Mahomed Shah Lohany, however, having still some esteem left for Sheer Khan, against whom no­thing had been yet proved, delayed this measure, to which he was instigated by Mahomed Khan Soor; but by way of alarming him, he gave orders that his accuser should take an account of the revenue of the estates, in order to make an equal division of it among his brothers. Mahomed Khan Soor, availing himself of this order, sent one Shady Khan, an adopted slave, to Sheer Khan, acquainting him that his brothers, according to the King's commands, were to have their proportion of the estate, which he had hitherto so unjustly withheld from them. Sheer Khan returned for answer, that Mahomed Khan Soor was much mistaken if he supposed this was the country of Roh, where estates were to be subdivided, for that the land be­longed to the King, which he disposed of at pleasure. * That it was true, family estates, up to the present period, were always divided equally among sons on the death of their father; but that no such distribution took place in cases where districts were conferred for the support of troops, for the possession of which royal grants were made out, and given to him whom the King thought most fit to perform his service. That as he himself had a personal grant from the crown for his estate, his brethren were entirely out of the question, although he had consented to give a part of the revenue to his brother Sooliman.

When the messenger returned with this an­swer to Mahomed Khan Soor, then at Joonpoor, he became so incensed, that, raising all his forces, he sent them against Sheer Khan, under the command of Shady Khan, his adopted slave, ac­companied by Sheer Khan's brothers, Sooli-man and Ahmud. Shady Khan's orders were, to take possession of the country, and to leave a force with Sooliman to protect him in the estate. This measure was altogether so sud­den and unexpected, that Sheer Khan had no time to collect his troops; but on the first alarm he wrote to one Mullik Sooka (the father of Khowas Khan), his deputy in the district of Kho-waspoor Tanda, to harass the enemy, but by all means to avoid an action till he joined him in person. Mullik Sooka, however, desirous of dis­tinguishing himself, gave his enemies battle, and lost both his life and the victory. This unexpected reverse weakened Sheer Khan's power so much, that he was in no condition to oppose Mahomed Khan Soor; he therefore evacuated the country, and fled to Sooltan Jooneid Birlas, governor of Kurra and Manukpoor, on the part of the Emperor Babur. To Sooltan Jooneid Birlas he made a handsome present, was taken into favour, and at length obtained a body of troops to recover his country. With these he defeated Mahomed Khan, who fled to the mountain of Rohtas, so that he not only recovered his own country, but added several other districts to his jageer, which he now held of the Mogul Emperor. Having rewarded the Mo­guls who had aided him, he permitted them to return to their master. From this time, Sheer Khan raised troops among his former friends who had fled to the hills, and eventually became very formidable in those parts. Having thus established himself, he invited back his enemy Mahomed Khan Soor, who had fled, and put him in possession of his former estate. This generous conduct con­verted his greatest foe into one of his best friends. Sheer Khan, having settled his affairs, left his brother Nizam Khan in charge of his country, and paid a visit to his benefactor, Sooltan Jooneid Birlas, at Kurra, who being then about to proceed to Agra, invited Sheer Khan to accompany him, when he was introduced to the Emperor Babur, whom he attended in his expedition to Chundery.

Sheer Khan, having stayed some time in the Mogul camp, and observing the manners and ha­bits of the court, said one day to a friend, that he thought it would be no difficult matter to drive those foreigners out of Hindoostan. His friend asked him what reason he had to think so. Sheer Khan replied, “That the King himself, though a “man of parts, attended but little to business; “that he trusted every thing to his ministers, who “were all corrupt, and thought more of their own “interests than of the King's concerns; that, “therefore, if the Afghans, who were now at en-“mity among themselves, could be brought to unite, “the work might be effected; and should fortune “ever favour him, he imagined himself even equal “to the task, however difficult it might at present “appear.” His friends burst into laughter, and began to ridicule the idea. Sheer Khan, a few days after, being seated at dinner in the King's tent, had some solid dishes placed before him, but had only a spoon to eat with: he called for a knife; but the servants not supplying him, he drew his dagger without ceremony, and cutting up his meat, made a hearty meal, without noticing those who ap­peared diverted at the incident. When he had done, Babur, who had watched the whole pro­ceeding, turned to the steward of the household, and said, “This Afghan is not to be disconcerted “with trifles: he may come to be a great man “yet.”

Sheer Khan, conceiving by this observation that the King might have been informed of his late private conversation, left the camp that night, and retired to his estate. He wrote from thence to his benefactor, Sooltan Jooneid Birlas, that, as Mahomed Khan Soor had prevailed on Mahomed Shah Shurky, King of Behar, to send troops against his jageer, he had left Babur's camp so suddenly without taking leave. Having thus accounted to Sooltan Jooneid Birlas for his departure, he re­solved to be reconciled to Mahomed Shah Shurky, with whom he now became a greater favourite than before.

Mahomed Shah Lohany dying a short time after, was succeeded by his son, Julal Khan, a minor. The young prince's mother, the Sooltana Ladoo, acted as regent, and conferred the principal offices of the government upon Sheer Khan; and she too dying soon after, the administration fell wholly into his hands. Mukdoom Alum, the governor of Hajy-poor, on the part of Mahmood Shah Poorby, King of Bengal, being guilty of some misconduct, put himself under Sheer Khan's protection. The King of Bengal, to revenge this insult, ordered Kootub Khan, governor of Moongeer, with a force against Behar. As the forces of Behar were in­considerable in comparison with those of Bengal, Sheer Khan made many overtures for accom­modating differences, but to no purpose. Finding all arguments vain, he resolved to stand the un­equal encounter, in which his superior skill and bravery acquired for him a complete victory. Kootub Khan was slain; and all his treasure, elephants, and camp-equipage taken, which greatly added to Sheer Khan's power and reputation.

After this victory the Lohany Afghans, cousins of Julal Khan, the young King of Behar, envying the fortune of Sheer Khan, formed a conspiracy against his life. Sheer Khan, having discovered the plot, taxed Julal Khan with being privy to it, telling the young Prince at the same time that there was no necessity for taking so base a method of ridding himself of his servant; for that if he should but once signify his inclination, Sheer Khan was ready to resign the management of that government, which he had lately so successfully protected. The Prince, either doubtful of his sincerity, or perhaps equally suspicious of the other chiefs, would not consent to his resignation; which so effectually disappointed the conspir­ators, that they took every possible opportunity to widen the breach between the King and his minister. Sheer Khan, finding that he had no security but in maintaining his power, by the unlimited use he made of it justly excited the Prince's jealousy to such a degree, that, one night, accompanied by his officers, Julal Khan fled to Mah-mood Shah Poorby of Bengal, and implored his aid to expel Sheer Khan, who had usurped his authority. Mahmood Shah Poorby, excited by compassion towards the young Prince, as well as instigated by his personal hatred of Sheer Khan, sent Ibrahim Khan, the son of Kootub Khan, (whom Sheer Khan had lately defeated and slain) with a con­siderable army against him. The Bengal army besieged Sheer Khan in a mud fort * for a length of time without success, till Ibrahim Khan found it necessary to raise the siege and send for rein­forcements. Sheer Khan, availing himself of this circumstance, came out and offered battle. He ordered his troops to make a show of flight at the onset, in order to draw the enemy into an ambush which he had prepared; and he thus defeated and slew Ibrahim Khan, took all his guns and ele­phants, and compelled the young Prince Julal to fly in great distress to Bengal.

Sheer Khan being now sole master of all Behar, became daily more and more powerful. Taj Khan was at this time governor of the strong fort of Chunar, which he had held on his own account from the period of the death of Ibrahim Lody. His wife, Ladoo Mullika, who was barren, but for whom he had a great affection, having excited the envy of his other wives by whom he had children, nearly fell a victim to her husband's partiality; for the rest of Taj Khan's wives conspired against her, and induced one of their sons to promise to murder her. The young man who had under­taken the act, missing his blow, only inflicted a slight wound; and Taj Khan, being alarmed by his wife's cries, came to her assistance, and drew his sword on his son, who, seeing no hopes of escape, assaulted his father and slew him. The rest of Taj Khan's sons being yet too young to be in­trusted with the government, Ladoo Mullika, by her address among the chiefs and zemindars, con­trived to manage the estate. Sheer Khan, in­formed of this state of affairs, proposed a treaty of marriage with the widow Ladoo Mullika, which was soon concluded. Sheer Khan thus secured Chunar and the dependent districts, which added greatly to his power; and the acquisition of a con­siderable treasure in the place was most oppor­tune.