Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/93

 Musalmans would certainly have made good their boast that not one Hindu should reach his home alive. But the Hindus had scarcely been driven from the kingdom when Mahmud Shah Khalji of Malwa invaded it. The details of this campaign need not be related. It is sufficient to say that Mahmud Shah, before he was driven back to his own country, captured the city of Bidar and that the raja of Urisa and the chiefs of Tehngana again rose against Nizam Shah and were with difficulty held at bay by the local Muhammadan forces while the armies of the other provinces of the Bahmani kingdom dealt with the Sultan of Malwa.

After this outburst Telingana and Urisa gave no trouble to the Bahmani kings until the following reign, when the raja of Urisa died in 1 47 1, leaving a nephew named Hambar and a supposititious son Mangal Raya, who ascended the throne. Hambar appealed for aid to Muhammad Shah Bahmani III, who responded to the call by despatching Malik Hasan Bahri, on whom the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk was at the same time conferred, to eastern Tehngana, where he captured Rajamahendri and Kondavir and sent Hambar back to Urisa.

The reign of Muhammad III was a series of campaigns. In 1477 the inhabitants of Kondavir rose against their t3Tannical Muhammadan governor, slew him, and raised the standard of revolt, calling upon Hambar the Uriya and the raja of Urisa for help. The appeal was answered and Hambar with a thousand horse and seven or eight thousand foot invaded Telingana and marched on Rajamahendri, of which place Nizam-ul-Mulk was governor. The governor was not strong enough to meet the enemy in the field and prepared to stand a siege in Rajamahendri, at the same time sending to the capital letters explaining his position. Muhammad Shah at once set out for Telingana and the Hindus were demoralised by the news of his approach. Hambar took refuge in Kondavir, where he was besieged, and the raja of Urisa retired across the river and encamped on its northern bank after seizing all the boats that could be found. The king joined forces with Nizam-ul-Mulk at Rajamahendri, but before they could cross the river to attack the Hindus the latter retreated northwards to Urisa. Muhammad Shah then left his son with Mahmud Gawan to hold Rajamahendri and in 1478 invaded Urisa with 20,000 horse, slaying the inhabitants and laying waste