Malik Ayyaz and Amir Husayn faced incompatible personal and political risks before the Portuguese arrived. Ayyaz protected Portuguese prisoners and kept them well treated because returning them could win clemency for Diu. Husayn, by contrast, had wanted grisly proof of victory at Chaul and could not return to Egypt in disgrace without risking execution. He needed reinforcements yet distrusted the local host who prioritized his own city's survival. Their conflicting incentives explain why the defenders reached battle with no unified strategic purpose.
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Malik Ayyaz chooses Diu's survival
As the Portuguese approached, Malik Ayyaz prioritized preserving Diu over full commitment to Amir Husayn's wider coalition strategy.