Ismail Adil Shah

Bijapur was also a seat of culture of classical music, and specially of Dhruvapada. Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur was a contemporary to the Emperor Akbar. He devoted the best part of his life to the cause of classical music, in which he took interest from his early age.

Isamail Adil Shah (1510 - 1534) was the king of Bijapur who spent most of his time extending his territory. His short lived reign helped the dynasty establish a strong hold in the Deccan.

Early years
Ismail Adil Shah succeeded his father Yousef Adil Shah as the king of Bijapur as a minor. The affairs of the state were managed by the minister Kamal Khan. During this phase Kamal Khan imprisoned the young King and tried a coup. Punji Khatun the mother (Wife of Yousef Adil Shah) of Ismail hatched a counter plot and the Kamal Khan was stabbed to death in the royal palace.

After the death of Kamal Khan, his Ismail Khan laid siege to the place in order to arrest Punji Khatun and Ismail Adil Shah. However Ismail Khan was killed in the fight on the gates to the palace. Ismail started to manage the affairs of the state with th help of his mother. Ismail was follower of Shiah faith and declared it to be the faith of the state.

Conquest of Bidar

He invaded Kasim-Barid of Bidar. Later Kasmim Barid with the Muslim Kings of Ahmed Nagar, Golconda and Berar invaded Bijapur, however Ismail Adil Shah was able to defend himself and his territory. In this battle Mahumd Shah of Bidar and his son Ahmed were taken as prisoners.

Bibi Sali, the sister of Ismail Adil Shah was married to Ahmed Shah of Ahmednagar and thus the hostilities were converted to friendship.

Ismail ruled peacefully only before waging a war against Nizamshah of Ahmednagar, who did not aid Ashad Khan during his conquest against Timraj of Vijayanagar. Nizamshah was unhappy because he was promised the fort of Sholapur as dowry when he married Ismail's sister Mariam, which was never handed over. Nizamshah later tried to take Solapur by force. However he had to taste failure when Ismail marched and captured forty elephants.

Establishing the Dynasty
For some reason Ismail Adil Shah invaded Bidar, while Kutubshah was coming to help Amir Birad, Ismail sent his trusted General Asad Kahan to obstruct Kutubshah, which he did successfully and later captured Amir Birad when he was drunk. As a treaty Amir Birad agreed to give Umnabad and Bidar. He entered the fort of Bidar with pomp and seated himself on the throne, the same throne under which his father Yousef Adil Shah had served. After a while Amir Birad regained the favour of Ismail Adil Shah and got back the fort.

Ismail Adil Shah seldom faced defeat and his army with the artillery was a force to reckon with.

Final Days
During his campaign against Golconda he fell ill and died in 1534 A.D. He was buried at the Gogi village. A palace and a mosque are ascribed to him. After his death his son Mallu, the eldest son was crowned. However he was deposed with the efforts of his grandmother Punji Khatoon and the General Asad Khan who was also Governor of Belgum. His younger brother Ibrahim Adil Shah as declared as the king.

Detailed Account

Ismail, son of Yousef Adil Shah , was still a minor. Punji Khatoon widow of Yousef Adil Shah took charge of the affairs. She wore in male attire valiantly defended him from a coup to grab the throne.

Ismail Adil Shah thus became the king of Bijapur. His minor son Ismail Adil Shah ascended the throne and Kamal khan began to look to the affairs of the State. Then there was a move on the part of some scheming courtiers at Bijapur and also at Ahmednagar to remove the existing ruling Kings from their thrones with the view of usurping the throne. Amir Barid succeeded in imprisoning his master Nizamshaha at Ahmed Nagar. Here at Bijapur, Kamalkhan imprisoned the young Ismail and his mother Punji Khatoon, and marched towards Sholapur (present day a city in mahrashtra 60 KM from Bijapur) with a great army.

The fort of Sholapur fell into the hands of Kamalkhan for want of timely aid from Ahmednagar and Kamalkhan returned victorious to Bijapur. He held a grand Durbar in the name of young Ismail, but all the while was planning to kill or dethrone the Emperor. He dismissed the bodyguard of the Emperor which was five thousand strong. He demobilized peremptorily the whole of the foreign army in the Bijapur service. But the hands of the slave engaged by Ismail’s mother Punji Khatoon murdered Kamalkhan. Thus Kamalkhan's plan was nipped in the bud. Kamalkhan's people, however, continued their efforts to murder the Emperor in the palace, while outside the citadel skirmishes were going on between the military partisans of the Emperor and Kamalkhan's Deccanees. Kamalkhan's party was eventually defeated and had to run away from the field of action.

After these events, Ismail became the de facto Emperor and conferred honours on all the followers who had helped him. Amir Barid, the Minister of the Nizamshahas, combined with the other Muslim dynasties in the Deccan and marched against Bijapur in Hijari 920 (A.D. 1514•) Ismail, though young, allowed the enemies' forces to come as far as Bijapur without any hindrance. Then he marched against them with a select cavalry of 12,000. The enemy was completely defeated. It is remarkable that the Bijapur forces during this battle consisted only of foreigners, because Kheloji was since the rebellion of Kamalkhan, the Emperor had made it a point not to employ the Deccanee or the Sidhi (African Origin Forces) forces. It was in this battle with Amir Barid that Kheloji Ghorpada lost his life.The Emperor showed his feeling of obligation to those that helped him and so Mahaloji, the son of Kheloji, was installed in the place of his brave father.

In the year A.D. I52o (H. 927), the Emperor marched against Vijayanagar. While the Bijapur army was camping on one side of the Krishna river, the Emperor with a few followers was found on the other bank of the river and surprised by a sudden attack of a large number of the enemy's forces. The men in attendance fought to the last, but they could not hold their own before the large number of the enemy. There was no chance of any succour from behind. In this jeopardy, the Emperor retreated with a few men, while the others facing and fighting the enemies covered his retreat. The Emperor's elephant passed safely to the other side of the river. It was during this fight that Mahaloji's bravery was manifested. As a mark of favour Mahaloji was much honoured by the Emperor after his safe return from the fight. The Emperor showed his readiness to give whatever was asked for by Mahaloji; and he in return humbly requested the Emperor to keep unadulterated the affection and favour towards the family of Ghorpadas

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Mumlekathe Tareekh Bijapur