Ahmud, the son of Tartar Khan, ascends the throne, agree­ably to the will of his grandfather. — His uncles collect a force at Cambay to dispute his claim. — The confederates proclaim Feroze King — they solicit aid from Sooltan Hooshung of Malwa — they disagree, and dissolve their union. — Feroze retires into Baroach — he submits, and is pardoned. — Ahmud Shah builds the city of Ahmudabad. — The Prince Feroze again urges his pretensions to the throne, and unites with Ray Runmul, the exiled Raja of Idur. — Feroze is joined by his brother, Futteh Khan, and occupies Rungpoor. — Rungpoor taken. — Feroze and Ray Runmul of Idur make their escape. — The King proceeds against the Raja of Jhalode. — The latter is supported by Sooltan Hooshung, King of Malwa. — An insurrection created by Ahmud Sheer Kutchy. — The King marches against the King of Malwa, and deputes his brother, the Prince Luteef, against the insurgents under Ahmud Sheer Kutchy. — Ahmud Sheer is defeated, and flies to the Raja of Girnal (Joonagur). — The King proceeds to that fort. — The Raja becomes tributary. — Military operations carried on against the Hindoo chiefs of Guzerat. — The King proceeds to Kandeish and Buglana, where he hears of a formidable confederacy of the Hindoo rajas, in which Sooltan Hooshung of Malwa is connected. — The King returns to Guzerat. — Battle of Kaliada — the Malwa troops are defeated. — Peace concluded. — Ahmud Shah levies tribute from the Ray of Champanere — besieges Mando — raises the siege, and pro­ceeds to Sarungpoor. — Battle of Sarungpoor. — Pestilence in the Guzerat army. — Ahmud Shah retreats — proceeds to attack Idur, which had been recovered by the Hindoos. — The King constructs a fort near it to watch the garrison, to which he gives the name of Ahmudnuggur. — The Ray agrees to pay tribute. — The King marches to Julwara. — Kanha Ray of Julwara flies to Kandeish — is supported by Nuseer Khan, and by Ahmud Shah Bahmuny, King of Bidur. — The Dec-canies are defeated. — A second campaign. — Battle of Ma-nukpoonj. — Bombay and Tanna taken by the Deccanies — recovered by the Guzerat troops. — Ahmud Shah marches to Champanere. — The Deccan army invades Buglana. — The King countermarches and opposes the Deccanies at Tumbole. — Peace concluded. — Ahmud Shah marches into Malwa to support the claims of Musaood Ghoory. — Plague in Malwa. — The King retreats to Guzerat. — His death.

AHMUD SHAH was born at Dehly, A. H. 793 (A. D. 1390), and ascended the throne at the early

A. H. 815.
A. D. 1412.

age of twenty-one. During the year 815, Feroze * Khan, the eldest of the sons of the late Moozuffur Shah, hear­ing of the accession of his nephew Ahmud Shah, collected together some of the discontented nobles, such as Hissam-ool-Moolk, Mullik Sheer, Mullik Kureem, Mullik Khoosrow, Jeevundas, and Vi-naikdas Kuhtry†, * and through their means raised a force and marched to Cambay, where they formed a junction with Ameer Mahmood Toork and the Prince Heibut Khan, who had also formed an army at that spot. Upon this intelligence being made known to the other brothers, the Princes Sadut Khan and Sheer Khan also joined; and a council being held, it was resolved to march, in the first instance, with their army (consisting of between seven thousand and eight thousand men) to Baroach, where they encamped on the Ner-budda. Feroze Khan was proclaimed king, and assumed the white canopy and scarlet pavilion. He invited Sooltan Hooshung of Malwa to march to his assistance; but the latter required a promise from him that in case of success the confederates should pay him one hundred thousand tunkas * for every march that his army made.

Ahmud Shah, however, took timely precautions for the security of his crown. In the first place, he sent deputations to his uncles, and at the same time caused a small force to advance and keep the confederates in check; but this detachment was attacked and defeated by Raja Vinaikdas. Dis­sensions, however, shortly after arising among the pretenders, an affray ensued, in which Vinaikdas lost his life, and many of the troops went over to the King's army, so that Feroze Khan was obliged to break up his camp on the Nerbudda, and to take post in the fort of Baroach.

Ahmud Shah, respecting the ties of blood which subsisted between him and the pretender, sent people into Baroach, urging Feroze Khan and his brothers to desist from further hostility, and they, finding themselves daily deserted by their troops, and that their finances were much reduced, submitted to the King's clemency. Ahmud Shah received them kindly, and restored them to the respective estates which they had held under the late king. Sooltan Hooshung of Malwa, how­ever, who had not yet effected a junction with the army of the insurgents, was employed in devastating the eastern provinces of Guzerat; and Ahmud Shah sent Imad-ool-Moolk to expel him, an object which was not effected without difficulty.

The King, who had always professed himself extremely partial to the air and situation of the town of Yessavul, situated on the banks of the Saburmutty, in the latter end of this year (being 815) laid the foundation of a new city, which he caused to be called Ahmudabad; and the town of Yessavul formed one of the mohullas or parishes in the suburbs of that city, which after­wards became the capital of the kings of Guzerat. The houses of Ahmudabad are in general built of brick and mortar, and the roofs tiled. There are three hundred and sixty different mohullas, each mohulla having a wall surrounding it. The principal streets are sufficiently wide to admit of ten carriages abreast. It is hardly necessary to add that this is, on the whole, the handsomest city in Hin-doostan, and perhaps in the world. Feroze Khan, in the latter end of this year, having again set up his pretensions to the crown, was joined by Rookn Khan, the governor of Mahrasa, * with a considerable force, and he even promised to re­instate Raja Runmul in his possessions at Idur, on condition of his joining his standard with five or six thousand horse, and a number of foot. In the mean time, Ahmud Shah having collected a large force, marched to Mahrasa, where the rebels had taken post. Futteh Khan, the younger brother of the pretender, was sent in advance against him, but he treacherously deserted with his whole party to Feroze Khan, who having left Mullik Budr and Rookn Khan to defend Mahrasa, marched with Ray Runmul to Rung-poor, a town situated at the distance of ten miles. Meanwhile Ahmud Shah employed persons to induce Rookn Khan and Mullik Budr to abandon the cause of the pretender; but finding his re­monstrances of no avail, the King quitted Mahrasa, and invested Rungpoor. On the following day, Rookn Khan, Mullik Budr, Zungy Khan, and Seif Khan, made a sally on the King's troops, but were repulsed.

Ahmud Shah continued during the siege to send messengers to the fort, dissuading his uncle, in vain, from further resistance; till at length Mullik Budr and Zungy Khan, having stated that they were em­powered to enter into negotiations with certain officers of the royal army whom they named, and who were sent for that purpose; on approaching the fort-gate near the ditch, a party sallied and succeeded in taking some of the King's deputies prisoners. Notwithstanding this act of treachery, Rungpoor was carried by storm two days afterwards, and both Rookn Khan and Mullik Budr fell in the assault, while Feroze Khan and Ray Runmul fled for refuge to the hills.

These circumstances are otherwise related by different historians; but I have selected the autho­rities which I consider best entitled to credit. It is said that soon after Ray Runmul and Feroze Khan had some disagreement, and the former seized the horses, elephants, and other effects of the latter; and in order to gain favour with the King he sent them to him. Feroze Khan fled to Nagoor, where he was put to death by the governor.

A. H. 816.
A. D. 1413. In the following year, Ahmud Shah proceeded to attack the Raja of Julwara. The latter solicited the assistance of Sooltan Hooshung of Malwa, who accordingly marched and plundered some of the eastern pro­vinces of Guzerat; in which direction Ahmud Shah no sooner moved, than his attention was dis­tracted by commotions in another quarter. Ah-mud Sheer Kutchy, * and Sheer Mullik, the son of Sheikh Mullik Adum of Bhukkur, officers of the late court, taking advantage of the King's absence, committed depredations on Guzerat; and though Ahmud Shah had actually marched towards Malwa, he was compelled, on arriving in the district of Champanere, to make two detachments from his army: the one under the command of Mullik Imad-ool-Moolk Samarkandy, to attack Sooltan Hooshung, and the other under the command of his younger brother, the Prince Luteef Khan, whom he appointed, under Nizam-ool-Moolk, to attack Ahmud Sheer Kutchy and Sheer Mullik.