Moobariz assumes the title of Mahomed Shah — some account of his vices and character. — Hemoo, a Hindoo retail shopkeeper, is raised to the office of minister. — Disaffection prevalent at court. — Taj Khan Kirrany quits the court, and raises an army. — Ibrahim Khan Soor also raises troops, and assumes the title of king. — Mahomed Soor marches to attack Ibrahim — consents to divide the kingdom, and quits Dehly. — Ahmud Khan, a nephew of Sheer Shah, disputes the right of both kings, and assumes the title of Sikundur Shah.

AS soon as Moobariz Khan had secured the musnud of the dynasty of Soor, he assumed the title of Aadil Shah; but the lower orders of the people having rejected the letter a in the beginning, and added the letter y to the end of the word, were in the habit of calling him Adily, by which name he is known to posterity. Adily having always devoted himself to pleasure, neglected even the common acquire­ments of reading and writing. He hated men of learning, and kept company with illiterate per­sons like himself, whom he raised to the highest dignities in the state; among whom, one Hemoo, an Indian shopkeeper, whom his predecessor Sulim Shah had made superintendent of the markets, was intrusted with the whole administration of affairs.

A. H. 960.
A. D. 1552. The King, in the mean time, heedless of what passed, spent his time in excess among the inmates of his haram. Having often heard much in praise of the munificence of former kings, particularly of Mahomed Toghluk, and mistaking prodigality for liberality, he opened the treasury, and lavished riches on all ranks without distinction. As he rode out, he discharged amongst the multitude golden-headed arrows, which sold for ten or twelve rupees each. This wanton ex­travagance soon left him without any of the treasure of his predecessors; and the people gave him the nickname of Andly, which in the Indian language signifies, equally, one who is blind, or who, acting as such, evinces himself a fool.

When Hemoo found himself invested with the whole executive power of the state, his pride and insolence (though formerly a man of sense) knew no bounds. This naturally created him enemies among the Afghan chiefs, who, having conspired against his life, revolted from his authority. The King became daily more and more despicable in the eyes of his subjects, while all regularity in the government ceased. One day, during a public audience, he began to distribute estates and go­vernments to his chiefs; among others, he ordered the province of Kunowj to be taken from Mahomed Khan Firmully, and to be given to Surmust Khan Surrabunny. Sikundur Khan, the son of Mahomed Khan, a brave young man, being present, said aloud to the King, “Is my estate then to be conferred on “a seller of dogs?” Mahomed Khan Firmully, who was present, endeavoured to check the im­petuosity of his son; but he only inflamed his passion the more. He charged the King in plain terms with a design to extirpate his family. Sur-must Khan, to whom the estate had been given, and who was a man of uncommon strength and stature, seized Sikundur Khan by the throat; but that young man, drawing his dagger, stabbed him to the heart, and laid him dead at his feet. Perceiving the desperate situation in which he stood, he at­tacked all those who endeavoured to oppose him, killing several chiefs, and wounding others. He next attacked the King himself, who, leaping from the throne, ran into the seraglio, and on Sikun-dur Khan's pursuing him, shut the door in his face, which stopped his progress, and enabled Mahomed Shah to draw the bolt and secure himself. The desperate youth, finding himself disappointed, rushed back into the audience-chamber, and dealt death on all sides, till at length Ibrahim Khan Soor, the King's cousin and brother-in-law, at­tacking Sikundur Khan with some soldiers, they

A. H. 961.
A. D. 1553.

cut him to pieces. Dowlut Khan Lo-hany with his own hand slew Ma-homed Khan Firmully, the youth's father, though he could not be responsible for his son's rashness. It is said that Mahomed Khan Firmully having met Taj Khan Kirrany on that day, on his way to the audience-chamber, asked him whither he was going; to which the other replied, “that affairs had taken such an extra-“ordinary turn at court, that he was determined “to push his fortune, and would be glad that Ma-“homed Khan Firmully would share it with him.” Mahomed Khan Firmully answered, “That he “aspired to no higher fortune than what he pos-“sessed, for which he was as usual about to pay “his respects;” but such as we have seen was his reward. Taj Khan, as soon as he left the fort, took the route of Bengal, with all his de­pendents. Troops were despatched in pursuit, and came up with him at Chibra Mow, about eight miles from Agra; but he defended himself so ably, that he contrived to ensure a safe retreat to Chunar. In his progress, he seized the public money and other effects belonging to the crown, and gave away an hundred elephants to his brethren and others of his tribe, who held lands in the province of Khowaspoor Tanda. By their aid he collected a formidable army, which obliged the King to take the field in person; and the insurgents meeting him on the banks of the Ganges above Chunar, were defeated and dispersed.

The King, however, becoming jealous of the popularity of Ibrahim Khan Soor, his brother-in­law, gave private orders to seize him. His wife, the King's sister, hearing of his design, acquainted her husband, who fled from Chunar to his father, Ghazy Khan, governor of Hindown. He was pursued by Eesa Khan Neeazy, and overtaken at Kalpy, where an engagement ensued, in which Eesa Khan, being defeated, was compelled to relinquish all further pursuit. Ibrahim Khan, rendered desperate, soon after raised a con­siderable army, and, getting possession of the city of Dehly, ascended the throne, and assumed the ensigns of royalty. From thence he marched to Agra, and reduced the circumjacent provinces.

Mahomed Shah Adily returned from Chunar to suppress this usurpation. On the road thither, he received a deputation from Ibrahim Khan Soor, promising that, if the King would send Hoossein Khan and other chiefs with assurances of forgive­ness, he would submit. The King complied with this request, and Ibrahim Khan prevailed on them by presents, by promises, and by address, to es­pouse his cause. Mahomed Shah Adily, finding himself betrayed, fled to Chunar, and contented himself with the government of the eastern pro­vinces, while Ibrahim Khan retained possession of the western territory.

Ibrahim Khan no sooner ascended the throne of Dehly, than another competitor arose in the pro­vince of Punjab, in the person of the Prince Ahmud Khan, another nephew of the late Sheer Shah, whose sister was married to Mahomed Shah Adily. Ahmud Khan, having procured the aid of Heibut Khan and other chiefs, who had been created nobles by the late Sulim Shah, assumed the title of Sikundur Shah, and marching with ten or twelve thousand horse towards Agra, en­camped at Kurra, within twenty miles of that city. Ibrahim Khan opposed him with seventy thousand horse; and some notion of the splendour of his train may be formed when it is stated that no less than two hundred officers occupied tents lined with velvet, each having the privilege of beating the nobut.*

Sikundur Shah, seeing this formidable army, began to repent, and made overtures for peace, merely requiring to be allowed to retain Punjab. Ibrahim, elated with his own apparent superiority, refused to listen to terms, and both armies engaged. Sikundur Khan intrusted the ensigns of royalty to one of his officers, and remained during the action with a select body of horse in a grove at some distance. Ibrahim Khan in the onset broke through the enemy's army; but his troops having quitted their ranks and engaged in plunder, Si-kundur Khan took advantage of it to rush upon them, and creating a panic in the army of Ibra-him Khan, his troops dispersed, and were defeated. Ibrahim Khan, abandoning his capital, retreated to Sumbhul; while Sikundur Khan took possession both of Agra and Dehly. He had not long en­joyed his good fortune, however, when he was obliged to repair to Punjab, to oppose Hoomayoon Padshah, who, having returned from a long exile, was now advancing to recover his dominions. During the absence of Sikundur, Ibrahim Khan marched to Kalpy, while at the same time Ma-homed Shah Adily detached his Vizier Hemoo, with an army well appointed in cavalry, elephants, and artillery, from Chunar, with a view to recover the western empire. Hemoo attacked Ibrahim Shah at Kalpy, and having defeated him, he was compelled to fly to his father at Byana, pursued by Hemoo, who besieged him in that city for three months.

Meanwhile, Mahomed Shah Soor, ruler of Bengal, asserted his rights, and led an army against Mahomed Shah Adily. This circumstance obliged that Prince to recal Hemoo from the siege of Byana; and Ibrahim Khan, emboldened by his retreat, pursued him till he overtook him near Agra; but being again defeated, he was compelled to rejoin his father at Byana. The restless spirit of Ibrahim Khan now induced him to march towards Punna, where having engaged the Raja Ramchunder, he was defeated and taken prisoner. He was treated, however, with the utmost respect, till the Afghans of Meeana interposing, obtained his release, and acknowledged him their leader. Under him these Afghans engaged in war with Baz Bahadur, ruler of Malwa, who had declared his

A. H. 962.
A. D. 1554.

independence; but the ill fortune of Ibrahim Khan still pursued him. He was again defeated, and fled to Orissa, where in the year 975, that province being occupied by Sooliman Kirany, one of the gene­rals of the Emperor Akbur, Ibrahim Khan was made prisoner, and suffered an ignominious death.

Hemoo joined his master Mahomed Shah Adily at Chunar, where he received advices that the Em­peror Hoomayoon, having defeated Sikundur Khan, had occupied Dehly and Agra. Hemoo, however, still pursued the war against Mahomed Shah Soor of Bengal, who, avoiding him by crossing the hills near Rohtas, entered the country of Bundelcund, whither being pursued by Hemoo, the two armies came to action at the village of Chupurg'hutta, thirty miles from Kalpy, and Mahomed Shah Soor of Bengal was slain. Mahomed Shah Adily, after this victory, instead of proceeding to Agra, re­turned to Chunar, to assemble more troops in order to carry on the war against Hoomayoon; but he was soon after informed of that monarch's death, which induced him to detach Hemoo, with fifty thousand horse and five hundred elephants towards Agra, not daring to leave Chunar himself, on account of the factions which prevailed among his countrymen the Afghans.

Hemoo, arriving before Agra, the Mogul nobles who were there, conceiving themselves too weak to oppose him, retreated to Dehly, whither he pursued them. Tardy Beg Khan, governor of Dehly, gave him battle, but was defeated, and fled to the Punjab, leaving Hemoo in possession both of Agra and of Dehly. Hemoo now prepared to proceed to La­hore; but Beiram Khan Toorkoman, who had been left by the will of Hoomayoon guardian of his son Akbur, detached Khan Zuman Khan towards Dehly, himself following with the young King. Hemoo met the Moguls on the plains of Paniput, and charging them with the utmost valour, threw them into confusion; but the Af­ghans, as usual, abandoning themselves to plunder, were in their turn attacked by the Moguls, and totally defeated. Hemoo, their general, was taken prisoner, and being carried before Akbur, suffered death.

After the death of this chieftain, the fortunes of Mahomed Shah Adily declined daily. Khizr Khan, the son of Mahomed Shah Poorby of Bengal, in order to revenge the death of his father, slain in the battle of Kalpy, raised an army, and, assuming the title of Bahadur Shah, wrested by force a great part of the eastern provinces out of the hands of Mahomed Shah Adily, whom he eventually defeated and slew.