He ascends the throne, confirming to all the nobles their estates and titles. — An attempt is made to assassinate the King, which is frustrated. — The Prince Ahmud Ghoory creates an insurrec­tion. — Ahmud Shah of Guzerat espouses his cause, as well as that of the princes Musaood and Oomr, sons of the late King. — The princes Ahmud and Musaood are cut off by poison, and Oomr is taken prisoner and beheaded. — Pestilence rages in the Guzerat army, which is obliged to retreat. — Sooltan Mah-mood invited to Dehly — marches thither, but retreats suddenly — compels Kadur Khan of Kalpy to acknowledge fealty to him — makes war with the Rana of Chittoor — reduces one of the forts of Koombulmere — besieges Chittoor, but is foiled — is engaged in war with the King of Joonpoor. — Treaty of Eerich concluded. — The King besieges Mundulgur — receives tribute from the Raja of Mundulgur, also from the rajas of Kota and Boondy — engages in war with the King of Guzerat. — Battle of Surkech. — Able retreat of Sooltan Mahmood out of Guzerat — is induced to invade the Deccan, owing to the invitation of Julal Khan Bokhary. — War with the Rana renewed. — Takes Ajmere. — Koombulmere capitulates, but is ransomed for a large sum of money. — Boondy taken by storm. — The King invades the Deccan. — Defeats the army of Nizam Shah Bahmuny, and takes the capital. — Is compelled to retreat by the arrival of the King of Guzerat. — Second campaign in the Deccan also unsuccessful. — The fort of Kehrla taken from the troops of Malwa by the King of the Deccan — is restored. — Treaty of Elichpoor, by which Kehrla and the Narnala hills become the boundary of the two kingdoms. — Insurrection in Keechiwara — is suppressed. — Death of the King — his character.

AMONG the several Indian histories, but par­ticularly in the Tareekh Alfy of Moolla Ahmud, we find it related, that the dynasty of the Ghoory family became extinct with Ghizny Khan; and

Shuval 29.
A. H. 839.
May 16.
A. D. 1435.

that on Monday the 29th of Shuval, in the year 839, Mahmood Khan, assuming the title of Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy, ascended the throne, in the thirty-fourth year of his age, and was crowned in Mando with the royal tiara of Sooltan Hooshung. At the same time public prayers were read, and coin was struck in his name; after which, having sent for the officers of the court, and presenting them with robes of honour, he confirmed the grants of the estates and offices which they held under the late king. To some he gave additional titles; among whom was Musheer-ool-Moolk, who received the title of Nizam-ool-Moolk, and was appointed one of his ministers. Mullik Burkhoordar was no­minated chief usher, with the title of Taj Khan. In addition to the titles of his father, Mullik Mog-heis, who was already denominated Mullik Ashruf, Khan Jehan, he added those of Ameer-ool-Omra, Zoobdut-ool-Moolk, Khoolasut-ool-Malwa, Azim Hoomayoon. He was also permitted to assume the white canopy, and to bear a silver quiver, exclusive marks of royalty, beside being attended by gentle­men ushers bearing golden and silver staves, who preceded him when he appeared in public, pro­claiming his titles, commencing “By the grace of God,” and so on. The seals of the office of prime minister were also delivered over exclusively into his hands.

Sooltan Mahmood, during his whole reign, gave great encouragement to learned men, and founded several colleges in different parts of the kingdom for the promotion of literature, so that the philoso­phers and mowlanas in Malwa bore a fair comparison with those of Shiraz and Samarkand. After re­organising the affairs of his government, and having appointed the officers to their respective stations, some of those of Sooltan Hooshung's reign still remained unprovided for, who formed a project to seize the King. And in consequence one night, in pursuance of their plan, Mullik Kootb-ood-Deen Sumnany and Nuseer-ood-Deen Joorjany, with some others, having placed ladders so as to escalade a musjid which commanded Sooltan Mahmood's palace, descended into the court-yard. During this operation, the King hearing a noise, and suspecting treason, came out fully accoutred with his sword, and bow and quiver, and proceeded direct to the spot where the confederates had assembled. He instantly attacked them without hesitation, and wounded many with his own hand; and being soon after joined by Nizam-ool-Moolk and Mullik Mahomed Khizr with the guards, the traitors made their escape, with the exception of one, who being un­able to go down the ladder, threw himself off the musjid, and broke his leg. He was, in con­sequence, taken the next morning. This person discovered the names of all the conspirators, who being seized were punished. But Azim Hoomay-oon, the King's father, interceded in behalf of the following persons, who were pardoned, and estates allotted to them:—

The Prince Ahmud Ghoory, son of Sooltan Hooshung, received the estate of Islamabad.

Mullik Yoosoof, entitled Kowam Khan, had Bhilsa.

Mullik Itihad, Hooshungabad; and

Mullik Nuseer-ood-Deen, entitled Noosrut Khan, Chundery.

The Prince Ahmud, taking advantage of his situation, very soon collected a force at Islam-abad; and Azim Hoomayoon proposed that re­monstrances should be made to him in the first instance; which proving of no avail, the King ordered Taj Khan to proceed with a force to reduce him. On reaching Islamabad, Taj Khan found himself unable to make any impression on the fort, and wrote to court for reinforcements. This delay gave courage to other malecontents; and information was received that Mullik Itihad of Hooshungabad, and Nuseer Khan of Chun-dery, had both raised the standard of revolt. The King now directed his father to march in person against all the insurgents. His first object was Islamabad, where he was met, at the distance of four miles, by Taj Khan, whose force formed a junction with the minister's army, and measures were taken to commence regular approaches against the fort; but owing to the deference Azim Hoomay-oon always evinced towards the descendants of his patron Sooltan Hooshung, he sent some of the most respectable of his officers into the fort, in order to induce the Prince Ahmud to accommodate matters, but without effect. Kowam Khan, who also joined the King's army at this place, but who was secretly in league with the Prince Ahmud, privately furnished the garrison with stores; and the siege might have been protracted indefinitely, had not Azim Hoomayoon bribed one of his ser­vants to administer poison to the Prince in a cup of wine, of which he died. Azim Hoomayoon in­stantly took possession of the fort without resist­ance, and marched to Hooshungabad; but Kowam Khan, suspecting that his treachery had been dis­covered, remained at Bhilsa, while Azim Hoomay-oon continued his march. On his arrival at Hooshungabad, Azim Hoomayoon found that Mullik Itihad, afraid to oppose the King's army, had fled to the foot of the Gondwana hills, where the inhabitants seized and put him to death. After having occupied Hooshungabad with the King's troops, and placing a confidential officer in charge, Azim Hoomayoon proceeded to Chun-dery. On arriving within a few miles of the place he was met by Noosrut Khan, who threw him­self on his mercy. Azim Hoomayoon, always inclined to effect his object, if possible, by the most moderate measures, caused Noosrut Khan to go with him to the town, where he established an inves­tigation into his administration; and having as­certained, beyond doubt, that he was constantly instilling insurrection against the government into the minds of the people, he was displaced, and one Hajy Kaloo left in his stead. From Chundery Azim Hoomayoon proceeded to Bhilsa, calling on Kowam-ool-Moolk to account for his conduct; but in spite of the frequent remonstrances sent to him he refused to meet Azim Hoomayoon, or to listen to any accommodation, so that after being closely besieged, and apprehensive that the place must fall, he fled, leaving Azim Hoomayoon to settle the affairs of the district, after which he returned to Mando. On his march thither he learned that Ahmud Shah of Guzerat had espoused the cause of the Prince Musaood Ghoory, and that he was in full march to support his rights at the head of a large force, accompanied by twenty elephants. Azim Hoomayoon made rapid marches towards the ca­pital, and avoiding the Guzerat army by making a detour of twelve miles, he succeeded in throwing himself into the fort of Mando by the Tarapoor gate. Shortly after which the fort was invested by Ah-mud Shah. The besieged made daily sallies on the trenches of the besiegers; and Sooltan Mahmood would willingly have marched out and given battle to the Guzerat army in the field, but his intentions were always frustrated by the oppo­sition he met with from those officers who had been in the service of the late Sooltan Hooshung. Sooltan Mahmood, considering that almost the whole of his former adherents were averse to him, resolved to court popularity among the common people, by serving out grain from the public stores gratis. He also held out promises of estates to those Malwa officers in Ahmud's Shah's camp who were at all discontented, so that the Prince Musaood was deserted by many of the old Malwa chiefs, who came over to Sooltan Mahmood, and who at their instigation resolved to lead a night-attack against Ahmud Shah's trenches. Noosrut Khan, the officer who had lately been removed from Chundery, having given private intimation to Ahmud Shah of the intended attack on his lines, the object was, in a great measure, de­feated. The assault took place, as was proposed; but Sooltan Mahmood was astonished to find the enemy so well prepared, that even the narrow passes by which he was to advance were stockaded, and the Guzerat troops ready to oppose him. He, however, overcame these obstacles, having stormed and carried the stockades with severe loss; but still finding himself so warmly received on all sides, he was induced to retreat, after having slain a great number of the enemy.