Requires the Afghans to elect a king — they create him their sovereign — he marches to oppose Hoomayoon, now on his way to India. — Sikundur Shah defeated by Beiram Khan Toor-koman, and retires to Bengal, where he establishes his power.

SIKUNDUR SOOR, after having ascended the throne

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

at Agra, in the year 962, made a mag­nificent festival, and calling together all his chiefs, spoke to them to this effect: “I esteem myself as one of you: having “thus far acted for the commonweal, I claim no “superiority. Bheilole raised the tribe of Lody to “glory and reputation; Sheer Shah rendered the “tribe of Soor illustrious; and now Hoomayoon, “the Mogul, heir to his father's conquests, is “watching an opportunity to destroy us all, and “to re-establish his government. If, therefore, “you are sincere, and will set aside private “faction and animosities, we may still retain our “kingdom; but if you think me incapable of rule, “let an abler head and a stronger arm be elected “from among you, that I also may swear allegiance “to him: I promise most faithfully to support him, “and will endeavour to maintain the kingdom in “the hands of the Afghans, who have retained it “by their valour for so many years.” The Afghan chiefs, after this appeal, answered with one accord, “We unanimously acknowledge you, the nephew of “our Emperor Sheer Shah, our lawful sovereign.” Calling then for a koran, all swore both to ob­serve allegiance to Sikundur, and to maintain unanimity among themselves. In a few days, how­ever, the chiefs began to dispute about govern­ments, honours, and places, and the flames of dis­cord were rekindled, and blazed fiercer than ever, so that every one reproached his neighbour with the perfidy of which each was equally guilty. Meanwhile Hoomayoon having marched from Kabul towards the Indus, Tartar Khan, who com­manded in Punjab, fled from the new fort of Rohtas to Dehly, and the Moguls occupied with­out opposition all the country as far as Lahore. Sikundur Shah, on receiving these advices, de­tached forty thousand horse, under Tartar Khan and Heibut Khan, to oppose the Moguls; but this army being defeated, not only lost all its elephants and baggage, but the fugitives never drew rein till they arrived at Dehly. Sikundur Shah, though sensible of the disaffection and factious disposition of his chiefs, marched with eight thousand horse towards Punjab, and on engaging Beiram Khan, the tutor of the Prince Akbur, near Surhind, was de­feated and fled to the Sewalik mountains, from whence he was expelled and sought refuge in Bengal, where he assumed the reins of government, and shortly after died. He was succeeded by Taj Khan Kirrany, and the remainder of his history is detailed in that of the dynasty of the Poorby Kings.