On the death of Mohammed Adil Shah on 4th November, 1657, Ali Adil Shah II, a youth of eighteen, succeeded to the throne through the efforts of the Prime Minister Khan Muhammad and the Queen , Badi Sahiba, sister of Qutb Shah of Golkonda. Shah Jahan the Mugal Empror sent a huge army under the command of his son Aurangzeb to attack, Bijapur. During these times Bijapur was paying tax to the Mughal and Shahjahan considered Bijapur to be under his superemacy. Since Muhammad Adil Shah was issueless, Ali Adil Shah II was crowned the King, which was un acceptable to Shahjahan. In 1067 Hijri Aurangzeb captured the Fort of Bidar and Kalyani and also attacked Bijapur. But Aurangzeb had to make peace with Ali Adil Shah II and return to Delhi since ShahJahan was on death bed. Mean while Shivaji son of Shahji commander of Bijapur gaining power agaisnt Bijapur and became strong in Marathwada. Hence Afzal Khan was sent to finish off Shivaji and his grwoing powers in the region. Shivaji killed Afzal Khan through diception. Ali Adil Shah II later made a peace treaty with Shivaji and also with Mugals,By giving the Sholapur fort.

Ali Adil Shah II would give an annual amount of three lakh huns as per the peace treaty to Shivaji. Ali Adil Shah II had an extremely Bohemian life style, which led to his ill health at early age. He was paralized at a very young age. He died at the age of 35 years, in 1063 Hijri. His rule lasted for 16 years.

His accession signaled disasters to the Kingdom and his reign marked the first phase of the decline of the mighty Bijapur Kingdom.

Shah Jahan, anxious to annex Bijapur to his empire, found a pretext in the legitimacy of Alis parents. On Aurangzeb’s plea, Shah Jahan sanctioned the invasion of Bijapur and gave him a free hand to deal with the situation. This sanction of such a war was wholly unrighteous. Bijapur was not a vassal state of the Mughals; but an independent and equal ally of the Mughal Emperor, and the latter had no lawful right to confirm or question the succession at Bijapur. However, Aurangzeb, had to raise the siege and rush to the north for the war of succession to the Mughal throne.

With Muhammad’s death and Ali’s accession disorder had began in the Karnataka. The Nayaks tried to recover their former lands. (Bangalore the Capital of Karnataka was Bijapur’s administrative headquarter for controlling these feudatories by Kempegouda). On the other hand Shivaji increased the momentum of acquiring more and more Bijapur territory and carved an independent Maratha state, while his diplomacy prevented any Mughal Bijapur coalition against him.

At the court things were even worse. With the coming of a young and weak ruler, the party factions and struggle for supremacy was at its zenith. To aggravate the evil, Aurangzeb intrigued with Bijapur nobles and succeeded in winning over most of them.

Throughout his reign of sixteen years, Ali struggled desperately both against the Mughals and the Marathas. He thrice repulsed Mughal invasions. But when he died in 1672 the mighty and glorious Bijapur of Muhammad’s time was deprived of most of its important territorial possessions. With the expansion of Shivaji’s kingdom there was a corresponding shrinkage in the Bijapur territory.

Ali’s reign is marked by developments in Persian and Deccani literature and fine arts, and some good works of history were also produced under his patronage. He was buried in the world famous Bara Kaman an incomplete monumnet in Bijapur.

He laid the foundation of Hussain Mahal , Ali Mahal and a Mosque. He started the constructed Bara Kaman, which was not completed due to his sudden early death.

References
Wakiyate Mamlakate Bijapur by Basheeruddin Dehelvi.
Tareekhe Farishta by Kasim Farishta
External Relation of Bijapur Adil Shahis.

r