Hoomayoon is favourably received at the court of Persia — is supplied with an army to recover his dominions — takes Kho-rasan.— Overtures for a reconciliation with Kamran at Kabul rejected. — Kandahar defended by Askurry, but is taken. — Askurry is pardoned. — Kandahar made over to Beiram Khan Toorkoman. — Hoomayoon is joined by his brother Hindal, and by his cousin Yadgar Mirza — besieges Kabul. — Kam-ran evacuates Kabul, and flies. — Yadgar Mirza suffers death. — Hoomayoon proceeds to take Budukhshan. — Kabul re­occupied by Kamran — retaken by Hoomayoon. — Kamran takes the field, and is defeated by Hoomayoon. — The brothers are reconciled. — Hoomayoon is expelled from Budukhshan and Bulkh by the Oozbuks. — Kamran and Askurry go into rebellion — they are defeated. — Kamran flies to India — is seized by the Gukkurs in Punjab, and delivered over to Hoo-mayoon — is deprived of sight, and retires to Mecca. — Hoo-mayoon invades India — his general, Beiram Khan Toorko-man, defeats Sikundur Shah Soor, and advances to Dehly. — A second battle, in which Sikundur Shah is defeated, and flies to Bengal. — Hoomayoon in full possession of the kingdom of Dehly — falls from the terrace of his palace, and is killed.

WE have already seen that Hoomayoon, having arrived at Kuzween in Persia, deputed Ameer Beiram Khan to the Persian court at Ispahan. That chieftain, accordingly, having waited on Shah Tamasp at the palace of Nilak, between the cities of Abhur and Sooltania, received an answer in­dicating the King's wish to have an interview with Hoomayoon. The royal fugitive accepted the in-

Jumad-ool-
Awul,
A. H. 951.
A. D. 454.

vitation with joy, and in the month of Jumad-ool-Awul, in the year 951, he was honourably received by Shah Ta-masp, the son of Shah Ismael Sufvy, and was entertained with becoming dignity.

Shah Tamasp one day in conversation asked Hoomayoon by what means his weak enemy became so powerful? Hoomayoon replied, “By “the enmity of my brothers.” The Persian monarch then told him, “Your manner of treating “brothers is not such as they ought to experience.” This conversation occurred one day while the Kings were at dinner, and as soon as they had finished, the Prince Beiram Mirza, brother to Shah Tamasp, approached the latter with a basin and ewer for him to wash his hands. This ceremony being over, he turned to Hoomayoon, and resum­ing the discourse said, “This is the way you “ought to have treated your brothers.” Hooma-yoon, out of compliment to the King, immediately assented, which so much offended the Prince Beiram Mirza, that he never forgave him while he resided at court: on the contrary, he took every opportunity to calumniate Hoomayoon, and fre­quently hinted that it was by no means the interest of Persia that a prince of the house of Teimoor should sit on the Indian throne. This opinion Beiram Mirza inculcated into all who had the

A. H. 952.
A. D. 1545.

King's ear, and it is believed by this means the prospects of Hoomayoon were so much injured, that he was at one time apprehen­sive of his life or of suffering imprisonment.

Meanwhile Sooltana Begum, the King's sister, and Kazy Jehan Kuzveeny, as also Noor-ood-Deen Hukeem, one of the King's privy counsellors, taking compassion on Hoomayoon's situation, united to effect a reconciliation, and to reinstate him in the favour of Shah Tamasp. The wit of the Sooltana was exerted on this occasion, who having presented the King with a copy of verses of her own composing, introduced the name of Hoo-mayoon, and extolled his devotion to Ally. Shah Tamasp, who was a zealous Sheea, a sect which differs from the Soonnies, in whose tenets Hoo-mayoon had been brought up, conceiving hopes of converting his guest, told his sister at the time, that if Hoomayoon could be brought to embrace and to enforce the Sheea doctrines in India, he would assist him to recover his empire. The Sooltana having acquainted Hoomayoon with these particulars, he assented, observing, “That “he had always privately been well disposed to the “Sheeas, out of which had partly originated the “animosity of his brothers.”

Shah Tamasp, soon after, in a private confer­ence with Ameer Beiram Khan Toorkoman, en­quired particularly as to the political condition of Hindoostan, and promised that his son Moorad Mirza (then an infant), with his general Boodagh Khan Kajar, should accompany Hoomayoon with ten thousand horse to attack and expel his brothers out of Kabul, Kandahar, and Budukhshan. Orders having been given for the requisite preparations, Hoomayoon took leave of Shah Tamasp. In the meanwhile, Hoomayoon requested to be allowed to make a tour through Tubreez and Ardbeel, to visit the tomb of Sheikh Suffy previously to proceeding on his expedition. To this the King assented, and gave orders to all governors through whose territories Hoomayoon passed to supply him with all necessaries, and to treat him in a manner becoming his rank. Hoomayoon, having performed this journey, joined the young Prince Moorad Mirza, with whom he proceeded towards Kandahar. Having, in the first instance, reduced the fort of Gurmseer, * he caused the khootba to be read in his own name. Askurry Mirza, who governed the province for the Prince Kamran Mirza, on hearing of the approach of Hoo-mayoon, sent the young Prince Akbur to his uncle at Kabul, and prepared the fort of Kandahar to stand a siege.

Mohurrum 7.
A. H. 952.
March 21.
A. D. 1545. Hoomayoon invested Kandahar on the 7th of Mohurrum, in the year 952. The siege lasted for six months, when he deputed Beiram Khan Toorkoman to wait on Kamran Mirza, then at Kabul. The Hazaras attacked Beiram Khan on the road; but they were defeated, and that chief obtaining an audience of Kamran, de­manded the cession of Kandahar and its dependen­cies, at the same time requiring an unqualified resignation of all the provinces which he had usurped. Kamran refused to acknowledge the supremacy of Hoomayoon, and his messenger re­turned without effecting his object.

The Persian troops with Hoomayoon now began to evince great impatience at the length of the siege of Kandahar, and to show discontent at being com­manded by Moguls. These circumstances might have injured Hoomayoon seriously, had he not been joined at this time by several of his old officers, such as Mahomed Sooltan Mirza, Alugh Mirza, Kasim Hoossein Sooltan, Mirza Meeruk, Sheer Afkun Beg, Fuzeel Beg, and others, who, having quarrelled with Kamran Mirza, left his service. This opportune assistance did not come alone, for a part of the garrison of Kandahar at the same time also deserted, and joined him. These circumstances revived the spirits of Hoomayoon's army in proportion as they depressed those of the besieged, so that Askurry Mirza proposed to capi­tulate. Honourable terms were granted, the place surrendered, and Askurry Mirzy received pardon for his former defection.

The fort of Kandahar, according to stipulation, was delivered over to the infant Persian prince Moorad Mirza, who, as the winter had set in, together with his generals, Boodagh Khan Afshar, Abool Futteh Sooltan Afshar, Soofy Wully, and Ahmud Sooltan Shamloo, took up their quarters in the fort, but refused admittance to the Mogul troops. This conduct created so much jealousy, that several of Hoomayoon's officers deserted him, and went to Kabul: among others, was Askurry Mirza, who, being suspected of dis­affection, was pursued and brought back pri­soner.

Hoomayoon, finding a state of inaction unpro­pitious to his affairs, marched towards Kabul; but hearing on the road of the death of the Persian prince Moorad Mirza at Kandahar, he returned, in order to obtain possession of the fort, as a place of security till he should make further con­quest. The Persian generals refused to cede it, but Hoomayoon resolved if possible to secure it, and urged Beiram Khan Toorkoman, Alugh Mir­za, and Hajy Mahomed to contrive some project for effecting this object. Hajy Mahomed Khan, and a few enterprising men, disguised like camel-drivers, having gained admission into the fort among some camels which were supplying it with provisions, fell upon the guards at the gates, and overpowered them, while Beiram Khan and Alugh Mirza rushing in at the same time, with a chosen body of horse, secured the fort. The Persian general, whose life was spared, re­turned by Hoomayoon's permission to Persia, and Beiram Khan was appointed to the government of Kandahar.

Hoomayoon instantly marched to Kabul, where he was joined by his brother Hindal Mirza, and by his cousin Yadgar, the son of Nasir Mirza, brother of Babur, who having fled from Shah Hoossein Arghoon in Sind, now arrived at Kabul. Hoo-mayoon encamped in the environs of the city, in sight of the army of his brother Kamran Mirza, and was every day joined by some de­serters from him: among others was Kaplan Beg, one of Kamran Mirza's principal generals, who coming over with his adherents, so much weak­ened the power of his master, that Kamran was compelled to retire within the town, which he shortly after evacuated without fighting, and fled to Ghizny. The King sent the prince Hindal