On the return of Hoomayoon to his capital, it was observed, that he gave way more than ever to the excessive use of opium: public business was neglected; and the governors of the surround­ing districts, taking advantage of the state of affairs, promoted their own aggrandizement. In the first place, Sooltan Jooneid Birlas dying, the Afghans of the late Shurky kingdom, whom he had kept in subjection, revolted, and enlisted un-

Suffur 8.
A. H. 943.
May 27.
A. D. 1536.

der the standard of Sheer Khan Soor. This event compelled Hoomayoon to march towards Joonpoor on the 8th of Suffur, A. H. 943; and as Sheer Khan had gone to Bengal, the King proceeded to besiege the fort of Chunar, which held out, under the command of Ghazy Khan Soor, for six months. The place was, however, eventually taken, owing to the skill of Roomy Khan (the late commander of Bahadur Shah's artillery), now in the service of Hoomayoon. Having ascertained the strength of the fort on the land side, Roomy Khan determined to attack it from the river Ganges. He accordingly erected stages of a cer­tain height, placed on rafts, which being built at some distance above the fort, were launched, and floated down without resistance: the walls being low, they were easily surmounted, and the place was thus secured.

Previously to this event, Hoomayoon had marched on with the main body of the army. Sheer Khan Soor, meanwhile, had wrested the kingdom of Bengal from Mahmood Shah Poorby, who, having been severely wounded, reached the King's camp. Hoomayoon reached Gurhy, a place situated on the banks of the Ganges, but difficult of access from the woods in its vicinity. Sheer Khan, however, content with the spoils of the kings of Goor, and without opposing Hoo-mayoon, fled to the mountains of J'harkund, leaving the Moguls to continue their march unmolested to Goor, the capital of Bengal. Hoomayoon having occupied Goor, he caused that unpropitious appel­lation to be changed for that of Junutabad. * He took up his residence in that city for the space of three months, but was obliged to abandon it on account of the insalubrity of the climate, the greatest part of his army having fallen sick. At this time, accounts reached the King of the rebellion of his brother, Hindal Mirza, at Agra. Hindal Mirza had been sent to suppress the revolt of Mahomed Sooltan Mirza, who, we have already observed, had escaped to Kunowj; but instead of performing that service, as soon as Hindal found himself at the head of an army, he aspired to the throne; and marching back to Agra, openly declared his intentions, and put to death Sheikh Bheilole, who was formerly preceptor to the King, after which he caused the khootba to be read in his own name. From Agra he proceeded with all the ensigns of royalty to Dehly, to which place he laid siege. Hoomayoon, hearing of these proceedings, left Jehangeer Beg Mogul and Ibrahim Beg in Bengal, and hastened towards Agra. On the march, Mahomed Zuman Mirza, who had formerly found an asylum with Bahadur Shah, returned from Sind, and, on promise of pardon, joined the King with a considerable party. Meanwhile, Sheer Khan Soor, finding the King's army so much weakened by sickness and desertion, and learning that his affairs were per­plexed by the rebellion of Hindal Mirza, marched with his troops from Rohtas, and came up with Hoomayoon at Jowsa. Both armies lay three months inactive, at a time when Hoomayoon ought to have brought on an action at all hazards, being every day insulted and harassed by the enemy's light troops.

To add to Hoomayoon's embarrassments, which could hardly be exceeded, his other brother, Kam-ran Mirza, instead of aiding him at this crisis, aspired to the throne, and marched with ten thousand horse from Lahore, giving out, that he came to offer assistance. On the arrival of Kam-ran at Dehly, Hindal Mirza prevailed on him to unite their forces in prosecution of the siege. Fukhr-ood-Deen Ally, who commanded in Dehly, informed Kamran that he would never betray his trust, but was determined to hold out to the last drop of his blood, as long as Hoomayoon reigned; but that if Kamran should, in the first place, render himself master of Agra, and succeed in subduing his brother Hoomayoon, he would then, and not till then, give up the city of Dehly.

The Princes, finding the governor so resolute, raised the siege, and marched towards Agra. On reaching that city, the jealousy which the brothers naturally entertained against each other (the eyes of both being turned towards the throne) evinced

A. H. 946.
A. D. 1539.

itself in open war. Hindal Mirza, being deserted by many of his party, fled to Alwur, with five thousand horse and three hundred elephants; while Kamran Mirza, entering Agra, proclaimed himself king.

Hoomayoon used every possible argument with his brothers to effect a coalition of interests against Sheer Khan; telling them, that their in­testine feuds must end in their losing that mighty empire which had cost their father so much pains to acquire; that their conduct would involve the house of Teimoor in one common ruin; and that no remedy existed, but to reunite against the common enemy, and afterwards to divide the empire amongst themselves. These arguments had no weight with the King's brothers, who, blinded by ambition, determined rather to lose all than to be content with a part. They calculated, that after Sheer Khan had defeated Hoomayoon, they should be able to subdue him; and each had the vanity to suppose, that he would in the end exclude his rival, and reign alone. At this juncture, Sheer Khan sent one Sheikh Khuleel, a dervish of great reputation, to Hoomayoon, to treat for peace, to which the latter assented on the following con­dition: — that Sheer Khan should content himself with Bengal and Behar, to be held in the King's name, for which he was to pay a trifling annual tribute. This condition was signed and ratified by mutual oaths; and Hoomayoon, trusting too much to the faith of his enemy, permitted a free intercourse to be maintained between both armies. Sheer Khan's chief object in obtaining a suspension of hostilities was to throw Hoomayoon off his guard. Accordingly, one morning early, he treacherously surprised the Mogul camp on the banks of the Ganges, during the armistice, and totally defeated it. A bridge of boats, which the latter had been preparing, was unfinished; and no means of escape remained, but by swimming across the stream, all the craft on the river having been seized by a party of the enemy, who had turned the rear of Hoomayoon's army for that purpose. The King with a vast number of his soldiers plunged into the current, where, according to the most authentic accounts, eight thousand Moguls, exclusive of Hin-doos, were drowned, among whom was the Prince Mahomed Zuman Mirza. This dreadful blow oc-

A. H. 946.
A. D. 1539.

curred in the year 946. Hoomayoon owed his life to one Nizam, a water-carrier, who with great difficulty swam alongside of him across the river, and was among the few who survived the slaughter of this eventful day, and fled to Agra. On reaching his capital, Hoo-mayoon allowed the man who had saved his life to sit on the throne for half a day, and permitted him to re­ward his own relatives during that time with princely presents. Kamran Mirza, hearing of this defeat, hastened from Agra to Alwur, to consult with his brother Hindal Mirza, and finding that the Af­ghans were likely to prevail in all quarters, they became ashamed of their conduct, and now when too late endeavoured to support Hoomayoon. The King was shortly afterwards joined by Jehangeer Beg and Ibrahim Beg, who were at this time ex­pelled from Bengal, and Mahomed Sooltan Mirza (who had gone into rebellion) came from Kunowj, leaving the country he had acquired in the hands of the enemy.

The three royal brothers having met at Agra, held daily consultations; but Kamran, averse to composing their differences, abandoned their councils, and proposed to return to Lahore, to which measure he was principally instigated by Khwaja Kullan Beg. Hoomayoon in vain used every argument to prevent his departure; but the ambition of Kamran prompted him to independence, and he accordingly withdrew from his brothers' councils. These dissensions had continued six months, when Kamran was suddenly seized with dysentery, owing to too great indulgence of his ap­petite; and imputing the disease to poison, he quitted the court for Lahore, leaving a thousand horse only under Sikundur Sooltan, one of his officers. Hoomayoon's soldiers, greatly discon­certed by the departure of Kamran Mirza, de­serted, and many of them accompanied him. Among others, however, Mirza Hydur Doghlat, * disgusted with his conduct, abandoned his standard, and joined Hoomayoon, to whom he was afterwards of great service.

Sheer Khan, who had remained quiet during these disputes, now advanced with an army to the banks of the Ganges, and detaching his son Kootub Khan across the river, took possession of the ad­jacent provinces. Hoomayoon, on receiving in­telligence of his movements, ordered Kasim Hoos-sein Sooltan, in conjunction with Yadgar Nasir Mirza and Sikundur Sooltan, to oppose him. They met the enemy at Kalpy, where an obstinate engagement took place, in which victory declared in favour of the Moguls. Kootub Khan, with a great part of his army, was cut off, and that chief's head was sent to Agra. The generals, at the same time, recommended the King immedi­ately to assume the command of the army in person.