What was the Impact of Presence of Mughals in Deccan?

A digression is necessary here to take note of an event which is of special importance to the history of the entire Deccan i.e., the advance of the Mughal power to the south. Babar, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India, had no time to divert his attention to the Deccan. All along he was busy with conquests in the north.

His son Humayun was busy with internal rebellions which forced him to vacate the throne for fifteen years. Akbar who succeeded Humayun cast his longing eyes on the Deccan and was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to interfere in its affairs.

The internal dissensions and quarrels among the various claimants to the Nizam Shahi throne brought about the Mughal invasion of the Nizam Shahi dominions. The Nizam Shahi ruler appealed to Ibrahim Qutb Shah and Ibrahim Adil Shah for help to ward off the enemy.

Both the sultans readily responded to the appeal and sent huge contingents of forces. The Mughals had to sign a peace treaty (A.D. 1596) by which Berar was ceded but most of the Nizam Shahi territory remained intact.

But internal dissensions and quarrels prompted the Mughals to undertake another expedition in 1597 which resulted in the complete rout of the allied forces. Finally in 1600 Ahmadnagar was captured. The fall of Ahmadnagar had a very disturbing effect on the politics of the other Deccan Sultanates.

However, when all seemed to be lost, Malik Ambar at the head of the Nizam Shahi Government put up a stout resistance to the Mughals for about three decades. Whenever an appeal for help came, Quli Qutb Shah, true to the traditions of his house, immediately responded as he realized that the existence of his kingdom depended on the continuance of the Nizam Shahis.

It was in 1609 that Quli sent sixteen lakh huns to Ambar who was able to push back the invaders and recover the fort of Ahmadnagar after ten years of Mughal rule. Two years later, Quli breathed his last.