After the death of Shooja Khan, his eldest son, Mullik Bayezeed, marched from Hundia to Sarungpoor, and assumed charge of the govern­ment, taking possession of all his father's effects. His brother, Dowlut Khan, who had been a great favourite of Sulim Shah, and had the Sarungpoor division of troops to support him, asserted his claim to a partition of the kingdom; and after some ne­gotiation, the districts contiguous to Oojein and Mando, together with some villages, were ceded to him. The districts of Sarungpoor, Seevas, Bheel-wara, and the private estates of Shooja Khan, were considered as belonging to Bayezeed, and the districts of Raiseen and Bhilsa, with their de­pendencies, were left in the hands of Moostufa Khan. After this arrangement, Bayezeed marched to Oojein, on pretence of paying a visit of con­dolence to Dowlut Khan, on the occasion of their father's death. The latter, unsuspicious of any other motive, was put to death by his elder bro­ther. The head of Dowlut Khan was sent to Sarungpoor, and hung up on one of the gates of that town; after which, having taken posses­sion of many towns in Malwa which were pre-

A. H. 963.
A. D. 1555.

viously almost independent, in the year 963 Bayezeed was crowned, under the title of Sooltan Baz Bahadur. After this event he marched to Raiseen to expel his remaining brother, Moostufa Khan, who, after sustaining several actions, was eventually completely defeated, and his army dispersed. Moostufa Khan fled from Malwa, leaving Baz Bahadur to take possession of the forts of Raiseen and Bhilsa.

About this period, having met with opposition from some of his officers, Baz Bahadur caused them to be seized and thrown into deep wells alive, where they were either drowned or starved to death. Some time after this he marched to invade Gondwara, in which campaign his uncle, Futteh Khan, was killed; after which he re­turned to Sarungpoor, and made preparations to reduce the fortress of Gurra. On his arrival in that vicinity, he was opposed by the troops of the Rany Doorgawutty, the widow of the late Ray Krishn Sing, who governed the country. Baz Bahadur was opposed by the Gonds, on the summit of a pass where their infantry were strongly posted, and having been drawn into an ambuscade, his troops were so completely routed that he was compelled to make his escape singly to Sarungpoor; but his army was completely sur­rounded and made prisoners, most of whom were put to death. Baz Bahadur was so much affected with this disgraceful termination of the war, in which his army had been destroyed, without being able to make resistance, that in order to drive away care he abandoned himself to sensual plea­sures. At this period the science of music had attained considerable perfection in Malwa, and Baz Bahadur devoted himself entirely to its cul­tivation and encouragement; and his attachment to Roop Muny, a celebrated courtesan of that age, became so notorious, that the loves of Baz Ba­hadur and Roop Muny have been handed down to posterity in song. Akbur Padshah of Dehly, taking advantage of the state of Malwa under Baz Bahadur, ordered an army commanded by Adhum

A. H. 968.
A. D. 1560.

Khan, in the latter end of the year 968, to march and occupy that country. Baz Bahadur heard nothing of the movement of this force until it arrived within a short distance of his capital, when he collected his troops around Sarungpoor, but they had hardly time to join, before the Moguls were within two miles of the place. His eyes were now opened to his situation; and entering on the field of action with as little concern as if going into the com­pany of females, he advanced impetuously, though without order, into the battle. He personally be­haved with great gallantry; but his troops deserting him, he was obliged to fly, leaving Adhum Khan to occupy Sarungpoor. After some time, Adhum Khan being recalled, Peer Mahomed Khan Sheer-wany was sent in his stead to the government of

A. H. 969.
A. D. 1571.

Malwa. In the year 969, Peer Ma-homed Khan marched to oppose Baz Bahadur on the frontier, who had col­lected a force in conjunction with Toofal Khan, regent of Berar, and Meeran Moobarik Khan of Aseer. Peer Mahomed Khan advanced, in order to lay waste the country of Boorhanpoor; but the confederates so distressed him, that he was obliged to retreat to Malwa, whither they pursued him, and driving the Mogul troops out of Malwa, re­placed Baz Bahadur on the throne. He had scarcely time to draw breath, when in the year

A. H. 970.
A. D. 1562.

970 Abdoolla Khan Oozbuk, another of the officers of Akbur Padshah, occupied Malwa. Baz Bahadur fled to the hills of Gondwara, from whence he made occasional sallies, and for a time took and retained possession of some small districts; but what he gained by force of arms he very soon lost again, owing to the indolent habits in which he indulged: at length he thought it best to deliver himself up to Ak-bur Padshah. In consequence he left his retreat

A. H. 978.
A. D. 1570.

in the year 978, after a reign of seven­teen years. He sometimes lived in the luxuries of a court, and at others sub­mitted to the privations of a camp; and fre­quently wandered and begged assistance from one state to another, abiding in the woods and hills for whole months together, from an apprehension of being seized. In this year, having joined Akbur Padshah at Dehly, Baz Bahadur received a com­mission as an officer of two thousand cavalry. From

A. H. 1018.
A. D. 1609.

that period till the present year, being 1018, the kingdom of Malwa has been included among the provinces of the empire of Dehly.