Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/91

 Hindu armies encamped on the south bank and harassed his army. At the end of the forty days Ahmad Shah resolved to cross the river, and the Raja of Warangal, on hearing of his intention, deserted his ally and fled with his army to Warangal. Devaraya II was ultimately defeated and compelled to pay tribute and Ahmad Shah then prepared to punish the Raja of Warangal for having entered into an alliance with Vijayanagar, and, late in 1424, marched on Golconda. Having reached that fortress he sent the Khan-i-Azam with a force against Warangal and, after halting for a month and twenty days at Golconda, followed him with the main body of the army. Before he could reach Warangal he heard that the Khan-i-Azam had captured the place. The raja, who had heard of the approach of Ahmad Shah, hastened to deal with the advanced guard of the Musalmans before their main body arrived, and attacked the Khan-i-Azam. He was defeated and slain, with seven thousand Tailanga horsemen, and Warangal, with all the treasure which the rajas of Warangal had with so much difficulty concealed from the invading hosts of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, fell into the hands of the Khan-i-Azam. Ahmad Shah bountifully rewarded his successful general and halted at Warangal while the Khan-i-Azam reduced the other fortresses of Telingana, a task which occupied him for four months, at the end of which time, having garrisoned the forts so captured, he rejoined his master in Warangal and received further rewards. Ahmad Shah then returned to Gulbarga, leaving the Khan-i-Azam in Warangal with instructions to extirpate all members of the raja's family. Thus eastern Telingana came, for the first time, directly under the sway of the Musalmans.

In 1459 Humayun Shah Bahmani set out to punish the zamindar of Devarkonda, who had assisted the rebel Sikandar Khan, and marched to Warangal, which he made his headquarters. Khaja-i-Jahan the Turk and Nizam-ul-Mulk Ghori were sent against Devarkonda and, after defeating the Hindus in the field, besieged them in the fortress. The defenders were hard pressed and sent to the Raja of Urisa for assistance. He sent to their aid a large force with several elephants and assured them that he would soon arrive on the scene in person. The Hindus were much encouraged by the news, and Nizam-ul-Mulk and Khaja-i-Jahan took counsel together as to what they should do. Nizam-ul-Mulk