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 in which he openly explains all his intrigues without fear of interception. The following passage occurs in that letter:

“When I hear the very name of the Empire of Vijayanagaram, terror seizes my heart. What a great Empire! It is a spear on our side. But as you say, we can never defeat them in a battle. We should pretend friendship. When we think of the name of the Andhra Warriors our hearts sink. Even if all of us should combine we cannot fight with such soldiers, and with such an Empire.”

Both Ali Audil Shaw and Ibrahim Audil Shaw were great patrons of learning and of arts. Audil Shaw received two embassies from Akbar. He was the first king of Bijapur to embellish the city with architectural monuments. Under his orders were built Jumma Masjid, the Houz-i-Shapoor the city wall and the aqueducts which convey water throughout all the streets.

An anecdote with which Feristha opens his account of Ali Audil Shaw shows that he was an open and fearless critic of his own father even in matters of religion about which the father was a bigot.

Ibrahim Kutub Shaw was perhaps the greatest Mussalman king of the Deccan. He was a great patron of learning and was partial to Oriental learning. Two eminent Telugu poets dedicated their works to Ibrahim and one of his nobles. The poets only celebrated the victories of their patrons over Hindus and compared them to the great gods of the Hindu pantheon. Feristha thus summarizes his character (vide p.445 and 446 Vol.111 Calcutta edition).

“It is not related in any history that the army of this Prince was defeated while he commanded in person. In the camp he was attended by learned men, whom he used to consult on points of law; and such was the vigilance of his authority and the excellence of his police administration, that an old woman might pass with a tray of gold on her head from Golconda to Bengal, to Bijapur or to Ahmadnagar without fear of molestation; a circumstance the more to be wondered at, when we consider the dexterity and boldness of the robberers of Telingana. Of the 1’ 960 My Own Thoughts