Bahmani kingdom. The raja of Urisa, elated by his victory at Devarkonda, summoned to his aid the zamindars of Telingana, now thoroughly disaffected and in noway cowed by the presence of a Muhammadan army in their midst, and invaded the Bahmani kingdom, laying waste the country as far as Kaulas. The young king's mother, with the help of the Khaja-i-Jahan and Mahmud Gawan, assembled an army of 40,000 horse at the capital and marched to meet the invaders, who had advanced to within twenty miles of Bidar. The raja of Urisa was utterly defeated and his army was pursued so vigorously that had he not purchased safety by a heavy indemnity the