# Ismail Nizam Shah

Ismail Nizam Shah was the 6th sultan of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. His reigned barely two years before being imprisoned and killed in 1591 by Burhan Nizam Shah II, who succeeded him.

## Accession

Mir Tahir returns to Lohgarh, taking two princes along, namely Ismail and Ibrahim. Some four or five days later, Mirza Khan sends a summons to Qasim Beg, Mirza Muhammad Taqi Naziri, Mirza Sadiq, Mir Azizuddin Astrabadi and other foreign nobles, not having told them of what was transacted in the fort. All these being considered, the lot was mutually cast upon Ismail. On Monday, 1 April 1589, Ismail Nizam Shah was formally proclaimed king with the usual rites. The Sayyids, Qazis, and scholars were immediately ordered to present themselves at court to pay their homage to the newly anointed monarch. But in the midst of the ceremony in the durbar hall, the commotion of a great tumult at the gate of the fort interrupted the proceedings.

## Mughal Encroachment

The refugee Burhan Nizam II became a convenient instrument for advancing the ambitious plans of the Mughal Emperor. He was summoned from his jagir at Bangash and provided with the support of an army to assert his legitimate claim to the throne of Ahmadnagar, which was currently occupied by his son. When the Mughal Emperor was made to realise the follies of allowing a foreign army to accompany him—which might more likely cause his people to become hostile rather than favorable—he permitted the man to journey on alone and try his fortune in the Deccan. On the eve of his departure Burhan promised that, if successful in his undertaking, he would acknowledge the suzerainty of the Mughal Emperor. In return, the Emperor gave him Hindia as a jagir and directed Raja Ali Khan, the ruler of Khandesh, and Mirza Aziz Koka, the governor of Malwa, to provide him with the necessary support. Burhan II from Hindia wrote letters to the nobles of the Nizam Shahi kingdom filled with promising words to seek support for his cause. Some acted quickly in arriving at Berar through Gondwana. They were joined by Jahangir Khan and other nobles there. Jamal Khan sent Azmat-ul-Mulk along with other commanders there, asking them to prevent Salabat Khan from deserting. Salabat Khan resisted all the offers Burhan made to him.
Burhan entered Berar, but to his surprise, Jahangir Khan turned against him and attacked. In the fight, a Mughal commander, Chaghtai Khan, was killed. Burhan was defeated and ran to Hindia, where he took shelter with Raja Ali Khan. A few days later, Jamal Khan invited Burhan to come alone to Ahmadnagar, but Burhan refused the invitation.

## Burhan's bid for throne

Burhan now attempted to recapture the throne of Nizam Shahi. He was given a good-sized force of Nizam Shahi soldiers this time and supported by Ibrahim Adil Shah and Raja Ali Khan. Ibrahim Adil Shah came from Bumpur towards Ahmadnagar while Raja Ali Khan joined hands with Burhan II at Burhanpur, together marching into Berar. Khan, therefore, forthwith put in the field his army consisting of 10,000 Mahdavi troops. He directed Sayyid Amjad-ul-Mulk of Berar to encounter Raja Ali Khan and Burhan at the northern frontier. Khan personally led the march forward against the Bijapuri army so that it could not unite with the enemy. Khan engaged the Bijapuris at the village of Kari-Nacri.
Upon receiving a report that Burhan had entered Berar and that the key nobles of the province, on whom he had depended, had submitted to Burhan, Jamal Khan chose to suppress the news to maintain the morale of his troops. To this end, he ordered the drums to be beaten, announcing Burhan's defeat. That very night, Abhang Khan, an African noble, along with other Nizam Shahi nobles, defected to the Adil Shahi camp and subsequently joined Burhan's forces in Berar. Despite the loss of manpower caused by these defections, Jamal Khan remained resolute and launched an attack on the Adil Shahi army the following day.

## Conflict with Adil Shahi
### Jamal Khan's invasion of Bijapur

Leaving Ibrahim Adil Shah II behind in the camp, Dilawar Khan advanced forward and confronted Jamal Khan. Before they could actually engage in battle, Bahadur Khan Gilani and other foreign allies deserted Jamal Khan, joined Dilawar Khan, and began attacking him. In the fierce fighting, Jamal Khan's forces were routed and he was beaten back. Dilawar Khan emerged victorious, gathered the spoils of war, and remained where he was.
Jamal Khan, however was able to re-collect his dispersed forces and, at an appropriate moment, carried out a surprise counterattack against Dilawar Khan. This unanticipated attack severely panned out for Dilawar Khan's forces, whose downfall finally became inevitable. Dilawar Khan narrowly escaped, while his forces withdrew to Naldurg. Tents, rations and baggage were all abandoned in this retreat, which were all collected by Jamal Khan.

### Battle of Rohankhed (1591 A.D)

Jamal Khan, with a newfound confidence by the recent success, marched north to Berar to face Burhan II. Ibrahim Adil Shah II sent his entire bargi cavalry consisting of 90,000 men under Dilawar Khan to cut Jamal Khan's supply lines. Jamal Khan, despite a massive desertion by his men, pushed ahead with his Mahdavi and reached Rohankhed quickly. He arrived to find the mountain pass blocked by the combined forces of the Adil Shahi and Burhan II, so his army was surrounded.
The intense heat and lack of water made the situation unbearable within Jamal Khan's ranks, so movement in any direction was impossible. Stranded and overwhelmed, Jamal Khan was attacked, defeated, and killed by a musket shot. His leaderless army dispersed and ran away.

## Capture and imprisonment

Dastur Khan, the castrated boy guardian of young King Ismail, deserted the battlefield and attempted to escape with the boy. The enemy overtook Dastur Khan as he left the young king, Ismail, in a village. The boy was twelve years old when taken before his father, Burhan II. In a most unexpected gesture, Burhan II kissed the boy on the forehead and forgave him. He was imprisoned in the fort of Bhakkar. His reign was unstable and lasted only two years.