Pedigree of the race of Mahomed Ghoory. — Gheias-ood-Deen, King of Ghizny and Ghoor. — Moiz-ood-Deen Mahomed, his general, appointed governor of Ghizny — besieges and takes Oocha — marches to Guzerat, and is defeated by the Hindoos. — Invades India a second time — takes Bituhnda — is opposed by the Rajas of Ajmere and Dehly, near Tahneswur, on the banks of the Soorsutty. — Battle of Narain. — Mahomed Ghoory defeated — retreats to Lahore, and thence to Ghoor. — Bituhnda retaken by the Hindoos. — Mahomed Ghoory invades India a third time, with 120,000 men — is opposed on the former field of battle by the Hindoos. — Exertions made by them to collect a large army — they are defeated. — Chawund Ray, King of Dehly, is killed. — Mahomed leaves Kootb-ood-Deen Eibuk governor of Kohram and the new conquests in the East. — Mahomed Ghoory returns to India — defeats the Raja of Kunowj and Benares — takes Asny, Benares, and Kole, and retires to Ghizny. — Returns again to India — Byana and Gualiar taken. — Mahmood retreats to Ghizny. — Kalpy, Budaoon, and Kalunjur taken by Kootb-ood-Deen Eibuk. — Gheias-ood-Deen Ghoory dies — is succeeded by his brother Mahomed Ghoory. — Operations to the westward and northward of Ghizny. — Ghizny and Mooltan seized by his generals, who oppose Mahomed Ghoory on his return. — Mahomed defeats them — proceeds to Lahore — is assassinated by the Gukkurs in Punjab. — Distractions in the empire.

HISTORIANS relate that about the time when Fureedoon subdued Zohak Marry, * two brothers descended from the latter (Soory and Sam) were in the service of the former prince. Having incurred his displeasure, they fled with a party of their friends to Nehawund, where they took up their abode, and possessed themselves of a small terri­tory. Soory became the chief of a tribe, and Sam was his general. Soory gave his daughter in marriage to his nephew Shoojaa†, * the son of Sam. Shoojaa, after his father's decease, succeeded him as general. But his enemies traduced him to his uncle, who, inflamed with jealousy and hatred, wished to take away his daughter from him. Shoojaa discovering this, fled in the night with ten horsemen and a few camels laden with his effects, accompanied by his wife and children, to the mountains of Goor, where he built a castle, and called it Zoomyandesh. Here he was gradually joined by many of his friends, and long maintained his post against Fureedoon, but was eventually obliged to submit, and to pay him tribute.

Thus the race of Zohak succeeded to this government, which gained strength by degrees, till the time of the Prophet, when it was ruled by Shist, who, as some assert, was converted to the faith by Ally, and obtained a grant of his king dom. The genealogy of this race is thus derived: * Shist, the son of Hureek, the son of Enoch, the son of Bhishty, the son of Zowzun, the son of Heyn, the son of Bharam, the son of Heejush, the son of Ibraheem, the son of Saad, the son of Assud, the son of Shudad, the son of Zohak, the son of Bostam, the son of Kitmaz, the son of Nureeman, the son of Afreedoon, the son of Sumud, the son of Sufeed Asp, the son of Zohak, the son of Shim-ram, the son of Hindasp, the son of Syamook, the son of Jam, the son of Kurstasp, the son of Zohak. They are, therefore, properly denoted Shisty. During the power of the caliphs of Oomya it was usual among the people to ascend the pulpits, and to caluminate the family of Ally. The Ghoories, however, never lent themselves to this practice; but in the time of Aboo Mooslim, Folad Shisty assisted in putting down the enemies of the descendants of the Prophet. Ameer Yehya, the son of Nathan, the son of Wurmish, the son of Wurmunish, the son of Purveez, the son of Shist, was contemporary with Haroon-ool-Rusheed.† * Soory, the son of Mahomed, the nephew of the Ameer Yehya, was contemporary with the Sufary dynasty, and Ma-homed, the son of Soory, was contemporary with Mahmood Ghiznevy. He refused to pay tribute, but being attacked by Mahmood, was defeated and taken prisoner: his son Aboo Ally was placed in his stead; and shortly afterwards, Abass, the son of Shist, son of Mahomed Soory, and brother of Aboo Ally, succeeded to his government. During his reign there were seven years of drought in Ghoor, so that the earth was burnt up; and thousands of men and dumb animals perished from heat and famine. Abool Abass made war with Sooltan Ibraheem, by whom he was defeated and taken prisoner; the kingdom being conferred upon his son Mahomed, who swore allegiance to the empire of Ghizny. He was succeeded by his son Kootb-ood-Deen Hussun, who was killed while attacking a fort by an arrow, which entered his eye.

On the death of Kootb-ood-Deen Hussun, his son Sam was obliged to fly to India, and follow the occupation of a merchant; by which he ac­quired much wealth, and returned by sea towards his native country. But unfortunately he was wrecked, and drowned. His son Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein secured a plank, to which a tiger which they were bringing in the ship also clung, till at length both man and tiger were cast ashore, after driving with the tide for three days. When he got footing on land, he proceeded to the nearest town, but it being late before he arrived, he could obtain no lodging, and was obliged to creep under the first shed he could find. The watch going the rounds discovered him, and concluding him to be a thief, conveyed him to prison. He was con­demned without examination to slavery for seven years, and only obtained his release casually in a general discharge of prisoners from the gaols, on the occasion of the recovery of the governor from a severe sickness. Eiz-oon-Deen Hoossein now proceeded towards Ghizny, on the way to which place he encountered a gang of robbers, that had for a long time infested the roads. On perceiving him to be a man of great bodily strength, and appa­rently bold and daring, they insisted on his joining them. Unfortunately, on that very night, a party of the troops of the Sooltan Ibraheem surrounded and carried them all in chains to the capital, where they were condemned to death.

When the executioner was binding up the eyes of Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein, he raised a piteous com­plaint, protesting, and calling God to witness, that he was innocent, which softened even the heart of the executioner, and on being required to state what he had to say in his defence, he did it in so simple and circumstantial a manner, that the ma­gistrate in attendance, believing him to be innocent, petitioned the King in his favour. On being brought before the King, he acquitted himself with such modesty and eloquence, that he was pardoned, and even taken into his service. Sooltan Ibraheem, some time after, created Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein Ameer Hajib, in which station he conducted him­self so well, that the King gave him a princess of the house of Ghizny in marriage. He rose daily in favour and estimation, till Sooltan Musaood, the son of Ibraheem, put him in possession of the prin­cipality of Ghoor.

Some historians affirm, that Eiz-ood-Deen Hoos-sein was the son and not the grandson of Kootb-ood-Deen Hoossein. By the Princess of Ghizny he had seven sons; viz.

1st. Fukhr-ood-Deen Musaood, King of Bamyan.

2d. Kootb-ood-Deen Mahomed, who married his cousin, a princess of Ghizny, the daughter of Sool-tan Beiram.

3d. Shajaa-ood-Deen Ally, who died in infancy.

4th. Nasir-ood-Deen Mahomed, who held the government of Zumeen Dawer, situated near Ghoor, and a dependency of Kundahar.

5th. Seif-ood-Deen Soory.

6th. Baha-ood-Deen Sam.

7th. Alla-ood-Deen Hoossein. During his life­time, Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein paid tribute to the Suljooks, as well as to the Ghiznevides. When Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein died, his sons (entitled the Seven Stars) separated into two divisions: the one gave origin to the dynasty of kings at Bamyan, called also Tokharistan and Mohatila; and the other, to the Ghoory dynasty at Ghizny. Of the latter race was Kootb-ood-Deen Mahomed (entitled the King of the Mountains). He married the daughter of Sooltan Beiram, King of Ghizny, and having founded the city of Feroozkooh, made it his capital. In the vicinity of this place, having inclosed with a wall a spot of ground about two parasangs in circumference, as a hunting park, he assumed all the dignities of a sovereign. At length he was induced to attack Ghizny. Sooltan Bei-ram obtaining intimation of his intentions, con­trived to get him in his power, and eventually poisoned him. This is the origin of the feuds between the houses of Ghoor and Ghizny.

Seif-ood-Deen Soory, the fifth son, who had accompanied his brother, escaped the snare, and fled to Ferooz-kooh, where, putting himself at the head of his brother's army, he marched towards Ghizny to revenge his death, as we have seen in the history of that kingdom. Ghizny fell, and Sooltan Beiram fled to India. He returned again in the winter, when the troops of Seif-ood-Deen were mostly gone to Feroozkooh and Ghoor, from whence they could not easily return, on account of the roads and deep snow. Seif-ood-Deen Soory, as before related, was betrayed into the hands of Sooltan Beiram by the inhabitants, and with his vizier suffered an ignominious death.