About this time the sons and descendants of Mahomed Sooltan Mirza went into rebellion. This Prince derives his descent in the paternal line from Ameer Teimoor Korkan, as is stated in the memoirs of Babur, his mother being the daughter of Sooltan Hoossein Mirza. During the reign of Hoomayoon, he evinced the blackest ingratitude to that monarch, but he was generously par­doned. His eldest son, Alugh Mirza, fell in action against the Huzaras, and his youngest son, Shah Mirza, died a natural death. Alugh Mirza left two sons, Sikundur and Mahomed; though Hoomayoon Padshah used to call the eldest by the name of his father, Alugh Mirza, and the youngest by that of his uncle, Shah Mirza. * Taking these children under his own es­pecial care, he caused them to be educated at court; and on the accession of Akbur Padshah to the throne, Mahomed Sooltan Mirza returned to India, and had the district of Sumbhul conferred on him for his maintenance. Notwithstanding his advanced age, Mahomed Sooltan Mirza had four sons afterwards; viz.

1. Mahomed Hoossein Mirza.
2. Ibrahim Mirza.
3. Hoossein Mirza.
4. Akil Mirza.

All of whom were enrolled among the nobles of Akbur's court, while still in their minority; and after attending the King's army in the late war against the Oozbuks of Joonpoor, they retired to their estates at Sumbhul. When the King sub­sequently proceeded against Mahomed Hukeem Mirza in the Punjab, these four chiefs, in con­junction with their nephews, Sikundur and Ma-homed, (entitled Alugh Mirza, and Shah Mirza,) went into rebellion, and collecting a number of disaffected persons, commenced to levy con­tributions on the King's provinces. The jageer-dars in their vicinity, however, treating them as common marauders, expelled them from Sumbhul, from whence they proceeded to Malwa. Moonyim Khan, in the mean time, contrived to obtain posses­sion of the person of Mahomed Sooltan Mirza, and placing him in confinement in Byana, he remained there till he died a natural death.

The Oozbuk chiefs, availing themselves of the King's absence, took Kunowj and Oude, and ex­tended their conquest on all quarters. These events obliged him to return to Agra, where having collected his troops, he proceeded to Joon-poor. Khan Zuman Khan, who was then besieging Yoosoof Khan in the fort of Sheergur, hearing of the King's approach, retreated to Kurra, in which place his brother, Bahadur Khan Seestany, had closely beset Mujnoon Khan and Asuf Khan Hirvy. The King continued in pursuit of Khan Zuman; and on reaching the town of Ray Barely, heard that he had crossed the Ganges, and was in full retreat to Malwa, either to join the sons of Mahomed Sooltan Mirza, or to form an alliance with the kings of the Deccan. This information determined Akbur, if possible, to overtake him. On arriving at the ferry of Manukpoor, in the evening, no boats being procurable, he mounted

A. H. 974.
A. D. 1566.

his elephant, and, contrary to the ad­vice of his officers, urged the animal into the river which was then deep. He had the good fortune to pass in safety without the necessity of the elephant swimming; but his body guard, one hundred of whom plunged into the stream, gained the opposite bank with difficulty. With this small party Akbur proceeded, and in the morning, appeared before the enemy's camp, where Asuf Khan Hirvy and Mujnoon Khan joined him with the garrison of Kurra.

The enemy, little supposing the King would attempt to cross the river without his army, passed the night in festivity, and could hardly believe their senses when they heard the royal nukara. * They lost no time, however, informing their line, and a battle ensued, which commenced at nine o'clock, Zeehuj 1.
A. H. 974.
June 6.
A. D. 1566. on Monday the 1st of Zeehuj, A. H. 974. Baba Khan Kajar, who commanded the King's advanced party, penetrated into the camp of the insurgents, but was re­pulsed by Bahadur Khan Seestany; and falling back in confusion on the King's line, created some disorder. Bahadur Khan Seestany, following up his advantage, penetrated to the spot where the King commanded in person. Akbur found it necessary to dismount from his elephant, and take to his horse; but an arrow having killed Bahadur Khan's charger at this very moment, he was obliged to retreat on foot, and his party dispersed. The King now com­manded his elephants to advance rapidly, and the enemy were driven off the field. Khan Zuman received an arrow wound, which he was in the act of extracting, when his horse also fell; and before he could mount another, the elephant called Hursook, pushing forward, trod him to death. Bahadur Khan was taken prisoner during the action; and when brought before the King, he was asked what injury he had sustained to provoke him to draw his sword against him? He made no defence, but exclaimed, “Praise be to God that he “has reserved me once more to see your Ma-“jesty's countenance.” The King ordered him to be taken care of; but the fate of Khan Zuman being still unknown, some of the officers put him to death without orders. The heads of the two brothers were sent to Punjab and Kabul. Jan Ally Beg Oozbuk, Yar Ally Beg, Mirza Beg, Khooshal Beg, Mirza Shah Beg, and Ally Shah Budukhshy, were all made prisoners; and having accompanied the King as far as Joonpoor, they were trodden to death by elephants. After this victory, the government of Joonpoor was conferred on Moonyim Khan, Khan Khanan. Sikundur Khan Oozbuk, who was now besieged in the fort of Oude, was compelled to fly to Gorukpoor. The rebellion of the Oozbuks was thus considered at

Mohurrum,
A. H. 975.
July,
A. D. 1567.

an end, so that in the month of Mo-hurrum, 975, the army returned to Agra. After these events, the King marched against Rana Oody Sing, who had not yet submitted to the Mogul arms. Having reached Shewpoor, the governor, evacuating the place, took refuge with Soorjun Ray, the Raja of Runtunbhore; and Akbur, having left a garrison in Shewpoor, proceeded to the fort of Gungrar, on the frontier of Malwa. The sons of Mahomed Sooltan Mirza, now in Mando, hearing of his ap­proach, were not without apprehension for them­selves; and Alugh Mirza dying about this time, the other Mirzas fled to Guzerat.

The King left Malwa under charge of Shahab-ood-Deen Ahmud Khan Nyshapoory, and marched from Gungrar to Chittoor. Here the Rana leaving eight thousand Rajpoots with an ample supply of provisions in the fort, retired with his family to a country he deemed more inaccessible. Akbur, having invested Chittoor, employed five thousand workmen of different descriptions to conduct the siege. The approaches were made by sabat, a de­scription of defence for the besiegers peculiar to India. * The sabats are constructed in the following manner. The zig-zags, commencing at gunshot distance from the fort, consist of a double wall, and by means of blinds or stuffed gabions covered with leather the besiegers continue their approaches till they arrive near to the walls of the place to be at­tacked. The miners then proceed to sink their shafts, and carry on their galleries under ground, for the construction of the mines, in which having placed the powder and blown up the works, the storming party rushes from the sabat, or superior galleries, and assaults the place.† * On the present occasion, two sabats, or superior galleries, having been con­structed, two mines were carried under bastions at different spots, and they were both fired at the same time. It happened that one of them exploded before the other, and a practicable breach was formed. Two thousand men, prepared to storm, advanced immediately, under the supposition that both mines had been sprung, and the parties divided, in order to enter both breaches at once. One of the mines, however, exploded, only just as one of the parties got close over it, when five hundred men were killed, besides a number of the enemy who were crowded on the bastion. Of the Moguls, fifteen officers suffered on this occasion, among whom were Syud Jumal-ood-Deen Khan Barha Murdan Koolly Shah and others. The con­sequence was, that both attacks failed. Other mines were directed to be constructed, and as the works were in progress, the King, while in the batteries, observed Jugmul, the governor of the place, superin­tending the repairing of the breaches, and giving his orders by torchlight. Akbur, seizing a matchlock from one of his attendants, fired at him, and was so fortunate as to lodge the ball in Jugmul's forehead. The spirit of the besieged fell with their governor; and in their despair, they performed the ceremony of the jowhur, and putting their wives and children to death, burned them with the corpse of their chief on a funeral pile. The King, perceiving what was in progress within the fort, advanced under the cover of night to the breaches, and found them abandoned, so that he entered the fort without opposition. Daylight appeared, and still not a soul was to be seen of the garrison; all had retired to their temples, and, as usual, refused quarter. The King, mounting his elephant, or­dered the temples to be stormed, when ten thou­sand Rajpoots fell in the assault, while, with the ex­ception of one Noosrut Ally, not a Mahomedan lost his life. The command of Chittoor being con­ferred on Asuf Khan Hirvy, the King returned to his capital.