Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/89

 the amirs of Malwa and Gujarat to march against Muhammad, and promised, with the aid of Bukka of Vijayanagar, to invade the Bahman dominions simultaneously from the south and south-east, and to submit himself to the emperor and pay tribute regularly as a vassal of Delhi. Firuz Shah, however, was not disposed to meddle with the affairs of the Deccan, and Muhammad Shah, hearing of the letter to Delhi, resolved to crush the Raja of Warangal. He sent orders to his cousin, Khan Muhammad, governor of Daulatabad, to assemble his troops in the hills above Daulatabad and to protect the northern provinces against invasion from the north or north-east, and summoned Saffdar Khan Sistani from Berar and Azam-i-Humayun from Bidar, with the troops of those provinces, to the capital. The minister was again appointed lieutenant of the kingdom and Muhammad Shah marched to Kaulas, which he made his base. Azam-i-Humayun was sent against Golconda and Saffdar Khan against Warangal, while the Sultan and Bahadur Khan, with the army of Gulbarga followed the two columns, ready to support either.

The Raja of Warangal was now reduced to serious straits. For some reason which is not clear he was disappointed of help from Vijayanagar. Firishta says that the Raya of Vijayanagar, that is to say Bukka I, died at this time and was succeeded by his nephew and that the empire of the Peninsula was consequently unprepared to take the field, but according to Mr. Sewell, Bukka I did not die until 1379. Mr. Sewell adds, however, on the authority of inscriptions, that Kampa seems to have reigned in Vijayanagar from 1343 to 1379 and that he was succeeded by his son Sangama, who was reigning in 1356. It would appear, therefore, that the throne of Vijayanagar was in dispute, and that neither claimant was in a position to undertake a campaign beyond the frontier. The Raja of Warangal fled from his capital and took refuge in the jungles, at the same time sending many of his most trusty and able courtiers to Bahadur Khan to entreat him to use his influence to dissuade the Sultan from proceeding to extremities. The entreaties of these envoys were fruitless, and the Muhammadan armies devastated Telingana. The wretched raja then sent his younger son with a deputation of nobles to Muhammad Shah's camp, professing his entire submission to the Bahmani king and beseeching forgiveness for the contumacy of which he had been guilty. He basely urged that the guilt was