His origin. — State of the Mahomedan power in the Deccan. — Mahomed Toghluk, King of Dehly, suspects the foreign offi­cers stationed in the Deccan of an intention to revolt — takes steps to procure their being sent to his camp. — The officers concert measures with the Hindoo princes of the Deccan to revolt — they obtain possession of Dowlutabad. — The King of Dehly arrives, and attacks the confederates, but is induced to quit the Deccan to suppress an insurrection in Guzerat. — The Deccan chiefs establish their independence — they raise Ismael to the throne. — Zuffur Khan, the principal Deccany partisan, takes Kand'har and Bidur from the Dehly officers in charge, and reaches Dowlutabad. — Ismael abdicates the throne in favour of Zuffur Khan, who assumes the title and appellation of Alla-ood-Deen Hussun Gungoo Bahmuny. — He creates Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory minister, and makes Kool-burga his capital. — The ex-King Ismael attempts to recover his power — he is seized, tried, and executed, but his estates and titles are conferred on his son. — Hussun Gungoo divides the Deccan into four departments:—

1st department, Dabul, Koolburga, Rachore, and Moodkul.
2d department, Choul, Joonere, Dowlutabad, and Peitun.
3d department, Mahoor, Ramgir, and the valley of Berar.
4th department, Bidur, Kowlas, and Indore.

The King's health declines — his death.

AUTHORS differ regarding the birth and the early life of Alla-ood-Deen Hussun Bahmuny. It would be tedious and useless to relate all that has been said on this subject, so that I shall merely state that which is most generally believed in the Deccan.

Hussun, a native of Dehly, was the servant of Gungoo, a braminical astrologer, enjoying high favour with the Prince Mahomed Toghluk, and who, in consideration of the good conduct of Hussun, gave him a pair of oxen, and permitted him to till a small piece of land for his own use. While at work one day, the plough attached itself to some substance, which on examination Hussun found to be a chain fastened to a copper vessel, containing a number of antique gold coins. On making the discovery, he carried the treasure to his master, who, commending him for his ho­nesty, acquainted the Prince Mahomed Toghluk with the circumstance, who communicated it to his father, the King. The monarch ordered Hussun to the presence, and conferred on him the com­mand of one hundred horse.

It is further related, that the bramin assured Hussun he perceived from his horoscope that he would rise to great distinction, and be eminently favoured of the Almighty; and made him promise if he ever should attain regal power, that he would assume the name of Gungoo, and employ him as his minister of finance; a request with which Hussun readily complied. It is said, also, that his future destiny was foretold by the celebrated Sheikh Nizam-ood-Deen Oulia. From these prog­nostications, Hussun's ambition prompted him to proceed to the Deccan, which became the seat of his future good fortune.

The Prince Mahomed Toghluk, having suc­ceeded his father on the throne of Dehly, ap­pointed his tutor, Kootloogh Khan, entitled Alum-ool-Moolk, governor of Dowlutabad; and granted permission, at the same time, to such officers as chose to proceed with him. Among these was Hussun, on whom was bestowed, in jageer, the town of Koonchy * within the district of Ray Bagh. Some years after, Mahomed Toghluk led his army against the refractory nobles of Guzerat, whom he defeated. Many of these took refuge in the Deccan; where Kootloogh Khan and his officers, contrary to the duty they owed their so­vereign, afforded them an asylum. This proceed­ing induced the King to determine on removing the whole of the Deccan officers to other provinces. With this view, Ahmud Lacheen was deputed to wait on Alum-ool-Moolk, requiring him to send the Deccan officers to Guzerat. The governor accordingly summoned them to repair to Dowlu-tabad. Some months elapsed before they arrived; when, at length, they departed with Ahmud La-cheen for Guzerat. Ahmud entertained hopes of extorting presents from these officers to engage his interest in their favour with the King, but being disappointed, he resented their conduct, and treated them with contempt; remarking to his attendants, that they deserved death for having given protection to the rebel chiefs of Guzerat, and for so long neglecting the royal summons to appear at court. The Deccan officers, on hearing these sentiments, became alarmed; and on reach­ing the frontier, they formed a plan to revolt. It was notorious that the King frequently punished with death the slightest offences, and often without examining the accused; so that they considered it better for them to maintain themselves in the Dec-can by force, than to deliver themselves up tamely like sheep to the slaughter.

This resolution being taken, they quited Ahmud Lacheen, who in attempting to oppose them was defeated and slain. The chiefs were immediately joined by numbers of disaffected persons, and be­fore they reached Dowlutabad had collected a large force. The rajas of the Deccan, also, suffering under the tyranny of the King of Dehly, rejoiced at this revolt; in which some joined, while others, more circumspect, only privately encouraged it, and assisted the rebels with money and supplies. How just is the observation of the poet, who re­marks,—

“When man is oppressed he revolts from his prince in the
hour of danger;
“For how can a kingdom flourish when the ruler is tyrannical?”

Imad-ool-Moolk, the King's son-in-law, gover­nor of Berar and Kandeish, residing at Elichpoor, finding himself daily deserted by his troops, and fearing least his officers should finally deliver him over to the Deccanies, quitted that city with his family, under pretence of hunting, and retired to Nundoorbar; while the Berar officers plundering the treasury, proceeded to join the insurgents' camp near Dowlutabad. The garrison of this for­tress, also, perceiving the accumulated force of the rebels, delivered over the place into their hands. Thus, in a few months, the territory of the Dec-can, which had been conquered in a long series of campaigns, and at a vast expense of blood and trea­sure, seemed about to be snatched from the hands of the King of Dehly.

On securing possession of Dowlutabad, the insur­gents, in order to give weight to their measures, re­solved to elect a leader; and they raised one Ismael Khan Afghan, an officer of one thousand horse, whose brother, Mullik Moogh, commanded the royal army in the province of Malwa, to be their King, with the title of Nasir-ood-Deen. This se­lection arose principally out of the hope that the Deccanies would be supported by the new king's relative in Malwa. Honours were bestowed by the new sovereign on all his officers, and to each was as­signed a landed estate. At this time, Hussun, who has been before mentioned, had the title of Zuffur Khan conferred on him, and he received some dis­tricts for his own support and that of a body of sol­diers. Meanwhile Mahomed Toghluk approached from Guzerat, having been joined on the road by Imad-ool-Moolk Tubreezy, and Mullik Moogh, go­vernor of Malwa. On his arrival, near Dowlutabad, he found the insurgents ready to receive him at the head of thirty thousand cavalry, drawn up on the same plain where Alla-ood-Deen had first defeated the son of Ram Dew, Raja of Dewgur. In the action which ensued, both wings of the royal army were routed, and Mahomed Toghluk was even pre­paring to fly, when suddenly the curse of dis­loyalty fell upon the rebels. Khan Jehan, one of their principal chiefs, receiving an arrow wound, was dismounted, and his division, consisting of six thousand men, dispersed and fled from the field. At the same instant, also, the standard-bearer of Nasir-ood-Deen Ismael, the newly-created King, panic-struck, allowed the colours to fall from his hands; and the insurgent troops, supposing their chief had forsaken them, gradually fell back. Night coming on, both parties retired without molestation to their camp. Nasir-ood-Deen Ismael having sent for Zuffur Khan and his principal chiefs, resolved that it would be inadvisable for the present to hazard another bat­tle, and it was agreed that Nasir-ood-Deen Ismael should retire within the walls of Dowlutabad with a sufficient garrison; while the officers should keep the field, provide for the protection of their own districts, and harass and cut off the enemy's con­voys and supplies. The rebels, accordingly, silently withdrew during the night, so that at daylight the King of Dehly saw not a vestige of their army. On the following day, Imad-ool-Moolk Tubreezy was detached in pursuit of Zuffur Khan, and the King laid siege to Dowlutabad. After some time, the gar­rison, reduced to despair, was about to surrender, when intelligence arrived of an insurrection at Dehly, under a slave named Tuky, who, with a body of disaffected rabble, had committed great enormities in the capital, threatened the pro­vinces, and was on march to Guzerat. The King, leaving the camp at Dowlutabad in charge of one of his generals, marched to quell this new rebellion. The Deccan officers, encouraged by this circumstance, collected from all parts, and advancing in force, compelled the royalists to raise the siege, and to follow their sovereign. On the retreat, they were hotly pressed by the Deccanies as far as the banks of the Nerbudda. On which oc­casion, the royalists lost much baggage, and several elephants laden with treasure.