instructions to behave gently to him. When his
Vanguard was being sent to Burhanpur, Aurangzib
urged Qutb Shah thus; "Now is the time for you
to show your friendship and exert yourself that
nothing unfriendly may be done." A little later,
when Aurangzib himself marched northwards to
contest the throne, he sent a most conciliatory
letter to Qutb Shah, urging him to guard the frontiers of Mughal Karnatak from mischievous persons and not to encroach on the Imperial territory.[1]
Aurangzib also sent friendly epistles and presents to the Queen Mother of His dealings with Bijapurf Bijapur, urging her to expedite the payment of the indemnity, and next despatched a secret oral message to her. Just before marching to Burhanpur he wrote again to her: "I hope the Deccani sultans will remain quiet (during my absence) and you will keep your promise (about sending the indemnity money), so that I may reward you when I have become Emperor."[2]
We have seen how as early as October Aurangzib had proposed to Mir Jumla a friendly settlement with Bijapur by abandoning all claims to the territory and indemnity promised by that
