Patronises literature. — Mahomed Bhyleem makes conquests in India — aspires at independence — is defeated by the King, and he and his ten sons are killed. — Sooltan Beiram seizes and puts to death his son-in-law, Kootb-ood-Deen Ghoory. — Seif-ood-Deen Soor, the brother of Kootb-ood-Deen, revenges his death — marches to Ghizny, which is evacuated by Beiram. — The King returns to his capital. — The inhabitants of Ghizny betray Seif-ood-Deen into the hands of Beiram, by whom he is put to death with great ignominy. — Alla-ood-Deen Soor marches from Ghoor to avenge his brother's death. — Battle of Ghizny. — Beiram defeated — retires to Lahore — his death.

SOOLTAN BEIRAM, the son of Musaood, was blessed with a noble and generous disposition. Having an uncommon thirst for knowledge, he was a great promoter of literature, and proved himself a liberal patron of learned men. Many of these resorted to his court, particularly Sheikh Nizamy, the author of the Mukhzun-asrar, dedicated to that monarch, and Syud Hussun Ghiznevy, both of them poets, and philosophers of great fame. Several works were, by his order, translated from various languages into the Persian tongue; among which was an Indian book, called the Kuleel-oo-Dumna. This work was sent formerly, before the dissolution of the Hindoo empire of India, by the king of that country, accompanied with a chess-board, to Nowsherwan, King of Persia, surnamed the Just, when it was rendered into the Pihlvy tongue by Boo-zoorjmehr, his vizier. Boozoorjmehr, after compre­hending the game of chess, is reported to have won several games from the ambassador who brought it, and who was famed for his skill in the game of “Nurd,” * which it is said was invented on this occasion by Boozoojmehr, the minister of the Persian king. The present of the chess-board was said to be intended as an experiment of the genius of the minister, and to indicate, that in the great game of state, attention and foresight were of more importance than chance; while the book, in its whole tenour, strongly inculcated that wise maxim, that wisdom is always in the end an over­match for strength. The nurd table, which was returned, signified, that attention and foresight alone cannot always ensure success; but that we must play the game of life, according to the casts of fortune.

The Kuleel-oo-Dumna, translated into Pihlvy from Sanscrit, in the reign of Nowsherwan, was rendered into Arabic, by Ibn-ool-Mukba, in the reign of Haroon-ool-Rusheed, and in the reign of Sooltan Beiram Ghiznevy it was converted into Persian from the Arabic, and subsequently, in the reign of Sooltan Hoossein Mirza Khwaruzmy, Moolla Hussun Waiz Kashfy rendered the old Persian work, full of Arabic words, and of Arabic poetry, into plain and elegant Persian, to which he gave the name of Anwar Soheily. Beiram, in the days of his prosperity, went twice into Hindoos-tan, to chastise his refractory subjects, and the collectors of the revenue. On the first occa­sion he reduced Mahomed Bhyleem, who had charge of the government of Lahore on the part of his brother Arslan. Having defeated and

Rumzan 27.
A. H. 512.
Dec. 5.
A. D. 1118.

taken him prisoner, on the 27th of Rumzan, in the year 512, he pardoned him, upon his swearing allegiance. The King then reinstated him in the government, and returned to Ghizny. In the mean time, Mahomed Bhyleem built the fort of Nagore, in the province of Sewalik, whither he con­veyed his wealth, his family, and his effects. He then raised an army, composed of Arabs, Persians, Afghans, and Khiljies, and committed great devas­tations in the territories of the Indian independent princes with such success, that he aspired at length to the throne. Sooltan Beiram, apprised of his motions, collected an army, and marched a second time towards Hindoostan. Mahomed Bhyleem with his ten sons, who had each the command of a province, advanced to oppose the King as far as Mooltan. A battle ensued; but the curse of ingratitude fell like a storm on the head of the perfidious rebel, who, in his flight, with his ten sons and attendants, sank into a deep quagmire, wherein they all perished. The King after this victory having appointed Salar Hussun, the son of Ibrahim Alvy, to the chief command of the conquered part of India, returned himself to Ghizny. He soon after publicly executed Kootb-ood-Deen Mahomed Ghoory Afghan, to whom he had given his daughter in marriage. Seif-ood-Deen-Soory, Prince of Ghoor, brother of the deceased, raised a great army to revenge his death, with which he marched direct to Ghizny, which was evacuated by Beiram, who fled to Kirman. This is not the Kirman of Persia, so well known, but a town lying between Ghizny and India, which had been built by the Afghans to guard a pass in the mountains. Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory, without further opposition, entered Ghizny, where, having established himself with the consent of the people, he sent his brother, Alla-ood-Deen Soor, to rule his native principality of Ghoor. Notwithstanding his endeavours he failed in ren­dering himself popular at Ghizny; and the inha­bitants conceiving a dislike to his government, secretly wished the re-establishment of their former king. Some of the chiefs, availing themselves of this favourable circumstance, informed Beiram of their disposition towards him. It was now winter, and most of the followers of the Prince of Ghoor had returned to their families, when Sooltan Beiram unexpectedly appeared before Ghizny with a con­siderable army. Seif-ood-Deen being in no con­dition to oppose him with his own troops, and placing little reliance on those of Ghizny, was preparing to retreat to Ghoor, when the Ghizne-vides entreated him to engage Beiram, promising to exert themselves to the utmost. This was done only to enable them to put their design of seizing him into execution. The Ghoory prince advanced, but was instantly surrounded by the troops of Ghizny, and taken prisoner, while Beiram in person put the forces of Ghoor to flight. The unhappy captive had his forehead blackened, and was seated astride on a bullock, with his face towards the tail. In this manner he was led round the whole city, amid the shouts and insults of the mob; after which, being put to torture, his head was cut off and sent to Sooltan Sunjur Suljooky, while his vizier, Syud Mujd-ood-Deen, was impaled.

When this news reached the ears of his brother Alla-ood-Deen, he burnt with fury, and having determined to take bitter revenge, invaded Ghizny. Beiram, hearing of his approach, pre­pared to receive him. He wrote him a letter, at the same time endeavouring to intimidate him, by vaunting of the superiority of his troops, and advising him not to plunge the whole family of Ghoor into the same abyss of misfortune. Alla-ood-Deen replied, “That his threats were as im-“potent as his arms; that it was no new thing for “kings to make war on their neighbours, but that “barbarity like his was unknown to the brave, and “such as he had never heard of being exercised “towards princes; that he might be assured that “God had forsaken him, and had ordained that “he (Alla-ood-Deen) should be the instrument of “that just revenge denounced against him for “putting to death the representative of the inde-“pendent and very ancient family of Ghoor.” All hopes of accommodation being thus at an end, Beiram advanced to give Alla-ood-Deen battle. The offer was not rejected, and the bloody conflict commenced with fury on both sides. At first the troops of Ghizny, by their superior numbers, bore down those of Ghoor; till Alla-ood-Deen, seeing his affairs desperate, called out to two gigantic brothers, denominated the greater and lesser Khur-mil , * whom he saw in the front standing like two rocks, and bearing the brunt of the action, to support him, and, forcing his elephants towards Beiram, these two heroes cleared all before him. Beiram perceiving Alla-ood-Deen stood aloof, but his son, Dowlut Shah, who held the office of com­mander-in-chief in his father's army, accepting the challenge, advanced to oppose his rival. The elder of the Khurmils intervening, ripped up the belly of Dowlut Shah's elephant, but was himself killed by the fall of the animal. Alla-ood-Deen, meantime, transfixed the Prince Dowlut Shah with his spear. The other Khurmil attacked the elephant of Beiram, and after many wounds brought the enormous animal to the ground, but while he was rising from under the elephant's side, being much bruised by its fall, Beiram es­caped, and instantly mounting a horse, joined in the flight of his troops, which were repulsed on all sides.

Beiram fled with the scattered remains of his

A. H. 547.
A. D. 1152.

army towards Hindoostan, but over­whelmed with his misfortunes, sunk under the hand of death, in the year 547, after a reign of 35 years.