'Imádu-l Mulk, on receipt of this intelligence, abandoned the siege of the Ját's forts, and in company with Malhár Ráo Holkar and Samsámu-d daula, the commandant of artillery, returned to Dehlí. There, in concert with the chief officers of the throne, he first killed Intizámu-d daula, his maternal uncle, and then assumed the rank of wazír for himself, under the title of Gházíu-d din Khán. He took Ahmad Sháh and his mother prisoners, and treated them with every indignity. The pen now turns to other matters, and, if God please, the present subject shall be hereafter resumed.
Let it not be hidden from the sun-resembling minds of those who understand the value of the gems of intelligence, that, previous to the rise of Muhammadanism, the Jews and the Christians had intercourse, as merchants, with most of the ports of the Dakhin, such as Palniár* and others. Having become familiar with the people of that country, they established their residence in some of the cities, and built houses and gardens.
In this manner they sojourned for many years. When the great star of Muhammadanism appeared, and the rays of that world-enlightening sun shone from the east to the west, gradually the countries of Hindústán and the Dakhin were also benefited by the light of the Muhammadan law, and intercourse of the Musulmáns with that country began. Many of the kings and rulers of that country espoused the Muhammadan faith. The Rájas of the ports of Goa, Dábal, and Chand, etc., allowed all the Musulmáns who came there from the different parts of Arabia to settle on the sea-shore, and treated them with great honour and respect. For this cause the Jews and Christians burned with the fire of envy and malice. But when the countries of the Dakhin and Gujarát came into the possession of the Kings of Dehlí, and Islám was established in them, the Europeans put the seal of silence on their lips, and never uttered a word of animosity or opposition, till at length, about the year 900 A.H. (1495 A.D.), when weakness and disorder found their way into the government of the Sultáns of the Dakhin, the Portuguese Christians received orders from their King to build their forts on the shore of the Indian Ocean. In the year 904 A.H. (1499 A.D.) four ships of the same people arrived at the ports of Kandaría* and Kálíkot (Calicut), and having made themselves acquainted with the circumstances of the place, they returned to their own country. Next year six vessels came and anchored at Kálíkot. The Portuguese petitioned the chief of the place, who was called Sámurí (Zamorin), to prohibit the Muhammadans from intercourse with Arabia, remarking that they would benefit him much more than the Muhammadans could. The Sámurí, however, gave no heed to their prayers, but the Christians began to deal harshly with the Muhammadans in all their transactions. At last the Sámurí, being provoked, gave orders that the Christians should be slain and plundered. Seventy persons of rank were destroyed among the Christians, and those who remained embarked on the vessels, and thus saved themselves. They landed near the city of Kojí (Cochin), the chief of which was at hostility with the Sámurí. They obtained his permission to build a fort, which they completed hurriedly in a very short time. They demolished a mosque on the sea-shore, and made a Christian church of it. This was the first fort which the Christians built in India.
With the same expedition they built a fort at Kanúr (Cananore), and to their entire satisfaction engaged in the trade of pepper and dry ginger, preventing others from engaging in the same traffic. On this account the Sámurí raised an army, and having killed the son of the chief of Cochin, plundered the country and returned. The heirs of those who were slain again collected their forces, raised the standard of sovereignty, and restored the population of the country to its former state. By the advice of the Firingís they built ships of war, and the chief of Cananore followed their example. This excited the anger of the Sámurí, who lavished immense treasure upon an army raised for the purpose of attacking Cochin; but as the Firingís always gave their assistance to its chief, the Sámurí returned twice unsuccessful. He was at last obliged to send his ambassadors to the Kings of Egypt, Jedda, Dakhin, and Gujarát, complaining to them of the outrages of the Christians, and imploring their aid. He also at the same time represented their disrespect towards Islám, and thus excited the wrath as well as the zeal of those Princes. The Sultán of Egypt, Mansúr Ghorí, sent one of his officers named Amír Husain with thirteen ships (ghrábs) full of fighting men and munitions of war towards the coasts of Hindústán. Sultán Mahmúd of Gujarát also prepared several ships to oppose the Firingís, and despatched them from the ports of Diú, Surat, Goga, Dábal, and Chand. The Egyptian vessels touched first at Diú, and joining those of Gujarát, sailed towards Chand, where the Firingís had assembled. This force was augmented by forty vessels of the Sámurí, and some from the port of Dábal. When the junction was effected, a fire-ship of the Firingís, without being observed, suddenly fell upon their rear, and the whole surface of the water was instantly in a blaze. Malik Ayáz, the chief of Diú, and Amír Husain, prepared to oppose the enemy, but all to no avail. Several Egyptian ships were taken by the enemy, numerous Muhammadans drank the sweet water of martyrdom, and the Firingís returned victorious to their port.
It was during these days that Sultán Salím of Rúm obtained a victory over the Ghorí Sultáns of Egypt, and thus their dynasty closed. The Sámurí, who was the originator of all these disturbances, was disheartened, and the Firingís obtained complete power; so much so, that in the month of Ramazán, 915 A.H. (Dec. 1509 A.D.), they came into Kálíkot, set the Jáma'-masjid on fire, and swept the city with the broom of plunder. Next day, the Palnádís collected in large numbers, and falling upon the Christians, killed five hundred men of rank, and many were drowned in the sea. Those who escaped the sword fled to the port of Kúlim (Coulon). Having entered into friendly relations with the zamíndár of that place, they erected a fortress for their protection about half a farsakh from the city.
In the same year they took the fort of Goa, belonging to Yúsuf 'Ádil Sháh, who retook it by stratagem; but after a short time, the Firingís, having bribed the governor of the place with large sums of gold, again became its masters, and they made the fort, which was exceedingly strong, the seat of their Government. This made sorrow and grief prey upon the health of the Sámurí, who expired in 921 A.H. (1515 A.D.). His brother, who succeeded him, rolled up the carpet of destruction, and pursued the path of friendship with the Firingís. He gave them ground for a fort near the city of Kálíkot, and took an agreement from them that he should be allowed to send four ships laden with pepper and dry ginger to the ports of Arabia. For some time the Firingís observed these terms; but when the fort was completed, they prohibited his trading in those articles, and began again to practise all kinds of tyranny and persecution upon the followers of Islám.
In like manner, the Jews of Kranghír (Cranganore), observing the weakness of the Samurí, advanced their foot beyond the proper limit, and made a great many Muhammadans drink the cup of martyrdom. The Sámurí, repenting of his concessions, marched towards Cranganore, and so entirely extirpated the Jews that not a trace of them was found in that land. After this, joined by all the Musulmáns of Palnád, he proceeded to Kálíkot, and laid siege to the fort of the Firingís, which he reduced with great difficulty. This increased the power and pride of the Palnádís, who, according to the terms of the original agreement with the Firingís, began to send their ships full of pepper, dry ginger, etc., to the ports of Arabia.
In the year 938 A.H. (1531 A.D.) the Firingís founded a fort
at Jáliát, six kos from Kálíkot, and prevented the sailing of the
Palnádí vessels. About the same time, during the reign of
Burhán Nizám Sháh, the Christians built a fort at Rívadanda,
near the port of Chaul, and took up their residence there. In
the reign of Sultán Bahádur Sháh of Gujarát, 941 A.H. (1534
A.D.), they took possession of the ports of Swalh, Damán and
Diú, which belonged to the Kings of Gujarát, and in the year
943 A.H. (1536 A.D.) they fully established themselves at Cran-