Hussain Nizam Shah III

Thus, he was more than eager to seize and imprison his king, as his father, Malik Ambar, had done before him, to find himself lucky in that Burhan eventually succumbed to insanity.

Eager to avenge himself and to prove his loyalty to the Emperor, he poisoned the incapacitated Burhan Nizam Shah III, who died naturally (February 1632).

The fortress of Daulatabad continued to be under the control of Fath Khan, which boosted Qutb Shah's confidence and hope of resisting the Mughal forces.

[2] He ensured his independence by fortifying the fort of Pemgiri and raised a formidable army, which once again began looting and pillaging the whole area.

[7] Finding a Nizam Shahi scion imprisoned in a fort, he proclaimed him to be the real king of Ahmadnagar and elevated him ceremonially to that position.

This strategy worked; the commandant dismissed Shahaji's forces, and the fort of Galna fell into imperial hands on 7 October 1632[8] According to orders from his father, Mahabat Khan, Khan Zaman set out Deccani forces which had been thwarting the advance of the Mughal and began making siege preparations by digging trenches and laying mines.

Fateh Khan placed the Nizam Shahi ruler, Hussain Shah, at Kalakot, an impenetrable part of Daulatabad Fort.

The Adil Shahis, with Shahaji, made several attempts to breach the Mughal blockade by smuggling provisions into the fort at Daulatabad.

Adil Shahi commander Randaula Khan, along with Shahaji, made repeated attacks to break the Mughal communication lines.

[7][11] Khan Zaman laid siege to the fort with a plan to assemble a storming party at dawn and detonate a mine at first light to breach the defenses.

Utilizing the breached caused by mine, Mughal forces inundated the defence under the direction of Khairat Khan with success and siezed Ambarkot, being the outer periphery of fortifications of citadel.

At this juncture, several members of the Bijapuri garrison, who were given leave by Mahabat Khan, went away from the fort and returned to their homes due to the acute shortage of foodstuff.

Adil Shahi forces, in concert with Shahaji, pursued operations designed to isolate and dislodge the Mughals by reducing Mahakot pressure.

He smuggled into the province stores, rained fire and desolating swords into Berar and had these raids rebuffed at Khan Zaman's hands.

This destroyed one bastion and damaged eighteen yards of fortifications, thereby opening the gates for Mughal forces to invade and capture Mahakot.

[13] Realising the collapse of Mahakot, lack of regular supply arrangements to the fort's garrison, wide prevalence of famine in that area and onset of a dreadful disease within his ranks, Fateh Khan yielded and sent his son Abdul Rasul to tender apologies to Mahabat Khan from himself for what was earlier treacherous activity towards the Mughals.

Shah Jahan forgave the crimes of the unfortunate Fateh Khan, reinstated his jagirs, and granted him an annual allowance of 200,000 rupees for his expenses.