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214 to retain his hold over Mir Jumla's family, still refused to deliver their property to them. Aurangzib accordingly pressed on, and, as he neared Haidarabad, Abdullah fled to Golconda with his ladies, leaving five or six thousand horse and twelve thousand foot to defend the capital, whence he had been unable to remove the valuable furniture of his palace. The next morning he sent an envoy, Muhammad Nasir, to Aurangzib with a box of jewels, in the hope that this offering would induce the invader to retire, but before Muhammad Nasir could reach Aurangzib, the Mughal troops had encountered the force left in Haidarabad by Abdullah, had compelled it to flee for refuge to Golconda, and had plundered the city of Haidarabad. Hakim Nizam-ud-din was then sent by Abdullah to Aurangzib with two chests of jewels, two elephants with trappings of silver, and four horses with trappings of gold. These were shortly followed by eleven elephants, sixty horses, and the rest of Muhammad Amin's property, but Aurangzib had not come to Haidarabad with the sole object of recovering his new servant's property, and he now advanced to Golconda and, after examining the fortifications, opened a regular siege. Some fighting took place in which Abdullahl3 troops were worsted and the siege was pressed on more vigorously. Abdullah now became seriously alarmed, and sent his mother, Hayat Bakhsh Begam, to intercede with Aurangzib. The royal lady fell at the prince's feet and covered them with her hair, besought him to pardon the offences of her son, offered him a crore of rupees as an indemnity, and also promised Abdullah Qutb Shah's second daughter in marriage to Muhammad Sultan, Aurangzib's eldest son, who was in his father's camp. Peace was now concluded on these conditions, coupled with the proviso that Muhammad Sultan, who was married at once to Abdullah's daughter, should be formally recognized as heir to the kingdom of Golconda, and Aurangzib left for Bijapur, capturing on his way the fortresses of Kaliani and Bidar. The Deccan was now unexpectedly reUeved of the disturbing presence of Aurangzib, who hastened back to Hindustan on receiving the news of the emperor's illness in order that he might take his part in the contest for the throne. The temporary respite afforded by Aurangzib's return to Hindustan did not deceive Abdullah Qutb Shah, who perceived that his dynasty was tottering to its fall and that when