Reign of Partáb Chand Sansodiyah.* —After the death of Rám Deo, quarrels arose among his sons, and war and bloodshed followed. Many calamities fell upon the State of Kanauj, and the enormous treasures of Rám Deo were squandered. One of Rám Deo's generals, named Partáb Chand, took advantage of the brothers' quarrels, and assembling a numerous army, and marching to Kanauj, he easily took possession of the throne. His first act was to remove all the sons of Rám Deo who were the heirs to the throne, and he left no trace of any one of them. He then repressed all the zamíndárs, who in various parts had cast off authority and gathered strength. Having brought them into due subordination, he became a powerful King. He was successful in many of his enterprises; so he became puffed up with a sense of his own greatness, and withheld the tribute due to the Kings of Írán. When a person came from Naushírwán to demand it, he sent him back empty-handed. Nau-shírwán then sent the army of Írán, and overran the country of Multán and the Panjáb. Partáb Chand was in dismay, and repent­ing of his conduct, he begged forgiveness, and sent much gold and jewels to obtain a cessation from the ravaging and plundering. So long as he lived, he ever afterwards sent the tribute yearly. After his death, the Ráís of various parts became powerful, and seized upon much territory, so that little was left to his children. They were consequently called Ránás, because in Hindí a Rájá of small territory and inferior power is called Ráná.* The descendants of Partáb Chand continue to wield authority at the time of my writing this book; but the mountain land of Komalmír and the neighbour­ing country is all that they hold. Chítor, Mandisor, and many other of their possessions have been conquered by the descendants of Amír Tímúr.

Reign of Ánand Deo Rájpút.—Ánand Deo was of the Bais tribe. After the death of Rájá Partáb Chand, he revolted in the country of Málwá, and his power increased from day to day, until he became possessed of all the countries of Málwá, Nahrwála, Mahrát (Mahratta country), and the territory of the Dakhin and Birár. He built the forts of Rámgar and Mahúr. The fort of Mándú also dates from his time. His cotemporary was Khusrú Parwíz. He reigned sixteen years, and then died. In the same year a Hindú, by name Mál Deo, rose in rebellion in the Doáb, and collecting a large army he wrested Dehlí from the hands of the sons of Partáb Chand. After the capture of Dehlí he led his army against Kanauj, which also he acquired. They say that under him Kanauj attained a high degree of prosperity, so that the shops of the betel-sellers increased from one to thirty thousand, and there were sixty thousand houses of singers and musicians. From these instances some idea may be formed of the rest. Mál Deo died after a reign of forty-two years. He had no sons, and in every part of the country the Ráís assumed independence, so that until the rise of the great and glorious Muham­madan power, there was no great paramount Rájá sitting on the throne of Hindústán. When Sultán Mahmúd of Ghazní made his holy war against Hindústán, there was a Rájá ruling at Kanauj who was called Kúr; the Rájá at Mírat was Dharm Datt; at Mahában was Kul Chand; at Láhore was Jaipál, son of Hatpál; at Kálinjar was Bijí Ráo; and so in each of the countries of Málwá, Ajmír, Gujarát, and Gwálior, there was a different ruler. Of these I shall take no notice, but shall proceed to describe the rise and progress of the Muhammadan Empire, and the exploits of its Sultáns.

Rise of Islám in Hindústán.—The first leader of Islám who placed his foot upon the territory of Hindústán, and waged the holy war with the people of that country, was Muhallab, son of Safra. In the year twenty-eight of the Hijra, 'Abdu-lla, son of 'Ámar, governor of Basra, marched against Persia on behalf of the Khalífa 'Usmán, as the people of that country had cast off their allegiance after the death of the Khalífa 'Umar. He led his army thither, and returned victorious to Basra. In the year thirty the Khalífa 'Usmán removed Walíd 'Akaba from the government of Kúfa, in consequence of his habit of drinking, and appointed Sa'id, son of 'Ás, to succeed him, In the same year, Sa'íd went towards Tabaristán. The Khalífas Hasan and Husain also took part in that invasion, and under their auspicious influence, the country of Júrján, of which Astarábád is the capital, was conquered. As the price of peace, the men of Júrján, two hundred thousand in number, accepted the faith of Islám, and thus made their home flourish.

In the year 31 the Khalífa 'Usmán commanded 'Abdu-lla bin 'Ámar to make the conquest of Khurásán; so he marched against that country by way of Kirmán, with a large army. His advanced force was under the command of Haníf bin Kais. He afterwards subdued Sístán, Khután and Naishápúr. The marzbán of Tús joined him, and then Sarakhs, Hirát, Bádghís, Ghor, Ghurjistán, Marv, Tálikán and Balkh came under Muhammadan sway. After 'Abdu-lla had in a short time achieved all these conquests, he appointed Kais bin Háshim to Khurásán; Haníf bin Kais to Marv, Tálikán and Naishápúr; and Khálid bin 'Abdu-lla to Hirát, Ghor and Ghur-jistán. Having left these governors, he himself returned to the holy places at Mecca.

In the year 32 'Abdu-r Rahmán bin Rabí'a, under the command of 'Usmán, had gone out to war against Balkh; but he and many of his men were slain. Such of them as escaped the sword fled into Júrján and Jílán. In the same year Kárún, one of the amírs of 'Ajam,—when he found that 'Abdu-lla 'Ámar had gone to visit the holy places, and that Khurásán was left without any Persian Musul-máns,—collected forty thousand men from Tabbas, Hirát, Bádghís, Khután, Ghor and other places, and then rose in rebellion. 'Abdu-lla 'Ázim, who was with Haníf at Naishápúr, with forty thousand men, put down his rebellion, and for that service received the government of Khurásán.

In the year 44 Mu'áwiya, son of Abú Sufiyán, appointed Ziyád bin Ummaiya governor of Basra, Khurásán and Sístán. In the same year Abdu-r Rahmán bin Samar, under the permission of Ziyád, effected the conquest of Kábul, and reduced the inhabitants to obedience. About that time Muhallab bin Abú Safra, one of the great 'Arab amírs, came from Marv to Kábul and Zábul. He then proceeded to Hindústán, to wage holy war against the infidels. He made ten or twelve thousand boys and girls prisoners. At that time many of the people of Hind, by the will of God, became Muslims.

In the year 53 a disease* made its appearance in the fingers of Ziyád bin Ummaiya, and he died. Mu'áwiya then appointed his son 'Abdu-lla to be governor of Kúfa. After a while, he marched towards Máwaráu-n Nahr; and after capturing several cities, he returned, and received the government of Basra. He sent before him Islám bin Zirá'at al Gilání to take charge of Khurásán.

In the year 59* Mu'áwiya appointed Sa'd bin 'Usmán 'Affán to the government of Khurásán. In the year 62 Yazíd bín Mu'áwiya appointed Salam bin Ziyád to the government of Khu-rásán and Sístán. Among the men whom Yazíd sent with Salam was Muhallab, son of Abú Safra. He appointed Salam, son of his younger brother Yazíd bin Ziyád, to the government of Sístán. When he heard that the King (pádsháh) of Kábul had broken out in rebellion, and had imprisoned 'Abdu-lla bin Ziyád, the 'Arab governor (hákim), he immediately collected an army, and marched against the people of Kábul. After a severe fight, he was defeated with heavy loss. When intelligence of this reached Salam Ziyád, he sent to Kábul Talha bin 'Abdu-lla bin Haníf Khuzáí, who is well known by the title of “Talha of the Talhas,” with the object of buying back Abú 'Ubaidah for five hundred thousand dirams. After that, Salam gave the government of Sístán to Talha. He then sent the armies of Ghor and Bádghís against Kábul, and compelled the people of that place to become obedient. Then he appointed to the government of Kábul Khálid bin 'Abdu-lla, who, according to some, was of the lineage of Khálid Walíd; but according to others, he was of the stock of Abú Jahl. When Khálid bin 'Abdu-lla was dismissed from the government of Kábul, he, through fear of the governor of Majad, thought his journey to 'Irák-'ajami would be difficult and dangerous. So, with his wives and children, and with a party of 'Arabs, he, under the guidance of some of the chief men of Kábul, proceeded to the Sulaimán mountains, which lie between Multán and Pesháwar, and there took up his abode. He gave his daughter in marriage to an Afghán of repute, who had become a convert to the Muhammadan faith. That woman bore sons, from whom sprang two individuals, who obtained high renown. One was Lodí, the other Súr. The Afghán tribes of Lodí and Súr spring from this source. In the book, Matla'u-l Anwár, written by a trust­worthy author, which I saw at Burhánpúr, in Khándes, it is affirmed that the Afgháns are (descended from) nobles of Pharaoh. For when the Prophet Moses prevailed over the reprobate Pharaoh, many of his chiefs were repentant, and were converted to the religion of Moses. Some of the chiefs who were devoted to Pharaoh and his god, in the grossness of their ignorance, rejected Islám; and having left their native land, emigrated to India, and settled in the Sulaimán mountains. There their tribes grew numerous, and re­ceived the name of Afgháns. When Abraha went up to attack the Ka'bah, many infidels from far and wide accompained him. Among them were the Afgháns, who joined him for a certain time. When they arrived at Mecca, they met their punishment, and went to de­struction. The Musulmán Afgháns engaged in agriculture, and in other occupations, for obtaining a livelihood. They became rich in horses, cattle and sheep, and they formed connexions and kept up communications with those Muhammadans who had followed Mu­hammad Kásim through Sind to Multán, and there dwelt.