After the recent victory Mír Bijár fixed his head-quarters

Mián Abdunnabí called from Haidarábád by the Mír and proclaimed the ruler of Sind.

at the new town of Khudá­bád. Seeing that there was no other Kalhórah chief living, he was obliged to call the murderous Abdunnabí from Haidarábád to fill the throne, vacated by his brother. Abdunnabí was only too ready to obey the summons. He started immediately and in one day arrived at Hálah Kandí,* where he was met by the Mír and other chiefs the next morning. The Mián was led in a procession to the shrine of Makhdúm Núh and there the turban of rulership was placed on his head. He was then escorted to Khudábád in great pomp and lodged in the palace of Muhammad Sarafráz Khán.

As might be expected, Mír Bijár became the chief minister and counsel of the new ruler; consequently the administration of State affairs was carried on on just and improved principles, to the great happiness of the people in general.

The first act of the new ruler was to call Alah Baksh

Alah Baksh Jhinjan and Tájah Líkhí made prisoners.

Jhinjan to his presence in an open court, to reproach him for his dis­loyalty in taking the side of the villanious Líkhí against his own masters, and to order his confinement. Meanwhile Tájah Líkhí also fell into the hands of the Mír’s forces. The wretched man was brought in chains to the Mián together with his children and near relatives. As the Mián had the murder of his innocent brother fresh in his memory, he ordered his execution. The noble-minded Mír forgetting his revenge, came foward to intercede for him. He entreated the Mián to pardon him and his life was spared.

Since the time of Mián Sarafráz Khán the revenue of

The king’s army under Izzatyár Khán invades Sind and is defeated by the Mír in the District of Shikárpur.

Sind had declined considerably, and consequently the fixed annual tribute could not be paid regularly into the royal treasury. It was represented to king Taimúr Sháh* by certain envious people that the Balóch tribe was in great power in Sind; that an Abbásí chief had been made a nominal ruler; that the reins of government were really in Mír Bijár’s hands, who had become very powerful and headstrong; that he would not be disposed to pay annual tribute; and that he would not come to his senses unless he was chastised for his arrogance. Naturally the king was angry and ordered an expedition against Sind, under the leadership of Izzatyár Khán, who was an Abbásí himself and had been with the king as an hostage for some years past, being a cousin of Mián Abdunnabí Khán. As he had been a candidate for the vacant throne, the king appointed him as ruler, to the exclusion of Abdunnabí Khán, who had been elected by the Mír. An army of ten thousand men, consisting of Durání and Bábarí Afgháns under the com­mand of Mahfúz Khán, was ordered to accompany Izzatyár Khán. Kamruddín, the king’s agent for the Derahs* was directed to defray the expenditure of the expedition from the revenue of that Division, and also to furnish an additional force of Afgháns and Balóches. Hearing of this movement, the Khósahs, who lived about the place, and who had a tribal feud with the Mírs, collected in vast numbers and joined the newly appointed ruler. At the same time, royal orders were issued to the Governors of Multán and Shikárpur, as well as to the chiefs of the Dáúdpótahs and Bróhís,* to assist Izzatyár Khán as far as lay in their power.

When the above detachments assembled, the number reached to 30,000. Izzatyár Khán now addressed the following letter to Mír Bijár Khán—“O brave chief, you must know that Abdunnabí has been set aside by the king and I am appointed in his place. If you come and pay allegiance to me you will continue as the fortunate possessor of administrative powers as hitherto. I am not a stranger. I am a grandson of Khudáyár Khán. But if you will not submit and seek to fight with me, then you will gain nothing and cause the death of many innocent people for nothing.” To this, Mír Bijár sent the following reply—“I am obliged to you for the letter. You have taken the trouble of coming to Sind as a claimant to the throne, but you must know, that you come to fight with your own uncle, who is like a father to you. I am pledged to remain faithful to him. Victory and defeat are in the hands of God. I am bound to stand by Mián Abdunnabí. I shall soon be with you, along with my master, and so good bye for the present.”

Mír Bijár now called his brave Balóches, who numbered about 18,000 men. He started with that force, in the company of Mián Abdunnabí Khán. After hasty marches, he arrived at Lóhrí on the river.* Two hundred boats were ready and a bridge was instantly put on the river. In one or two days, the whole force passed over and came to Shikárpúr, where the enemy’s forces had halted. Before long, martial music sounded, flags were seen moving, and the Afghán and Balóch adversaries joined in a close fight. A fierce battle raged now, as there were brave soldiers on both the sides.* After all, the Afghán force gave way and was succeeded by the Khósahs, who too did not stand the Balóch charge very long but were put to flight in great confusion, after a large number of them had been cut to pieces. Izzatyár Khán and Mahfúz Khán saved themselves by galloping away on fleet horses, leaving behind their tents, elephants, and other baggage. They did not halt till they had joined the king’s camp.

Some of the Afghán chiefs, including the Governor of Shikárpúr, took shelter within the walls of the fort, to which the victorious army of the Mián and the Mír now laid siege. It soon fell into their hands. The Mír issued an order preventing his soldiers, on pain of death, from plundering the place, or harming the inmates, because, said he. “This is the city of the king and we are all his servants.” The next morning, all the Afghán chiefs were called one by one and asked to give their names and parentage. After this ceremony was gone through each of them was presented with a dress of honour, a horse and way expenses, and dismissed.*

The recent defeat of the Afgháns gave ample opportu­nity

The king himself marches towards Sind and Mír Bíjár proceeds from Shikárpúr to pay respects to him.

to the Mír’s enemies to excite the anger of the king. They said he had been disrespectful to the king and arrogant, and that unless the king himself marched against him and made an example of him for other chiefs, the prestige of royalty would be irretrievably despised and lost. Accordingly, king Taimúr Sháh started with a large army for Sind, with Mahfúz Khán in his company. When Mián Abdunnabí Khán and Mír Bíjár got this news, they coolly sent their man to Lólirí, to throw a bridge of boats on the river for the king to pass over. Proceeding a few stages from Shikárpur the Mír sent a letter to the king, in a very respectful tone, telling him that his enemies had slandered him to his majesty, that he was still true and loyal to him and that after he had paid his respects to him and given proofs of faithfulness personally, his majesty would be satisfied with his conduct. At the same time the king also heard that a bridge of boats had been prepared at Lóhrí for him to pass over. The king received this letter at about two stages from Shikárpur. His anger was much appeased and his heart inclined to the Mír. Shortly after this, the king was met by the Mír, who had come with 30,000 Balóches to receive him. A short conversation was enough to show to the king that what the enemies of the Mír had spoken to him aganist the Mír was all false and that the Mír was really a wise man and a brave soldier. Seeing the king’s kindness towards the Mír, the latter’s enemies in the king’s camp began to fear for their own safety. Foremost of all Mahfúz Khán earnestly entreated the king to return from there without proceeding to Shikárpur. The king con­sented to do so. He wrote a letter to Mián Abdunnabí, confirming him as ruler of Sind, pardoning the Mír for his fighting with the royal forces, and calling upon him to be regular in sending the usual tribute. When this letter was received by Mián Abdunnabí, Mír Bijár returned to Shikárpur.

After a short time two Hindú Rajpúts, Ráthórs by

Murder of Mír Bijár by treachery.

caste, came as envoys from the Rájah of Jódhpur, to Mián Abdun­nabí. They began to visit the Mián and the Mír by turns. One day, these two treacherous Hindús came to Mír Bijár and told him that they had a confidential letter of their Mahárájah with them, the contents of which they wanted to communicate to him in private. They hinted to him that the Rájah of Jódhpur had received some secret letters from Mián Abdunnabí speaking ill of the Mír. They said the letter referred to, was in the Hindí character and so no other person could read it to the Mír except themselves. They therefore wanted to be with him alone in private. This was arranged and Mír Bijár was left alone in the company of the two envoys, who had two attendants with them. The latter, however, sat at a respectful distance, together with a native Hindú by name Ísar, who had brought the report of the envoys to him. The two envoys sat very close to the Mír and one of them taking out a letter began to read it. He faltered, pretending not to be able to read or understand the writing. So his companion drew close to him. They then took the letter to the Mír, trying to point out the writing to him. While doing so they thrust their daggers, which they had concealed in the folds of their dress, into the Mír’s bosom. The blood began to flow in the room. The Mír jumped up in an instant and with the sword lying by his side, cut the four treacherous Hindús into halves. Then he fell down dead almost immediately, before any help could arrive. At the time of death the Mír expressed his pleasure at sharing the same fate that had attended his own father and brother, and the grandsons of the Prophet, viz., Hasan and Husain. Thus died the wisest, bravest and most pious nobleman, that Sind had ever produced.*

On the death of Mír Bijár, he was succeeded by his

Flight of Mían Abdunnabí to Kalát out of fear.

son Mír Abdulláh, as the head of the Balóch tribe. He was however not present at the time of his father’s death,* and Mír Fateh Khán, being the eldest relation of the late Mír, conducted the mourning ceremony, till Mír Abdulláh joined him. Mír Abdulláh was a worthy son of a worthy father and possessed all the virtues of his late father. It was soon known to the Mírs that the death of Mír Bijár was at the instigation of Mían Abdunnabí,* a fact which they could not easily believe, knowing full well that the late Mír had done nothing to deserve such treatment at the hands of his lord and master. They however thought it proper, to go and pay respects to the Mían, after the mourning ceremony was over. Accord­ingly Mír Fateh Ali Khán (Mír Sóbdar’s son), and Mír Suhráb, (Mír Chákar’s son) accompanied their new chief Mír Abdulláh, to the Mían. Mían Abdunnabí, who had been stung by his own concience and feared the revenge of the Balóches, believing that the Balóch chiefs were determined to murder him, left his palace during the night, attended by 200 of his confidential attendants from amongst the Jatóís, Jhinjans and others, on fleet horses. With the necessary provisions and gold loaded on camels, he started for the river, which he crossed hastily; and then, with the help of the Nuhmardís* of Kankór left for Kalát. At the same time, he sent his sons to the Rájah of Jódhpúr.

When the Mírs learnt this, they thought it proper to remove fear from the Mián’s mind, as they never meant to do any harm to him. Accordingly, they sent some trustworthy men of theirs with the Kórán to the Mián, with the following message. “The word of God is between you and us, and we swear by it that we have no suspicions against you and that we mean you no harm. Moreover some of your councillors are very mischievious, and though they appear to be your friends, are really your enemies. Beware of them. They take you from door to door and make you a beggar before strangers. Avoid them and return to your own country and rule it as before. You will never find loyal men like us in the whole world.”

The solemn messsage was duly delivered to Mián Abdunnabí, but his councillors did not advise him to comply with the request. On the return of the messengers, therefore, the Mír called his companions to put some ruler on the vacant throne. The chief men of the Kalhórahs had already been murdered and none remained from whom to select for the purpose. One Sádikalí Fakír,* a kinsman of the late rulers, who was said to be a respectable and sensible person, lived in retirement at Khát, on the river. The Mír therefore took a detachment of soldiers with him and went to escort him to the capital. Arrived at the place, he placed the turban of rulership on his head, and brought him on an elephant to the city with pomp and glory.