A. H. 592.
A. D. 1195. In the following year, Mahomed Ghoory returned to Hindoostan, and proceeding to Byana took it; and having conferred the government on Baha-ood Deen Toghrul, commanded him to besiege Gua-liar, himself returning to settle some affairs at Ghizny. In the mean time, the strong fort of Gualiar fell after a long siege. Kootb-ood-Deen Eibuk, ambitious of extending his conquests, led his army into Rajpootana, where, having experi­enced a severe defeat, he was compelled to seek

A. H. 593.
A. D. 1196.

protection in the fort of Ajmeer. In the year 593, Kootb-ood-Deen marched again from Dehly, and re­duced Nehrwala, in Guzerat, with all its depend­encies. After his return, he took the forts of Kalunjur, Kalpy, and Budaoon.

Mahomed Ghoory, meanwhile, being engaged in an expedition on the west towards Toos and Suruksh, heard of the death of his brother Gheias-ood-Deen, who had long lost all power in the empire, preserving only the name of King, so that Mahomed Ghoory succeeded without opposi­tion. He now returned towards Ghizny, by the route of Badghees, and subduing part of the country of Khwaruzm, recovered it out of the hands of the Suljooks. He divided this new conquest among several members of his own fa­mily, giving the government of Feroozkooh and Ghoor to his nephew Mullik Zeea-ood-Deen, son-in-law of his late brother Gheias-ood-Deen. He also gave Boost, Furreh, and Isfurar, to the Prince Mahomed, his brother's son, and the government of Hirat and its dependencies to Nasir-ood-Deen, his nephew by a sister.

On his arrival at Ghizny, according to the will of his deceased brother, he was crowned in form; and ascended the throne. In the same year he heard of the death of Mahomed Zeeruk, Prince of Murv, and in the beginning of the next year marched to complete the conquest of Khwaruzm. The King of Khwaruzm, unable to oppose him in the field, shut himself up in the capital of that name. Mahomed Ghoory having encamped on the banks of the great canal, which had been formerly dug to the westward of the city, forthwith attacked the place, but lost many brave officers and men in an attempt to escalade it.

Meanwhile news arrived that Kurra Beg, the general of Ghoorkhan, King of Khutta, and Oothman Khan Samarkandy, were advancing with armies to the relief of Khwaruzm Shah. Maho-med Ghoory, unwilling to abandon his hopes of taking the city, delayed his retreat till the allied armies advanced so near, that he was compelled to burn his baggage, and to retire with the utmost precipitation towards Khorassan. His army was pressed so closely by troops from that province, that he was compelled to give battle, and was wholly defeated, losing all his elephants and treasure; while the confederate kings, who had taken a circuit to cut off his retreat towards Ghizny, in­tercepted him.

Surrounded thus by the enemy, he fought, as usual, desperately, though overpowered by num­bers. Of his late noble army, there now remained scarce a hundred men, who still defended their King: in spite of which, with this small band he cut his way through his enemies, and arrived in safety at the fort of Andkhoo, situated a short dis­tance from the field of battle. Herein he was be­sieged; but on paying a large ransom to Oothman Khan Samarkandy, and abandoning the place, he was suffered to return to his own dominions.

When Mahomed Ghoory was defeated, one of his officers named Zeeruk escaped from the field, and imagining his master was slain, made his way to Mooltan. Having waited on Ameer Daood Hussun, governor of the province, he told him that he had a private message from the king. Ameer Daood Hussun retired with him into his closet, where the assassin pretending to whisper into his ear, drew a dagger and stabbed him to the heart. He then ran instantly to the court-yard, where he proclaimed aloud, that he had killed the traitor, Ameer Daood, in obedience to the King's command, and producing a false order, and com­mission, to assume the government, he was acknow­ledged by the army and the people.

The chief of the tribe of mountaineers, called Gukkurs, at this time, hearing that the King was certainly slain, aspired to independence; and col­lecting in great numbers, advanced towards Lahore, laying waste the country between the rivers Jhee-lum and Sodra. * Mahomed Ghoory had now ob­tained permission of the allies to retire unmolested from the fort of Andkhoo, and arrived at Ghizny, where his own slave Yeldooz, having seized on the city, opposed his entrance, which obliged the King to continue his route to Mooltan. Here Zeeruk, who had rebelled against him, also resisted him; but Mahomed Ghoory being by this time joined by many of his friends, gave him battle, and obtaining a complete victory, took the traitor prisoner. The troops of the borders of India having rallied around him, he marched to Ghizny, and at the entreaties of the citizens forgave his rebel slave, and quietly obtained possession of the place. Mahomed Ghoory now concluded a treaty of peace with the King of Khwaruzm; after which, in order to chas­tise the Gukkurs, he marched towards India. Kootb-ood-Deen Eibuk, from Dehly, attacked the Gukkurs on the east, while the King engaged them from the west. They were defeated and dispersed; and Lahore being recovered out of their hands, Kootb-ood-Deen Eibuk returned to his government of Dehly.

During the residence of Mahomed Ghoory at Lahore, on this occasion, the Gukkurs, who in­habited the country along the banks of the Nilab, up to the foot of the mountains of Sewalik, exercised unheard of cruelties on the Mahomedans, and cut off the communication between the provinces of Pishawur and Mooltan. These Gukkurs were a race of wild barbarians, without either religion or morality. It was a custom among them as soon as a female child was born to carry her to the door of the house, and there proclaim aloud, holding the child in one hand, and a knife in the other, that any person who wanted a wife might now take her, otherwise she was immediately put to death. By this means, they had more men than women, which occasioned the custom of several husbands to one wife. * When this wife was visited by one of her husbands, she left a mark at the door†, * which being observed by any of the other husbands, he withdrew till the signal was taken away. This barbarous people continued to make incursions on the Mahomedans till, in the latter end of this King's reign, their chieftain was converted to the true faith when a captive. After becoming a proselyte he procured his release from the King, who endeavoured to persuade him to convert his followers, and at the same time ho­noured him with a title and dress, and confirmed him in the title of chief of the mountains. A great part of these mountaineers, having very little notion of any religion, were easily induced to adopt the tenets of the true faith, at the same time most of the infidels who inhabited the mountains between Ghizny and the Indus were also con­verted, some by force and others by persuasion; and at the present day, being 1018 of the Hijra (A. D. 1609), they continue to profess the faith of Islam.

Mahomed Ghoory, having settled the affairs of

A. H. 602.
A. D. 1205.

India, marched in the year 602 from Lahore, in the direction of Ghizny, con­ferring the government of Bamyan on one of his relations (Buha-ood-Deen), with orders, that when he himself should move towards Toork-istan (which he shortly proposed doing), Buha-ood-Deen should march also with all the forces of Bamyan, and encamp on the banks of the Jyhoon (or Oxus), there to await further orders. He was directed, in the mean time, to throw a bridge over that river. But Mahomed Ghoory was destined never to undertake this project; for on the second

Shaban 2.
A. H. 602.
March 14.
A. D. 1206.

of Shaban, having reached the village of Rohtuk, on the banks of the Indus, 20 Gukkurs, who had lost some of their relations in the late wars, entered into a conspiracy against the King's life, and sought an opportunity to carry their horrid purpose into effect. The weather being sultry, Mahomed had ordered the screens, which surround the royal tents in the form of a large square, to be struck, in order to give free admission to the air. This afforded the assassins an opportunity of seeing into the sleeping apartments. They found their way up to the tents in the night, and hid themselves, while one of them advanced to the tent-door, but being stopped by a sentry who was about to seize him, he plunged his dagger into his breast. The cries of the dying man roused the guard, who running out to see what was the matter, the other assassins took that opportunity of cutting their way into the King's tent.

He was asleep, with two slaves fanning him. These stood petrified with terror, when they beheld the Gukkurs enter, who, without hesitation, sheathed their daggers in the King's body, which was afterwards found to have been pierced by no fewer than 22 wounds.

Thus fell Sooltan Moyiz-ood-Deen Mahomed Ghoory, in the year 602, after a reign of 32 years from the commencement of his government over Ghizny, and three from his accession to the throne. The Vizier, Khwaja-ool-Moolk, secured some of the assassins, and put them to a cruel death. Then calling the chiefs together, and having obtained their promise of fidelity in pro­tecting the King's property, which loaded 4000 camels, he prevented the army and the slaves, who had proposed to plunder it, from carrying their scheme into execution. The body was conveyed in mournful pomp towards Ghizny; but when the army reached Pishawur, a contest arose about the succession to the throne.