Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/434

 BIJAPUR.

424

people readily acknowledged his claim.

Yusaf reigned with great dominions westward to the sea-coast, took Goa from the Portuguese. His resources must have been considerable, as he built the vast citadel of Bijapur. He died in 1510, and was succeeded by his son Ismail, who died in 1534, after a brilliant and prosperous reign. Mulu Adi'l Shah having been deposed and blinded, after an inglorious reign of only six months, made way prosperity, and, extending his

younger brother Ibrahim, a profligate man, who died in was succeeded by his son Ali Adfl Shih, who constructed the wall of Bijapur, the Jama Masjid, or great mosque, the aqueducts and other works. This ruler joined the kings of Ahmadnagar and Golconda against Raja Ram, the Hindu sovereign of Vijayanagar, and, with the exception of the Emperor of Delhi, was the greatest potentate in India. Raja Ram was defeated in 1564 in a great battle at Talikot on the river Dhon^ and, being made prisoner, was put to death for

his

He

1557.

in cold blood,

and

his capital taken

and sacked.

Ali Adil

Shah died

in 1579.

The throne then passed to his nephew, Ibrdhi'm Adfl ii., an infant, affairs were managed by Chand Bi'bi, widow of the late king, a

whose

woman

On

celebrated for her talents and energy.

Ibrahim assuming

the government, he ruled with ability; and, dying in 1626, after a reign of forty-seven years, was succeeded by Muhammad Adil Shah, under

whose reign

Sivaji,

the founder of the Maratha power, rose into notice.

Shahji, the father of Sivaji,

King of Bijapur



and the

had been an

first

officer in the service of the

aggressions of Sivaji were

made

at the

expense of that State, from which, in the interval between 1646 and Soon afterwards he took possession of 1648, he wrested several forts. the greater part of the Konkan.

Muhammad,

however, had a more

formidable enemy in the IVIughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, whose son and

and was on the point he was drawn by intelligence of court intrigues, which he feared might end in his own destruction. After his departure, the power of Sivaji rapidly general, Aurangzeb, besieged the city of Bijapur,

of taking

it,

increased,

when he

and

Muhammad

precipitately

that of the

marched

to Agra, whither

King of Bijapur proportionately

died in 1660, and was succeeded by Ali Adil

his decease in 1672, left the

kingdom, then

fast

declined.

ii.,

who, on

descending to ruin, to

his infant son, Sikandar Adil Shah, the last of the race

who occupied

the throne.

In 1686, Aurangzeb took Bijapur, and put an end to its existence Its vast and wonderful ruins passed, with

as an independent State.

Marathas during the decline of the Peshwa, in 1818, they came into the hands of the British Government, and were included within the territory assigned to the Raja of Satara, who manifested the adjoining territory, to

Delhi empire.

On

the

the

overthrow of the