The liberal Sultán visited him, and lodged him in the suburb of Gunjam, and treated him with princely courtesy and kindness, and besides rich dresses, car­pets, &c. other necessary articles, such as provisons, &c. allowed him two thousand rupees a month for the payment of his servants. As the Sultán’s aim was to join and act in concert with the kings of Islám, for this reason and from friendship and good intention, he despatched embassadors with valuable presents, elephants and friendly letters to Zumán Sháh, the son of Timour Sháh, the son of Ahmud Sháh Doorrani, the Chief of Kabul and Sultán of the Ser Abdalli tribe, to propose and arrange the modes of affording each other aid and assistance, and that powerful sovereign accorded all the requests of the Sultán, and honoured the envoys with many presents of great value. When the terms of peace and amity were confirmed between the two Kings by oaths and treaties, the embassadors returned to the Sultán with rarities and presents of that country, and letters in reply, signifying the establishment of friendship and the laying of the strong foundations of amity between the two states. After some time had been passed in pleasure in the year 1210, Hijri,* the Sultán espoused a lady, pre­viously betrothed to him, who was entitled Khodija i Zumán, or the Lady of the Age, (the daughter of Syud Sáhib), and the marriage banquets and enter­tainments were prepared, and for a certain number of days the Kháns and Amírs, who were appointed to the office of Mír Sámáni, (a kind of stewardship) arranged all things conducive to pleasure and enjoyment, and all the officers and men of the army received gifts from the treasury of that for­tunate prince, and from his delicious feasts, the tongue and palates of both high and low were sweetened and gratified. By his royal munificence also, the musicians and singers, or Bayaderes, with their magic glances, were placed beyond wages or want.

The kind and friendly Sultán next sat at one table with all his Amírs and soldiers, and with the greatest condescension eat his dinner of rice and milk with them; and during the repast said that he and they were all brethren in religion, and that being of one tribe it was indispensable all jealousy and enmity should be cast aside from their minds, and that they should unite in heart and relying on God alone, bind up their loins strongly to make war on the infidels, with a firm determi­nation to devote themselves to Martyrdom in the cause. After saying this, the Sultán with his own generous hands distributed among his officers and soldiers honorary dresses of a red colour, and he then again said that they must consider these red dresses as the dresses in which they were to devote themselves in his service. Ah!— notwith­standing all this conciliation and these favours from the Sultán, these hard hearted men, still refused to follow the path of loyalty and good fortune.

The next year, the Sultán determined that the marriages of the royal princes* should be solem­nized, and orders to that effect were issued. The Mír Sámánán or stewards of the ceremonies according to these orders, superintended the mar­riage of Mihi uddín Sultán with the daughter of Muhammad Alí, otherwise called Hujoo Mean, and the prince was introduced to the Moon of the Heavens of purity and virtue, and according to the rules and customs of the royal marriages they were placed in conjunction on the nuptial throne.

In the course of the third year, the wife of the Sultán gave birth to a daughter and died about a month after, and the child soon after drank the milk of Paradise, or died, also.

About this time, the Prince of Eeraun agreeably to the request of the Amírs of his own country received permission to depart, and as the Sultán entertained a great regard for this prince, he honoured him with many valuable presents of money and jewels, and at parting said,— “after you have made your arrangements regarding the Capital of the Sultánut of Persia, it is my wish that you and I in concert with Zumán Sháh should endeavour to regulate and put in order, (divide between them seemingly) the countries of Hindostan, and the Dukhun.” The prince agreed and pledged himself to this proposition. Previous to this, the Sáhib Dewán,* (one of the Devil’s children) who was styled the Mír Asof, had fre­quently represented to the Sultán the wickedness, faithlessness and disloyalty of the Sect of the Mehdivies, who are called Ahl-i-Daira, while to all appearance they were true men and faithful ser­vants; the Sáhib Dewán being afraid of this tribe. The Sultán, therefore, merely to gratify him, expelled the whole of them with their women and children from his dominions.*