Barbag the eunuch, the faithless miscreant, after slaying his own master, placed himself on the throne, according to the saying—
When a forest is untenanted, jackals give themselves the airs of lions.
He styled himself Sultān Shāhzādā. He collected together eunuchs from all places; and bestowing largesses on low people, won them over to his side, and attempted to enhance his rank and power. Finding that only his own peers would come within his clutches, he tried to destroy the high and influential nobles. Out of these, the premier-nobleman, Malik Andīl, the Abyssinian, who was on the frontiers, becoming apprised of the eunuch’s designs, planned to set his own capable son on the throne, and to finish off the eunuch’s life-work. At that time, the doomed eunuch thought of summoning Malik Andīl, in order to imprison him by means of a trap; then he issued orders summoning him. Malik Andīl guessing the real significance of the summons, with a large number proceeded to meet the eunuch. Since the Malik observed great precaution in his ingress to and egress from the darbar, the eunuch despaired of destroying him. In consequence, one day, the eunuch arranging an entertainment, showed great intimacy towards Malik Andīl, and placing a Qorān, said: “Place your hand on the Holy Book, and vow that you will not iujure me.” Malik Andīl vowed, “So long as you are on the throne, I shall do you no injury.” Inasmuch as all the people were designing to destroy that miscreant eunuch, Malīk Andīl also schemed to avenge the murder of his benefactor, and leaguing with the porters sought for an opportunity. One night, whilst that miscreant was intoxicated by excessive indulgence in liquor, and lay asleep on the throne, Malik Andīl, being led in by the porters, entered the harem, to kill the eunuch. When he found the latter asleep on the throne, he hesitated, on recollecting his vow. Suddenly, that miscreant over whom a fatality was hanging, by the will of Povidence which flings one from the throne of pride down to the dust of degradation, and places on another’s head the crown of sovereignty, owing to his intoxication from liquor, slipped down from the throne. Malik Andīl was delighted at this incident, and drew his sword on him, but did not succeed in despatching him. Sultān Shāhzādā, awaking, and seeing himself in front of an unsheathed sword, seized Malik Andīl, and being strong, in the wrestling, threw down the latter, and sat on his chest. Malik Andīl who held tightly the hair of the eunuch’s head, did not let it go, but shouted out to Yugrush Khān who was standing outside the room, to come up quickly. Yugrush Khān, the Turk, with a number of Abyssinians, instantly came in, and finding Malik Andīl underneath the eunuch, hesitated in attacking with the sword. In the interval of search, the lights had fallen under the hands and feet of the two wrestlers and had got extinguished, and all was dark. Malik Andīl shouted out to Yugrush Khān, “I am holding the hair of the eunuch’s head, and he is so broad and robust, that his body has become in a way my shield; do not hesitate to strike with your sword, since it will not penetrate through, and even if it does, it does not matter; for I and a hundred thousand like me can die in avenging the death of our late master.” Yugrush Khān gently inflicted some strokes with his sword on the back and shoulder of Sultān Shāhzādā, who feigned being dead. Malik Andīl then got up, and along with Yugrush Khān and the Abyssinians, went out, and Tawachī Bashī, entering the bed-room of Sultān Shāhzādā, lighted up the lamp. Sultān Shāhzāda, fancying him to be Malik Andīl, before the lamp was lit, from fear not mounting the throne, had escaped into a cellar. Tawachī Bashī proceeding towards the cellar, entered it; then again Sultān Shāhzādā feigned being dead. The Bashī cried out: “It is a pity that rebels have killed my master, and ruined the kingdom.” Sultān Shāhzādā, fancying him to be one of his own loyal adherents, cried out: “Look here, hold your peace, for I am alive,” and enquired where Malik Andīl was. Tawachī said: “Thinking that he has killed the king, he has returned home with peace of mind.” Sultān Shāhzādā told him, “go out, call together the nobles and set them to fetch Malik Andīl’s head, after killing him, and place watchmen in charge of the gates, warning them to be armed and on the alert.” Tawachī the Abyssinian replied: “Very well, now I go to effect a radical cure.” Coming out, he quickly told the whole affair to Malik Andīl, who again went in, and inflicting cuts with the dagger, finished off the eunuch’s life, and leaving his corpse in that cellar, locked it, and coming out sent a person to summon Khān Jahān, the Vizier. And after the arrival of the Vizier, he held a council for the election of a king. And since the son of Fath Shāh was only two years old, the nobles were diffident as to how he could be placed on the throne, so that, in the morning, all the nobles being of one mind went to the house of the widow-queen of Fath Shāh, related to her the story of the night, and said: “As the prince is a child, you should appoint one to manage the affairs of Government, until the prince comes of age.” The queen, on learning their anxiety, knew what to say. She said: “I have made a vow to God that I would bestow the kingdom on the person who kills the murderer of Fath Shāh.”* Malik Andīl, at first, declined to accept the burden of kingdom, but afterwards, when all the nobles collecting in that assembly unanimously besought him, he mounted the throne. The period of Sultan Shāhzādā’s reign according to one account was eight months, and, according to another account, two and a half months. After this incident in connection with Sultan Shāhzādā, for some years, it became the ruling practice in Bengal that whoever slew the ruling king, and got an opportunity to seat himself on the throne, became recipient of homage and submission of the people, who did not protest against his installation.* In one pamphlet, the period of the rule of Sultān Shāhzāda is stated to be six months. God knows the truth.
When Malik Andīl the Abyssinian, by his good fortune, took in lap the bride of the sovereignty of Bengal, he styled himself Fīruz Shāh, and proceeding to the metropolis of Gaur established himself there. In the directions of justice and liberality, he put forth noble efforts, and secured for his subjects peace and comfort. In that, during the time he was a noble, Malik Andīl had done great and heroic deeds, both his soldiers and subjects dreaded him, and did not lean towards disaffection. In liberality and generosity, he was matchless. In a short time, he bestowed on the poor the treasures and largesses of past sovereigns, who had hoarded the same with considerable exertions and pains. It is said that on one occasion in one day he bestowed on the poor one lak of rupees. The members of Government did not like this lavishness, and used to say to one another: “This Abyssinian does not appreciate the value of the money which has fallen into his hands, without toil and labour. We ought to set about discovering a means by which he might be taught the value of money, and to withhold his hand from useless extravagance and lavishness.” Then they collected that treasure on the floor, that the king might behold it with his own eyes, and appreciating its value, might attach value to it. When the king saw the treasure, he enquired: “Why is this treasure left in this place?” The members of Government said: “This is the same treasure that you allotted to the poor.” The king said: “How can this amount suffice? Add another lak to it.” The members of Government, getting confounded, distributed the treasure amongst the beggars. Malik Andīl, after reigning for three years, in 899 A.H. fell ill, and the light of his life was extinguished by the breeze of death. But the more reliable account is, that Firuz Shāh also was slain at the hands of the Paiks.* A mosque, a tower and a reservoir in the city of Gaur, were erected by him.
When Firuz Shāh passed to the secret-house of non-existence, the nobles and the ministers placed on the throne his eldest son, named Mahmūd. And an Abyssinian slave, named Habash Khān, became the Administrator-General of financial and administrative affairs, and his influence so completely pervaded all affairs of government, that, except a bare title, nothing of sovereignty was left to Mahmūd Shāh, and the latter was compelled to live in this way, until another Abyssinian, who was called Sīdī Badr Dīwāna, despairing of his ways, killed Habash Khān, and himself became the Administrator of the affairs of government. After some time, leaguing with the commandant of the Paiks, at night-time, he killed Mahmūd Shāh, and next morning with the concurrence of the nobles of the palace, who were in league with him, he ascended the throne, assuming the title of Muzaffar Shāh. The reign of Mahmūd Shāh lasted one year. And in the history of Haji Muhammad Qandaharī, it is related that Sultān Mahmūd Shāh* was a son of Fath Shāh. Jashn Khān,* a slave of Barbag Shāh, under order of Sultān Firūz Shāh, trained him up; and after the death of Sultān Firūz Shāh, Sultān Maḥmūd was placed on the throne. After six months had passed, Habash Khān, harboured notions of sovereignty in his head. Malik Badr Dīwāna killing Habash Khān, as has been related before, himself mounted the throne.