Who is Islem Khān, on the fifteenth of the month Rabī‘u-l-Awwal in the year 952 H. (1545 A.D.), acting upon the sum­mons of the Amīrs* of Bhatta came by forced marches from the neighbourhood of Patna,* and by the co-operation of ‘Īsā Khān Ḥajjāb and the other men of influence and power,* succeeded* to the imperial throne in room of his father, with the title of Islem Shāh, and the son of Mulla Aḥmad Junaid,* who is well known,* ^375. found this verse of the sacred word:* “And already we have written in the Psalms, after the admonition that ‘the earth shall my righteous servants inherit,’”* to give the date of his accession. He wrote a despatch to his elder brother ‘Ādil Khān and sent it to him in Ranthanbūr, of which the following is the substance. “Although the succession was really your right, still as you were at so great a distance there was a danger, nay a certainty of the occurrence of disturbances here before you could arrive. Accordingly with a view to keep down in­surrections, I will take charge of the army for a few days as your deputy, and after you arrive I shall have no alternative but to submit to and obey you.” Leaving Kālinjar he made for* Āgra and in the vicinity of the township of Kūra Khātampūr,* Khawāṣṣ Khān arrived from Sihrind which was his jāegīr, and yielded a forced allegiance, because he was more inclined to favour the accession of ‘Ādil Khān as compared with Islem Shāh; a splendid banquet was held and he was anew placed on the throne. After­wards when fresh despatches from Islem Shāh reached ‘Ādil Khān, he referred the question of his coming to the following four persons upon whose advice and opinion as to its expediency he made his action dependent: Qub Khān Nāib, ‘Īsā Khān Nīyāzī, Khawāṣṣ Khān, and Jalāl Khān Jilwānī,* all of whom were great Amīrs, men of eminence belonging to his family. Islem Shāh sent this body of men to him bearing an agreement by which he under­took to allow ‘Ādil Khān to depart to his jāegīr after the first inter­view, and to deliver to his control any place in Hindūstān which he might select. ‘Ādil Khān acting upon the advice of these Amīrs proceeded from the neighbourhood of Ranthanbūr to Fatḥpūr, otherwise called Sīkrī, and Islem Shāh* left Āgra and came to Shikārpūr,* where the royal palace is at present, to receive him; and when they met they first fulfilled the duties of condolence, and ^376. evinced great cordiality, and after a short time set out together for Āgra. Islem Shāh had plotted treachery against ‘Ādil Khān, and had consequently made a stipulation that not more than two or three persons should be left in the fort with ‘Ādil Khān. This however was not carried out, and a large body of followers accom­panied him; accordingly Islem Shāh was constrained, in order to avoid suspicion, to treat ‘Ādil Khān with extraordinary* fawning and flattery, saying “I have taken care of these unruly* Afghans so far by artful means,* now I make them over to you.”

Verse.

Subject the intoxicated and riotous one to the warning glance
of the cup-bearer.*

Having placed him upon the throne he himself assumed an attitude of submission and obedience, and from motives of worldly wisdom was most punctilious in the observance of courtesy.* Although ‘Ādil Khān was in the flower of his youth, and of great bodily strength (many well-known tales of his strength are told), nevertheless, since he was fond of ease, and was well aware of the craft and subtlety of Islem Shāh and his* ways of dealing, would not agree to that procedure, rose to his feet, and seating Islem Shāh on the throne again with all honour and ceremony,* swore allegiance to him, and offered him congratulations upon his acces­sion, with the customary offerings* and oblations. Islem Shāh, in accordance with the compact which had been made,* sent ‘Īsa Khān and Khawāṣṣ Khān to accompany ‘Ādil Khān, and having confirmed Baiāna to him as a jāegīr, permitted him to proceed thither. Two months later he appointed Ghāzī Maḥallī, who was one of his confidential attendants, to go and arrest ‘Ādil Khān.

‘Adil Khān, however, heard of this, and fled from Baiāna taking refuge with Khawāṣṣ Khān in Mīwāt. Khawāṣṣ Khān then summoned Ghāzī Maḥallī, and bound him with that same golden chain which he had brought for ‘Ādil Khān, and having gained ^377. over to his side all* the Amīrs, set out for Āgra with a large army. Qub Khān and ‘Īsā Khān also, who were two of the chief nobles of the State,* with whose concurrence the compact* had been made, were annoyed at this breach of faith on the part of Islem Shāh,* and with great management summoned ‘Ādil Khān at a time agreed upon, namely at day break after the Shab-i-barāt,* so that they might own allegiance to him. It so chanced that ‘Ādil Khān and Khawāṣṣ Khān, having arrived at Sīkrī on the Shab-i-barāt,* spent that night as a vigil in the service of Shaikh Salīm Chishtī, in voluntary prayers* and benedictions, so that their departure for Āgra was delayed long past the time agreed upon, and it was breakfast time* when they reached the outskirts of Āgra. Islem Shāh who was alarmed,* spoke very courteously to Qub Khān and the rest of the Amīrs, and permitted them to go and present themselves before ‘Ādil Khān. His* object was to get rid of his opponents, and that very instant to start alone* for the fortress of Chunār, seize the treasure which was there, and after collecting the necessary equipment for an army to return and again engage in war. ‘Īsā Khān Hajjāb warned him of the folly and absurdity of this project, and prevented him from send­ing his Amīrs to his enemy and from starting for Chunār. Even­tually Islem Shāh, accompanied by a party of his own bodyguard, and two or three thousand old and trusty retainers, left Āgra with all haste and came out in force to fight, first recalling those Amīrs* whom he had sent,* saying “I am by no means confident that ‘Ādil Khān will not deal treacherously with you; you had better return quickly and rejoin me, because the question between* him and me can only be settled by the sword.”

Verse.

In this case messengers and despatches can avail nothing,
The two-edged sword will make this matter clear.*

The Amīrs, however, who were friendly to ‘Ādil Khān, on seeing Islem Shāh take the field, refused* to return to his side and ^378. entered the ranks of the more powerful army; a severe battle ensued before Āgra, and ‘Ādil Khān was defeated* and fled alone toward Bhatta.* Khawāṣṣ Khān and ‘Īsā Khān Nīyāzī, who had a strong regard and unbounded loyalty for each other, took the road to Mīwāt and the township of Fīrūzpūr, engaged the force which had been sent in pursuit of them, and overcame it; but eventually, not having power to resist the army of Islem Shāh, proceeded to the hills to the north of Hindūstān, which* are called (the) Kumāon (hills), and took refuge with the Rājās of that district. Qub Khān Nāib, having been appointed to attack them, kept continually ravaging the country at the foot of the hills. In the meantime Islem Shāh proceeded to Chunhār, and sent the treasure which was there to Gwāliār, and on his return, when he reached the township of Kūrah Khātampūr, while en­gaged in playing chaugān with Jalāl Khān Jilwānī,* who was one of the married Amīrs of the Afghāns, and had been* an adherent of ‘Adil Khān, and a great object of suspicion to Islem Shāh, by some treacherous device persuaded him to come to his camp, and cast him into chains together with his brother Khudādād, making them over to an Afghān who had a blood feud with them, and having put them to death under the cloke of vengeance, proceeded to Āgra, [and from thence to Gwāliār which he had made his capital],* and setting himself to slay and eradicate a party who were favourable to ‘Ādil Khān, girded up his loins in enmity against them, and swept them one by one from the board of the world like so many pieces in the game of draughts or chess. Qub Khān also took fright, and fled from the foot of the Kumāon ^379. hills to Lahore, taking refuge with Haibat Khān, to whom Shīr Shāh had given the title of A‘zam Ḥumāyūn. Haibat Khān in obedience to a summons from* Islem Shāh, sent Qub Khān in chains to him. Islem Shāh sent him together with Shāhbāz Khān Lūhānī,* who was brother-in-law to Shīr Shāh,* and Barmazīd Kor who was the Dajjāl* of that sect, and the Hajjāj* of his age, and thirteen or fourteen other Amīrs* and Amīrs' sons, to the fortress of Gwāliār, where most of them quitted the body in imprisonment.*

[Among them was Maḥmūd Khān, son of ‘Ādil Khān, who in his seventh year had counselled Shīr Shāh to throw up a rampart of sand, in consequence of which Shīr Shāh had made him his heir-apparent, as has been related. Another was Kawāl Khān Ghakkar who will be mentioned shortly].*