Musaood ascends the throne — his great strength. — The Sul-jooky Toorkmans invade Khorassan and Samarkand. — His general, Altoon Tash, sent to Samarkand to oppose the Suljooks, but is killed. — Magnanimous conduct of Altoon Tash previous to his death. — A truce concluded. — Samar-kand ceded to Allytugeen Suljook. — Musaood marches towards India — attacks the fort of Soorsutty. — Dreadful famine throughout Persia — succeeded by the plague — 40,000 souls die in Isfahan. — Suljooks invade Nyshapoor. — The King sends an army against them — they are defeated in the first instance, but subsequently return and defeat the Ghiznevides. — The King takes no farther steps against the Suljooks, but proceeds to Ghizny — he proclaims his son, Modood, his heir and successor, and confers on him the government of Bulkh. —The King marches into India — attacks Hansy, and carries it by storm. — Sonput evacuated. — The King returns to Ghizny, leaving his son, Modood, at Lahore. — Farther incursions of the Suljooks on Bulkh, under their leader, Toghrul Beg. — The King throws a bridge across the Jeihoon, and enters Transoxania. — Toghrul Beg passes to the rear of his army, and appears suddenly before Ghizny. — The King makes peace with Mungoo Khan Suljook, and agrees to cede territory to him — attacks and defeats a horde of Suljooks at Badwird, but is defeated at Suruksh by them in the following year. — Musaood's personal prowess and courage — sends his eldest son, Modood, to defend Bulkh, and his younger son, Mādood, to Lahore. — The Prince yezeedyar is sent to keep the Afghans in check. — The King retires to Lahore. — Mutiny in his army: — they seize the treasure. — Musaood deposed — his brother, Mahomed, elevated to the throne by the troops. — The death of Musaood — his character — literary attainments.

MUSAOOD, full of liberality and valour, acquired the title of Roostoom the Second. His arrow, after piercing the strongest mail, penetrated the hide of an elephant, and his iron mace was so ponderous, that no man of his time could raise it with one hand. By his bold and independent language he frequently offended his father, who for that reason fixed his affections on his brother Mahomed, a prince of a more mild and tractable disposition. It is related in the Tubkat Nasiry, on the authority of Khwaja Aboo Nusr Mukutty, that Sooltan Mahmood privately intimated to the Caliph of Bagdad, that in addressing him he wished the Caliph to insert the name of the Prince Mahomed before that of Musaood. The next letter which came was read aloud in court, and many of the nobles expressed their surprise and indignation at this unusual circumstance. Aboo Nusr states, that on leaving the durbar he him­self followed Musaood to the door, and told him that what he had heard gave him the utmost concern, for that his own inclination, as well as the hearts of most of the nobles, were all in his favour. The Prince replied, with a smile, Give yourselves no concern about it: dominion belongs to the longest sword. One of the King's attend­ants overhearing this conversation, gave information of it to his father Mahmood, who sent for Aboo Nusr, and asked him what had passed between him and the Prince Musaood. Aboo Nusr, conceiving truth would be his best defence, related the parti­culars. The King observed, he entertained a high regard for Musaood, who he foresaw would one day be king, but that the Prince Mahomed had gained his affections by filial duty, and more im­plicit obedience.

Musaood on his accession released Ahmud, the son of Hussun Mymundy, who by the orders of the Emperor Mahmood had been imprisoned in the fort of Kalunjur, * situated on the Indian frontier, and again made him vizier. The ac­counts of Ameer Ahmud, the son of Danieltugeen the treasurer, being found deficient, the King obliged him to refund a great sum for mal-practices in his office. He was subsequently appointed governor in Hindoostan, and ordered to proceed to Lahore. At the same time Mujd-ood-Dowla Delimy, who had been imprisoned in one of the forts of Hindoostan, was released and called to court.

A. H. 422.
A. D. 1031. The King, in the year 422, having left Bulkh came to Ghizny, and sent an army to Kech† * and Mikran, caus­ing the coin of both provinces to be struck in his name. The prince of those countries died about that time and left two sons, Abool Asakir and Eesa: the younger brother taking possession of the government, Abool Asakir had recourse for aid to the Emperor Musaood, to whom the fugitive prince promised an annual tribute, and to hold his dominions, when recovered, of him. Musaood accordingly sent an army with Abool Asakir, giving orders to his general to reconcile, if possible, the difference between the brothers, and to divide the country equally between them, but if this could not be effected, to put Abool Asakir in possession of the whole.

The Ghiznevide army arrived on the frontiers; but so obstinate was Eesa that he would accede to no terms of accommodation; and though deserted by many friends who joined his brother, he de­termined to decide the contest by the sword. He fought with great bravery, and was slain in the conflict. The provinces thus fell into the hands of Abool Asakir, who paid tribute henceforward to the Emperor of Ghizny.

Musaood, in the same year, bestowed the vice­royship of Rye in Persia, of Humadan, and the whole of Joorjistan, upon Tash (one of his own domestic sweepers), a man who, though raised from the lowest office in the camp, displayed un­common abilities in reducing those provinces to obedience. After the departure of the King, those countries of which he had himself before been governor revolted. Tash not only reduced them to subjection, but also chastised Alla-ood-Dowla, the Ghiznevide governor of Khorassan, who had been tampering with the rebels.

Musaood, having settled affairs at Ghizny, in­tended to march to Ispahan and Rye; but when he arrived at Hirat, the inhabitants of Suruksh and Badwird complained to him of the ravages of the Suljooky Toorkmans. The King, moved by the complaint of his subjects, ordered Abdool Raees, the son of Abdool Azeez, a brave general, with a large force to attack these invaders. This officer, however, met with great opposition from the Toork-mans, and the King, without having accomplished his object, was constrained to return to Ghizny.

A. H. 423.
A. D. 1032. In the year 423, the King com­manded Altoon Tash to proceed from Khwaruzm, with his army, to oppose Ally-tugeen Suljook, who had invaded and conquered Samarkand and Bokhara. Altoon Tash marched to Mawur-ool-Nehr, having been reinforced in the neighbourhood of Bulkh by 15,000 horse detached for the purpose from Ghizny. With this army he crossed the river Amoo, and continued his route to Bokhara, which having fallen without much oppo­sition, he proceeded to Samarkand. Allytugeen, quitting the city, occupied a small village in the vicinity, having a river and a wood on one side, and a high mountain on the other. In this position he was attacked by Altoon Tash, when a party of Allytugeen's horse, issuing from behind a hill on one flank, attacked the Ghiznevide army in the rear. A great slaughter ensued, and Altoon Tash was severely wounded in a part of the body in which he had formerly received a blow from a catapulta in taking one of the forts of Hindoostan. He, how­ever, concealed the circumstance from his army; and having charged the enemy's troops with great gallantry, they were put to flight after an obstinate and bloody conflict. After the battle Altoon Tash, assembling his principal officers, showed them his wound, and told them his end was approaching; that they must now manage their own affairs; inti­mating, at the same time, that he thought it would be advisable to conclude a peace with the enemy. This advice being approved, a messenger was despatched to Allytugeen, that very night, with proposals, which were eagerly accepted. The conditions were, that Allytugeen should keep possession of Samarkand, and that Bokhara should remain in the hands of Musaood. The two armies separated on the fol­lowing day, the one for Samarkand, and the other for Khorassan. Altoon Tash died the day after; but his death being concealed from the army, the chiefs conducted the troops to Khwaruzm. When these accounts reached the King, he conferred the government on Haroon, the son of Altoon Tash. During this year the excellent Vizier Khwaja Ahmud, the son of Hussun Mymundy, died, and was succeeded in his office by Aboo Nusr Ahmud, the son of Mahomed, the son of Abool Sumud, private secretary to Haroon, the son of Altoon Tash, who was now invited from Khwaruzm for the pur­pose of receiving the official seals.

A. H. 424.
A. D. 1033. In the year 424, the King resolved on making an expedition into India. He took the route of Soorsutty, situated among the hills of Kashmeer; the garrison of which fort being intimidated, sent messengers to the King, promising valuable presents, and an annual tribute, if he would desist from his enterprise. Musaood felt disposed to listen to the proposals, until he understood that some Mahomedan merchants, having been seized by the garrison, were then captives in the place. He accordingly broke up the conference, and be­sieged the fort, ordering the ditch to be filled up with sugar-canes, * from the adjacent plantations. This being done, he caused scaling-ladders to be applied to the walls; and the fort, after a bloody contest, was taken. The garrison, without distinc­tion, was put to the sword, except the women and children, who were carried off by the soldiers as slaves. The King, moreover, commanded that a part of the spoil should be given to the Maho-medans who had been prisoners in Soorsutty, and who had formerly lost their effects. This year was remarkable for a great drought and famine in many parts of the world. The famine was suc-