A conspiracy threatens to subvert the throne, but is suppressed by the great vigour displayed by the King — he makes two cam­paigns to the Deccan to assist Nizam Shah Bahmuny against the King of Malwa — marches into the province of Sorut — reduces Girnal — makes an inroad through Kutch as far as the Indus — builds Moostufabad in Sorut — reduces Champanere — builds the town of Mahomedabad — constructs the city wall of Ahmudabad — proceeds to Dowlutabad in the Deccan. — Arrival of the Turkish fleet from the Red Sea at Diù — it is joined by the Guzerat fleet, and they proceed to attack the Portuguese. — Battle of Choul, in which both parties suffer severely, and each claims the victory. — Death of Mahmood Shah Begurra.

SHORTLY after the accession of Mahmood Shah, the affairs of the state, which had been so much neglected during the reign of Kootb Shah, began to assume a form of regularity. Five or six months after, however, four nobles, who held small go­vernments at a distance from the capital, jealous of the increasing influence of the minister, Imad-ool-Moolk, formed a conspiracy against him, and in­sisted on his removal; they even went so far as to threaten, if he were not instantly disgraced, to de­throne the present king, and to place his younger brother Hoossein on the musnud. The names of these officers were, —

Boorhan-ool-Moolk,
Azd-ool-Moolk,
Hissam-ool-Moolk,
Suffy-ool-Moolk.

In the history of Nizam-ood-Deen Ahmud it is related that these officers represented to Mahmood Shah that Imad-ool-Moolk projected to dethrone him, and intended to place the crown on the head of his own son, Shahab-ood-Deen. Notwithstand­ing the nature of this accusation, so likely to poison the mind of this young prince, he had sufficient discretion to see the matter in its true light, and at the same time too much prudence openly to avow his sentiments. He, therefore, dissembled his feel­ings, and determined to avail himself of the first favourable opportunity to expose the accusers. In the first place, he caused Imad-ool-Moolk to be confined in chains, thanked the informers for their loyalty and attachment, and assured them, that he would punish the traitor by putting him to death with his own hands.

This conduct, while it elated the four conspi­rators with hopes of placing the Prince Hoossein on the throne, lulled them into security from any apprehension of a discovery of their plot.

On the following day the King having taken his measures, ordered the accused minister to be conveyed into the palace-yard, opposite the hall of audience. Upon his arrival, he desired him to be brought into his presence, in order that he might put some questions to him before his death, when he suddenly caused his fetters to be removed. Some of the conspirators observing this, and con­cluding they were discovered, threw themselves from the palace, on the pavement below, while others falling on their faces prostrated themselves at the King's feet, and begged his mercy. In order that the triumph of the minister over his enemies might be complete, the King allowed him to stand on the right hand of the throne, where he received the congratulations of the court.

Hajy Mahomed Kandahary relates, that when the four conspirators heard of the enlargement of Imad-ool-Moolk they proceeded with a body of thirty thousand men towards the palace, where the King remained with three hundred attendants only. On this occasion, some resolved to shut the palace-gates, and defend themselves behind the walls; while others proposed to collect the crown jewels, and make their escape. Mahmood Shah, however, in spite of the inequality of num­bers, and though merely a boy, slung his quiver at his back, and with a bow in his hand sallied forth, attended only by three hundred horsemen, and accompanied by all the royal elephants, which did not amount to two hundred. On quitting the palace, he caused the approaches leading to it to be occupied by elephants, proceeding himself through the main street in slow procession, with the royal music playing before him. By this cool­ness and intrepidity, several of his nobles were enabled to join him; and in a short time they formed a very considerable force, though infinitely inferior to that of the insurgents.

The rebel troops having no room to oppose a large front dispersed among the streets, and plun­dered the inhabitants; while the conspirators them­selves, being in a very short time deserted, fled, and were pursued. Boorhan-ool-Moolk, being of an unwieldy bulk, threw himself for temporary safety into a ditch which runs into the Saburmutty, in the village of Surkech, where he was taken, and, by the King's orders, trod to death by elephants. Azd-ool-Moolk fled among the Girasias, who, recognising him to be the same person that had on a former occasion plundered them, put him to death. Hissam-ool-Moolk took refuge with his brother Rookn-ood-Deen, the chief magistrate of Puttun, from whence both fled to Malwa; and Suffy-ool-Moolk was taken prisoner; but, as he was not con­sidered so guilty as his confederates, the King spared his life, causing him to be confined in the fort of Diù, where he died. Order being restored, Imad-ool-Moolk requested permission to resign the seals of office, and spend the rest of his days in re­tirement and devotion; and the King (to convince the world of his attachment to his old minister) appointed his son, Shahab-ood-Deen, to his situ­ation, with the title of Mullik Ashruf.

A. H. 866.
A. D. 1462. In the year 866, Ahmud Nizam Shah Bahmuny of the Deccan, attacked on all sides by his enemies, particularly by Sooltan Mahmood of Malwa, who had marched towards his capital, solicited the aid of Mahmood Shah. The King no sooner received this commu­nication than he determined immediately to march to his assistance; but his officers and nobles recommended that he should send an army, and himself remain at home, in order to provide against any contingences which might occur during his ab­sence. With an ardent disposition, and ambitious of glory, he could not be averted from his reso­lution; and he assumed command of the army in person, consisting of a large body of cavalry and infantry, besides five hundred elephants. With this force he marched to Nundoorbar, where he was joined by Khwaja Jehan of Gavulgur, and proceeded to make a diversion by attacking the territory of the King of Malwa. This circumstance compelled Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy to retreat from Ahmudabad Bidur, to which place he had pene­trated, in order to return and protect his own country; but the passes on his direct route being occupied, he was reduced to the alternative of marching by Elichpoor, from whence, penetrating through the Gondwana woods, he arrived in Malwa. * Such was the end of this campaign.

In the following year, Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy renewed his attack on the Deccan; and the King of Guzerat, at the entreaties of Ahmud Nizam Shah Bahmuny, marched to his relief, but did not arrive in sufficient time to prevent Sooltan Mahmood laying waste all the fertile country in the vicinity of Dow-lutabad, and carrying off many prisoners. The King of the Deccan on this occasion paid a large sum for the assistance of the Guzerat troops to Mahmood Shah, who, on returning to Ahmudabad, addressed a letter of remonstrance to Sooltan Mah-mood Khiljy to this effect:—“It is surely far from “the principles of the faith for you to wage war “with true believers. On the other hand, it is as “discreditable to refuse to meet your enemy in the “field. Desist, therefore, from these invasions, or “you may rely on it that the moment you commence “your march again towards the Deccan, we will “make a predatory incursion into Malwa.” This letter was answered by a promise of refraining in future from any other invasion of the Deccan.

A. H. 869.
A. D. 1465.

Two years afterwards (869), Mahmood Shah marched with a large army towards Bavur, an extraordinary hill-fort, con­sidered impregnable by the inhabitants. From thence he proceeded to Doora * and Purnalla, places situated between Concan† * and Guzerat, and defeated the infidels in several actions; and the Raja was obliged to give up his forts, and to throw himself on the mercy of the Mahomedan con­queror, who, after having obtained from him a large sum of money, restored his country into his hands.

As an instance of the impartial justice of Mahmood Shah it is related, that in the year

A. H. 870.
A. D. 1466.

870, while on a hunting party near Ah-mudnuggur, Baha-ool-Moolk, the son of Aluf Khan, one of his principal nobles, in a fit of passion put to death a trooper, and for fear of being taken fled to Idur. The King im­mediately sent Mullik Hajy and Imad-ool-Moolk, two of the secretaries of the government, to seize him; but they, in order to screen the real mur­derer, on account of his rank, gave a sum of money to two of Baha-ool-Moolk's servants, to acknowledge that they perpetrated the deed; and the secretaries promised to save their lives, by using their influence with the King. These unfortunate men, allured by the largeness of the bribe, and relying on the fair promises of the two officers, avowed the commission of the crime, and being delivered over to the court of justice, were tried, condemned, and executed. Sometime after, when the King discovered the real state of the case, he caused the heads of the secretaries to be struck off, notwithstanding they were men of noble family, and in high favour at the time. After their execu­tion their skins were stuffed with straw, and hung over the gates of the town, as public examples, to the rest of the nobles of the court.