Sultán Mahmúd, when informed of these transactions, again went against Sultán Bahlol, in violation of his solemn engage­ments. They met face to face at Shamsábád, and Daryá Khán Lodí and Kutb Khán* made a night attack on the army of Sultán Mahmúd. By chance, Kutb Khán's horse stumbled, and he was thrown to the ground and taken prisoner. Sultán Mahmúd confined him and sent him to Jaunpúr, where he remained captive for seven years. Sultán Bahlol, leaving Prince Jalál Khán, Sikandar Khán, and 'Imádu-l Mulk in front of Sultán Mahmúd's forces, for the purpose of render­ing assistance to Ráí Karan, who was in the fort of Shams-ábád, went in person against Sultán Mahmúd. At this time the Sultán [Mahmúd] fell sick, and in two or three days the measure of his age was filled to the brim, and he ceased to exist. His mother, Bíbí Rájí, who was a very wise, clever and ex­perienced woman, with the assistance of the nobles, seated Prince Bhíkhan Khán on the throne of the kingdom, and gave him the title of Muhammad Sháh. Certain of the chief nobles and grandees of the State interposed, and made peace between the two monarchs, under which it was agreed that the territories of Sultán Mahmúd should be ruled by Muhammad Sháh, and that those owned formerly by Sultán 'Aláu-d dín should be governed by Sultán Bahlol.

After this compact, Muhammad Sháh retraced his steps to Jaunpúr, and Sultán Bahlol went towards Dehlí. On his arrival near Dehlí, Shams Khátún, sister of Kutb Khán, and the chief lady of the Sultán's harem, sent to say, that as long as Kutb Khán remained the prisoner of Sultán Muhammad Sháh, it would be unlawful for the Sultán to take sleep or repose of any kind, [adding that she would kill herself].* This speech made such an impression on the Sultán, that he turned back from Dehlí, and set off again against Muhammad Sháh. When Muhammad heard this, he set out from Jaunpúr, with the view of meeting Sultán Bahlol; and on reaching Shamsábád, he took that district away from Ráí Karan, Sultán Bahlol's governor, and reinstated Júná Khán. Although Ráí Partáb had formerly been on the side of Sultán Bahlol, yet he now became alarmed on account of Muhammad Sháh's successes, and joined his party. Muhammad Sháh reached Sursení by uninterrupted marches. Sultán Bahlol encamped in the pargana of Ráprí, which adjoined Sursení, and fighting took place for some days between the two armies.

Muhammad Sháh wrote a farmán to the Kotwál of Jaunpúr, ordering him to put his (the Sháh's) own brother, Hasan Khán, and Kutb Khán Lodí, who were both detained as prisoners, to death.* The Kotwál represented that Bíbí Rájí protected both of them, and that he had not sufficient authority to kill them. When Muhammad Sháh learnt the contents of the reply, he wrote in a perfidious, plausible and treacherous way to his mother, saying, “My brother, Hasan Khán, suffers greatly in prison; it is proper that you should come here and make peace between him and me; after which an estate shall be given to him.” Bíbí Rájí set forth on receiving the letter; and when she was some stages on the road, one of Sháh Muhammad's courtiers put Prince Hasan Khán to death by order. This news reached Bíbí Rájí at Kanauj. After mourning for Hasan Khán in Kanauj, she declined to enter the presence of Muhammad Sháh. When Muhammad Sháh heard of his mother's return, he was wroth, and wrote to her, saying, “Why do you mourn on account of the execution of an individual? All the princes will meet with a like fate, and then you can mourn for them all at once!” The nobles and ministers were in continual dread of Muhammad Sháh, for he was of a very ferocious, blood­thirsty, and passionate disposition.

During these transactions, Husain Khán, a younger brother of Muhammad Sháh, sent Sultán Sháh and Jalál Khán Ajodhaní to inform Muhammad Sháh that the troops of Sultán Bahlol intended to make a night attack; that 30,000 horsemen and thirty elephants had been detached for the purpose, and had taken a position on the banks of the Jharna.* Sultán Muhammad,* on receiving this news, sent a division of his troops to oppose them. Prince Husain Khán desired to take his brother Sháh-záda Jalál Khán with him, and sent a man to call him; but Sultán Sháh remonstrated against the delay, representing that Jalál Khán might come up afterwards. Upon this, they went off in the direction of the enemy. It so happened, that Sultán Bahlol's army was prepared for these movements; so that when Prince Jalál Khán, in obedience to the sum­mons of Husain Khán, had left the army of Muhammad Sháh, and started for the Jharna, he found himself in the presence of the Sultán's troops, instead of Husain Khán's. Thereupon, Sultán Bahlol's men seized Jalál Khán, and brought him into the presence of their sovereign, who imprisoned him, deter­mining to retain him as a hostage for the safety of Kutb Khán. [Husain Khán, when he heard of this capture of Jalál Khán, being in fear and dread of Muhammad Sháh, took to flight and went to Jaunpúr.]* Muhammad Sháh was terror-stricken when he learnt the capture of one brother and the flight of another, fearing that the latter might go and do damage to his interests throughout the country; but being unable to offer any opposi­tion, he went to Kanauj, and was pursued as far as the Ganges by Sultán Bahlol, who returned to Dehlí after plundering a small portion of the baggage [and capturing some elephants and horses].

Sháhzáda Husain Khán, in the year 857, came, at Jaunpúr, into the presence of Bíbí Rájí, to pay his respects; and as she was greatly displeased with Muhammad Sháh, she, with the aid of the Sharkí nobles and grandees, raised him to the throne of the kingdom of Jaunpúr, with the title of Sultán Husain.* Malik Mubárak Gang, Malik 'Alí Gujarátí, and other chiefs were appointed to attack Muhammad Sháh, who had taken up a position at Rájgarh, on the river Ganges. When Sultán Husain's army approached, divers nobles who were dis­satisfied with Muhammad Sháh forsook him, and joined the forces of Sultán Husain. Muhammad Sháh fled, accompanied by 100 of his body-guard, and arrived at a garden which was in that neighbourhood, where he was surrounded by the Sultán's soldiers. Muhammad Sháh, being a capital archer, took up his bow and arrows; but previous to this, Bíbí Rájí had per­suaded the armourer of Muhammad to remove the points from the arrows which he had in his quiver, so he found, at the time of action, that all the arrows which he drew forth from his quiver were pointless. At last he threw down his bow, and took to his sword, with which he smote down several persons; but an arrow from the bow of destiny was sent by the hand of Malik Mubárak Gang, which struck Muhammad Sháh in the throat. The wound caused him to fall from his horse to the ground, when he attained martyrdom.

“Our mother, Nature, never bore a son whom she did not slay!
Beware, distrust the love of this murderer of her offspring!”

After these events, the Almighty established Sultán Husain firmly in the possession of the kingdom. He made peace with Sultán Bahlol, by which they were both bound to remain satis­fied with their own possessions for four years. Ráí Partáb was induced by Kutb Khán to side with Sultán Bahlol.* When Sultán Husain had made peace, and arrived near the Hauz-i Hariya, he sent for Kutb Khán [Lodí] from Jaunpúr, and after presenting him with a horse, a royal dress of honour, an elephant, girdles, daggers, and jewelled swords, he gave him leave to depart, and having thus treated him with all possible honour and respect, sent him to Sultán Bahlol. Sultán Bahlol, likewise, gratified Prince Jalál Khán by the kind and polite manner in which he behaved to him, and then sent him to Sultán Husain.