THE FLIGHT OF MALIK ISHAK

Broach, and Diu. In A.D. 1527, while at Cambay, Malik
Ilias, one of the sons of Malik Aiaz, informed him that
his elder brother, Malik Ishak, had been instigated by
certain chiefs in Saurashtra to revolt. He had marched
with a force of five thousand horsemen from Nawanagar
towards Diu, intending to take that island, and after
plundering it to hand it over to the Portugese, who
were in the neighbourhood. The Sultan immediately
gave orders for his army to march to the relief of Diu,
and proceeded to Jasdan and thence to Deoli, a place
near Junagadh, where he learnt that Malik Ishak on
hearing of the advance of the army had fled towards the
Rann of Kachh. Remaining encamped at Deoli, the
Sultan despatched one of his generals, Khan Khanan, to
pursue the offender, and to bring him back alive or dead.
Before the Khan could come up, the Mahomedan
Governor of Morvi, Taghlak Khan, came out to attack
Malik Ishak, but was defeated, and the rebel made good
his escape across the Rann. After waiting for ten days
at Deoli, the Sultan marched to Mangrol, then to Chorwad,
and after that to Diu. He remained about a month in
the neighbourhood of the island, and after placing new
governors both at Diu and Junagadh, he returned home.
In the following year he again visited Diu, but remained
there only a short time.

Later on in the same year, while at Cambay, news
came to him from Diu that a Portugese ship had come
into the harbour, and had been captured by the Governor,
who had imprisoned the crew and seized the cargo. The
Sultan immediately proceeded once more to Diu, where
the prisoners were paraded before him, and allowed to
choose between embracing Mahomedanism or death.
Musalman writers declare the former course was taken
by all, but the Portugese historians deny that any such
conversion to Islam was made. Two years later the
Sultan again visited Diu, there to meet a party of Turks

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