Zuffur Khan also marched with twenty thousand horse to Bidur, then occupied by Imad-ool-Moolk Tubreezy; but owing to the superiority of the royalists, he dared not engage them. At last, being joined by fifteen thousand infantry, sent by the Raja of Tulingana, and five thousand horse, detached by Nasir-ood-Deen Ismael from Dowlutabad to his assistance, Zuffur Khan made the attack. The action, which was hardly con­tested, continued from daylight till sunset, when, as it was decreed by God, * that Zuffur Khan should be raised to the sovereignty of the Deccan, Imad-ool-Moolk was slain, and his army routed. Many of the fugitives took shelter in Bidur, others in Kand'har†, * while some few retired with difficulty to Malwa.

Zuffur Khan having left Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory to reduce the forts of Bidur and Kand'har proceeded to Dowlutabad; at which place he was met by Nasir-ood-Deen Ismael, who, on ob­serving that greater attention was paid by the officers and the army to the general than to him, and perceiving, also, that they wished to have him for their king, prudently resolved to retire to a more humble station. Calling a meeting, therefore, of the principal officers present, Nasir-ood-Deen Ismael declared, that on account of his age he was unfit to rule in such times, and requested they would elect a new king, observing, that for his part he should recommend Zuffur Khan as most worthy of the throne. The assembly unanimously consented to the proposal; and the astrologers being directed to select a fortunate moment for

Rubbee-ool-
Akhur 24.
A. H. 748.
August 12.
A. D. 1347.

his inauguration, on Friday, the 24th of Rubbee-ool-Akhur, 748, the crown was placed on the head of Zuffur Khan, and a black canopy, the colour assumed by the Abasside caliphs, was elevated over his throne. The Khootba was read, and coins struck, in his name, impressed with his title of Alla-ood-Deen Hussun. From that period, also, Kool-burga, which now became the royal residence, was named Ahsunabad, * and became the capital of the first Mahomedan king of the Deccan.

Alla-ood-Deen Hussun, having assumed charge of his government, neglected none of its duties, and his dominions daily extended; so that in a short time the territory from the river Beema to the vicinity of the fortress of Adony†, * and from the port of Choul to the city of Bidur, was brought under his authority. It is related, that on his ac­cession the King distributed four hundred pounds weight of gold, and one thousand pounds of silver, in charity, in the name of Nizam-ood-Deen Oulia, who had predicted his good fortune. Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory, remarkable alike for his inte­grity and good sense, was appointed minister; and the ex-king, Nasir-ood-Deen, re-assuming his original name of Ismael, was honoured with the title of Ameer-ool-Omra. Not unmindful of his promise to his former master, the King entrusted his treasury to the bramin Gungoo, who quitted the service of Mahomed Toghluk Padshah, and re­paired to the Deccan; and the affix of Gungoo Bahmuny was superadded to the King's title in all public documents, and remained engraven on the royal seal of that dynasty till its extinction.

It is generally believed that Gungoo was the first bramin who accepted office in the service of a Ma-homedan prince; before whose time, the bramins never engaged in public affairs, but passed their lives in the duties of religion, and in the study of the Vedas; indifferent to fortune, conceiving the service of princes to be destructive of virtue. If, as physicians, astronomers, metaphysicians, or his­torians, they sometimes associated with the rich or powerful, they never consented to wear the chain of servitude, though courted by gifts, and promised the highest distinctions. Since Gungoo's acceptance of employment, however, the manage­ment of the revenue has been committed generally to bramins, by all the princes of the Deccan.*

Alla-ood-Deen Hussun, as well by wise policy as by force of arms, towards the end of the reign of Mahomed Toghluk, subdued every part of the Deccan previously subject to the throne of Dehly, and gained over by conciliatory measures the Afghan, Mogul, and Rajpoot officers of the Dehly government, holding possession of Bidur and Kand'har, which were delivered into his hands. He wrested Kowlas, also, with its dependencies, from the Raja of Wurungole, with whom he formed a treaty of alliance. The death of Mahomed

A. H. 752.
A. D. 1751.

Toghluk, in 752, removing all appre­hensions of attack from Dehly, the King engaged assiduously in the in­ternal economy of his government, and witnessed the marriage of his eldest son Mahomed with the daughter of Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory. On this occasion, he distributed ten thousand robes of cloth of gold, velvet, and satin, among the nobles of his court, besides one thousand Arabian and Persian horses, and two hundred sabres set with jewels. The populace were entertained with various amuse­ments, and booths were erected in the streets of Koolburga, from which showers of confectionary were thrown among the crowd. The rejoicings lasted a whole year; on the last day of which, the nobility and officers, in their turn, made offerings of jewels, money, and the rarest productions of all countries.

Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory, in consequence of this alliance, assumed a place in public as­semblies above those of all the nobility. This circumstance gave offence to the Ameer-ool-Omra, who complained of it, but he was told, that in every settled government the civil officers took precedence of the military. Although apparently satisfied with this explanation, he secretly con­spired with some disaffected persons to depose the King, and to re-ascend the throne he had abdicated. His designs not being favoured by Providence, the King obtained timely information of his intentions from persons who had joined in the plot, but had since repented. Having convened all the principal officers of the court, the King openly accused Is-mael, who denied the charge by the most solemn oaths. Being confronted, however, with the in­formers, and many of the conspirators having fully proved the charges against him, the Ameer-ool-Omra suffered death: his relations and adherents, however, were unmolested; no confiscation of his property took place; and his son, Bahadur Khan, was raised to the rank of Ameer-ool-Omra. This act, connected with other instances of justice tempered with mercy, raised the King's fame, and strengthened his power. The Raja of Tulingana, who had thrown off all fealty, was treated with generous forbearance, on account of the assistance he had rendered to the King; and he now voluntarily agreed to pay the tribute he had heretofore remitted to the King of Dehly.

Alla-ood-Deen, at the instance of Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory, sent a considerable force into the Carnatic, * from whence his general returned suc­cessful, with valuable contributions from several rajas in money and jewels, besides two hundred elephants, and one thousand female singers. Hav­ing received an invitation from Preme Ray, the representative of the ancient rajas of Guzerat, to invade that country, (which, owing to the weak­ness of the kings of Dehly, had become a prey

Shaban,
A. H. 758.
August,
A. D. 1357.

to contending chiefs,) Alla-ood-Deen Hussun, in the month of Shaban, 758, took the field, and having detached his eldest son, the Prince Mahomed, in advance with twenty thousand horse, himself followed by easy marches. On arriving at Now-sary , * the Prince found the country abound­ing in game, of which he sent accounts to his father, who being fond of field sports, proceeded with expedition, and spent nearly a month in that vicinity; at the end of which period, having con­tracted an intermittent fever, and not using proper precaution in refraining from violent exercise and high living, his disorder increased to so alarming a degree, that he was induced to return to Kool-burga. On reaching his capital, he convened all the learned and holy men in whose presence he vowed to abstain in future from all things for­bidden by the law of the Koran. At this time he divided his kingdom into four principal govern­ments. The district, including the capital, ex­tended from Koolburga as far west as Dabul, and south as far as Rachore and Moodkul, was placed under Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory: the tract comprehending Choul (on the sea-coast), and lying between Joonere, Dowlutabad, Beer, and Peitun (being the territory of Mahrut), the King committed to the charge of Mahomed Khan, the son of his brother Ameer Ally. On the north­east, Mahoor, Ramgir, and a portion of Berar, were intrusted to Sufdur Khan Seestany; and Bidur, Indour, Kowlas, and the districts in Tu-lingana, were assigned to the charge of Azim Hoomayoon, son of Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory.

The King continued six months in a declining state of health; in spite of which, he gave public audience twice a day, transacting business, and administering justice to the poor and friendless. He issued orders to release all prisoners throughout his dominions, except those accused of capital offences, whom he commanded to Koolburga; and having himself examined them, gave liberty to all but seven, whom he delivered over to his son Ma-homed, that after his death he might act towards them as he judged proper. At length, finding no benefit from medicine, and feeling nature ex­hausted, he discharged his physicians, and waited patiently the final cure of human ills. In this state, enquiring one day of his youngest son, Mah-mood, who had been reading with his tutor, what book he had been studying, the youth replied, the Bostan of Sâdy, repeating the following passage as his lesson of that day:—