Ascends the throne of his brother. — Remarkable mode of distributing his property adopted by the late king. — Hoossein Khan causes his nephew, Ahmud, to be blinded. — Death of the ex-king. — Hoossein Shah receives an embassy from Akbur, and sends his daughter to Agra to marry that emperor. — The Kashmeer princess is sent back to her father. — This insult tends to break the King's heart. — His abdication and death.
AFTER the secession of Ghazy Shah he divided
his personal effects into two lots, giving one to his
children, and sending the other half to the shops,
requiring the shop-keepers to pay him a certain
sum of money. The demand being treble the
value of the property, the merchants came to Hoos-
A. H. 972.
A. D. 1564.
for the financial departments. In the year 972 he sent his brother, Shunkur Chuk, to assume charge of the government of Nowshehra and Rajoory; but the latter shortly afterwards appeared at the head of a force in open rebellion. Hoossein Shah deputed an army under the command of Mahomed Khan Makry to attack his brother, whom having defeated, the general returned to the capital, where he was greeted by Hoossein Shah, who went out to meet and congratulate him. Shortly after the arrival of the army, some of the officers concerted a scheme to put the King to death; but he discovered the plot, and seizing the ringleaders, caused their eyes to be put out.
A. H. 973.
A. D. 1565.
In the following year, 973, his prime
minister, Khan-ooz-Zuman, was induced
to attack the palace during his absence,
with the intention, after seizing the treasures, of proclaiming
himself king; but his scheme was defeated
by the exertions of Musaood Paik, the officer of
the King's body-guard, who seizing the minister's
son, and having cut off his head, exposed it to his
party, which fled. The minister was shortly after
secured, and the King ordered his execution; while
Musaood Paik was elevated to the situation of
minister, with the title of Moobariz Khan, and the
estate of the district of Fankul was made over to
him.
In the following year, Hoossein Shah, perceiving that attempts were so frequently made to dethrone him, conceived it necessary, for his personal safety, to incapacitate his nephew and rival, Ahmud Khan, from reigning, by causing him to be blinded. The news of this event had such an effect on the old king, Ghazy Khan, who was still living, that he died of a broken heart.
A. H. 975.
A. D. 1567.
In the year 975, the King growing
jealous of the rising power of his minister,
Moobariz Khan, seized and confined
him, and appointed one Booly Govind to his situation;
but the latter being detected in embezzling
forty thousand bales of shawls, he was also imprisoned,
and Ally Koka was raised to the office of
minister.
A. H. 976.
A. D. 1568.
In the year 976, Kazy Hubeeb, a
person of the Hunefy persuasion, after
leaving the great mosque on Friday,
went to pay his devotions at the tombs of some holy
persons at the foot of the Maran hills. On this
occasion one Yoosoof, a person of the Sheea
persuasion, being present, drew his sword, and
wounded the Kazy on the head. He levelled
also another blow at the Kazy, who, in endeavouring
to save his head with his hand, had
his fingers cut off. This attack arose out of no
other cause than the animosity which existed between
the two sects. On this occasion, Mowlana
Kumal, the Kazy of Seealkote, was present. Yoo-
A. H. 977.
A. D. 1569.
leaving Serinuggur, went to Zeinpoor, where he died, three months afterwards, of dysentery, in the same year, viz. A. H. 977.