Masúd III. of Ghazní was eventually succeeded by his son Bairam, who is more distinguished for the patronage he extended to literature than for the conquests he made. His death happened after a reign of thirty-five years; during which time he alter­nately occupied Ghazní and Lahore as his capital. In this reign the Arabic version of Bidpay's fables, called the Kalíla wa Dimna, which had been translated from Pehleví by Abdallah ben Mo*-le/>kaffa, was rendered into Persian. Many learned men at this time found a liberal patron in Sultán Bairam, who united to an uncommon desire for knowledge a noble and generous disposition.* The poet Shaikh Nizámi was one among the many who experienced the benefit of such enlightened liberality.

Soon after his accession to power, Sultán Bairam was engaged in an expedition to Lahore, for the purpose of chastising Mohammed Bahlin, the refractory Viceroy of India; who had been appointed to the government by his rival brother, Sultán Arslán. The Viceroy was defeated and made captive: but, being subsequently pardoned and reinstated in the government, effected several conquests in the country of Sewalik. Having soon after excited a rebellion, Moham­med Bahlin was again defeated near Multán, and perished in his flight.

Succession of
Jaya Chandra,
the last Rájá
of Kanauj.
Partition of the
kingdom of
Gaur some time
previous to this
event.

Jaya Chandra, the last Hindú sovereign of Kanauj, and one of the most celebrated characters of Rájpút history, was at this time appointed Yava Rájá, or designated successor and associate in the empire of his father, Vijaya Chandra.* He is well known in the legendary history of the Rájpúts as the rival and enemy of Prithvi Ráyá, prince of Ajmír, between whom a contest for pre-eminence, as supreme potentate of India, was con­tinually kept up, till the Mohammedans, under Mohammed Ghorí, interfered and ruined both.

Some time previous to the accession of Jaya Chandra, the supreme power of the Pál princes of Gaur had terminated with Náráyan Pála, the last of his race: and to this cause we may ascribe the contests which followed between Jaya Chandra of Kanauj and Prithvi Ráyá of Ajmír. Benares and the north-western part of that kingdom became the possession of the Rájás of Kanauj, while Lakshmana Sinha, or Lakamír,* last of the Voidya Rájás, seized on Gaur and Bahar.

The family of Ghor, who originally possessed the mountainous district of Khorásán, south-east of Herát, was raised to distinction by the suc­cessful wars of Ghiyásu-d-dín Mohammed of Ghor; who had succeeded to the government of his native country, at the death of his cousin Alá-ud-dín.* He conquered the greater part of Khorásán, and expelled the Khárizmians. Previous to this time, the chiefs of Ghor had connected themselves with the kings of Ghazní by marriage; but, as several of the former had been put to death by the latter, a fierce enmity was produced between the families, and ended by the Ghorians establishing their authority over the possessions of Ghazní on the ruin of their rivals.

A.D. 1174.
Hij. 570.

Ghiyásu-d-dín, being firmly fixed in the government of Ghor, conferred the title of Shahábu-d-dín Mohammed Ghorí on his brother, and appointed him his Viceroy at Ghazní.* An army was conducted the following year into India, where Multán and Úcha were subdued. Having again marched his troops into that country, A.D. 1178, Shahábu-d-dín Mohammed Ghorí, by the route of the Sind desert, advanced to the confines of Gujarát; where he was opposed by Bhíma Deva Chálukya,* lieutenant of his brother, the Rájá of Nahrwálah. The Mohammedans experienced a severe defeat on this occasion, and suffered many hardships in their retreat.*

A.D. 1186.
Khusrau II.
last of the
princes of the
Ghazní family.

The power of the Ghazní princes, who had for some time maintained a semblance of sovereign authority in India, was now completely extinguished: Khusrau II. having been made a prisoner, surrendered Lahore to the Ghorian. Six years previous to this event, Shahábu-d-dín Mohammed Ghorí had invested this capital; but, being unable to take the place, concluded a peace with the feeble representative of the once powerful house of Ghazní: the latter having agreed to deliver up his son, as a hostage, that the articles of the treaty might be fulfilled. The terms of the treaty were not observed, however, and the Ghorian, again obliged to invest the town, failed in an attempt to capture it. Treachery at length secured to him what force was not able to effect; and the empire of Sabuktagín was transferred to Mohammed Ghorí.

A.D. 1187.
Mohammed
Ghorí defeated
by Prithvi
Ráyá, of
Ajmír.