A. H. 901.
A. D. 1495. In the year 901, Mahmood Shah marched towards the countries of Wagur and Idur, from the rajas of which places he exacted large offerings, and returned laden with treasure to Mahomedabad Champanere. Three

A. H. 904.
A. D. 1498.

years afterwards (A. H. 904), having heard that Aluf Khan had raised the standard of revolt, the King ordered Sheikh Burra Deccany, the Kazy-ool-Koozat† * of Ahmudabad, to march against him; upon which the rebel fled to Malwa, where he shortly after-

A. H. 905.
A. D. 1499.

wards died by poison. On the following year (A. H. 905) Adil Khan Farooky, ruler of Kandeish, following the example of Aluf Khan and the officers of the Deccan, raised the standard of revolt, and refused to pay the usual tribute. Sheikh Burra was also sent against him; but Adil Khan coming in person to Mahomed-abad Champanere, threw himself on the King's mercy, bringing with him the arrears of tribute, as a peace offering. Some historians state that Mahmood Shah marched in person against Adil Khan, and having arrived on the river Tapty, re­ceived his submission there.*

About this period Mullik Ashruf†, * the governor of Dowlutabad, wrote to Mahmood Shah, stating that he had possession of that strong fortress, and was besieged by the Deccan army under Ahmud Nizam Shah Bheiry; offering, at the same time, if the Guzerat monarch would march to his as­sistance, to give him possession, and hold it as his tributary. Mahmood Shah, in consequence, marched to the south, and Ahmud Nizam Shah raised the siege, and retreated to Ambur. The King of Guzerat did not halt till he reached Dow-lutabad; where having received handsome presents from Mullik Ashruf, he returned to Mahomedabad Champanere.

A. H. 906.
A. D. 1500. In the year 906, the King having discovered a conspiracy among some of the nobles of Ahmudabad, for the purpose of dethroning him, went thither, and by strong measures dictated by policy as well as by necessity, removed some from their offices, and caused others to be executed.

A. H. 913.
A. D. 1507. In the year 913, the infidel Euro­peans , * who had of late years usurped the dominion of the ocean, endeavoured to occupy for themselves some port on the Guzerat coast, on which they wished to settle; and the Grand Seignior of Constantinople, desirous of opposing this measure, deputed Ameer Hoossein† * with a fleet from the Red Sea to engage them in this quarter. Ameer Hoossein arrived off the Gu­zerat coast in this year; and Mahmood Shah, also, anxious to aid in the expulsion of these strangers, sailed with a fleet first to Daman, and then to Mahim. On his arrival at the former port, he ordered Mullik Eiaz Sooltany, the Ameer-ool-Omra, with a large fleet, to sail from Diù to attack the enemy in concert with the Turkish fleet, whose ships were of a larger description than those of Guzerat.‡*

The combined fleets fell in with the Portuguese off the port of Choul, where an engagement took place, in which the flag-ship of the enemy (valued at a crore of rupees) * was sunk, and every man on board perished. Mullik Eiaz, having thus defeated the Portuguese fleet, returned victoriously; for “al-“though four hundred Turks were honoured with “the crown of martyrdom, no fewer than three “thousand or four thousand Portuguese infidels “were, at the same time, sent to the infernal re-;gions.”† * After this event, the King having placed the Guzerat ports in security from the enemy's attacks, returned to Mahomedabad Cham-panere. Shortly after, news arrived that Dawood Khan Farooky, ruler of Kandeish, was dead, and that a revolution had taken place in that country. Adil Khan Farooky (the grandson of Mahmood Shah) deputed a person to the King, asserting his right to the government, and claiming assistance from him on the score of relationship.

A. H. 913.
A. D. 1507.

In the year 913, therefore, Mahmood Shah marched with a small force to­wards Aseer. On the road thither he halted to celebrate the Rumzan at the town of Chikly, on the banks of the Nerbudda; where he learned that Alum Khan Farooky, being invited by one Hissam-ood-Deen of Kandeish, and sup­ported by Ahmud Nizam Shah Bheiry, and Imad-ool-Moolk ruler of Berar, had assumed the reins of government in Aseer. On Mahmood Shah reaching Talnere, he was met by Adil Khan, and thence he sent a Guzerat detachment in ad­vance to Boorhanpoor. In consequence of which, the united forces of Berar and Ahmudnuggur retreated, and Adil Khan was placed at the head of the government. Larun Khan Khiljy, one of the pretenders to Kandeish, was gratified by receiv­ing the title of Khan Jehan; and he obtained the district of Ahwas in jageer. Mahmood Shah, on this occasion, conferred titles also on many other of the Aseer officers attached to Adil Khan, and left a body of Guzerat troops to support his au­thority. In order to deter Hissam-ood-Deen from making any future attempt on the government, he conferred on him the town of Dhoor, in the district of Sooltanpoor. Notwithstanding these arrange­ments, internal commotions occurred at Aseer during the following year, which were amicably adjusted through the agency of Mahmood Shah, who sent his own son to carry into effect his orders, and to confirm the authority of Adil Khan.

It is worthy of remark, that an embassy, accom­panied by valuable presents, was sent on the follow-

A. H. 915.
A. D. 1509.

ing year from Sikundur Lody of Dehly to Mahmood Shah of Guzerat, thereby acknowledging, for the first time, the independence of that kingdom. * In the latter end of the same year, Mahmood Shah made a tour of his kingdom; proceeding, first, to Nehrwala Puttun, where he solicited the prayers of the holy men dwelling in that place; and subsequently to Ahmud-abad, when he paid his devotion at the shrine of Sheikh Ahmud Geesoo-Duraz, and returned thence to Mahomedabad Champanere; where falling dan­gerously ill, he sent for his son the Prince Moo-zuffur, the heir apparent, from Baroda. Shortly afterwards, recovering sufficiently to transact busi­ness, he permitted him to return to his govern­ment; but in a few weeks after, having a relapse of his complaint, he again sent for the Prince. At this period, Yadgar Beg Kuzilbash† * arrived as ambassador from Shah Ismael, King of Persia; but

Rumzan 2.
A. H. 917.
Nov. 23.
A. D. 1511.

before he could obtain an audience, Mah-mood Shah died, on the 2d of Rumzan, A. H. 917, in the seventieth year of his age, and the fifty-fifth of his reign.‡*

He was surnamed Bégra, or Bé Gurra. Historians differ with regard to the origin of this appellation: some assert it was given to him because bégra sig­nifies curled, as the horns of a cow, alluding to the shape which his mustachios assumed.

Shah Jumal-ood-Deen Hoossein, however, in his history, gives his opinion in these words:— “The word bé, in the Guzeratty language, signi-“fies two, and gurra a hill-fort, from whence the “name Bé Gurra, derived from Mahmood Shah “having reduced two hill-forts on the opposite “sides of his dominions, before deemed impreg-“nable; viz. Girnal on the west, and Champanere “on the east.” This derivation appears to me sufficiently rational and probable.