Malik Asadu-d dín, son of Malik Yagharsh Khán, uncle of Sultán 'Aláu-d dín, was a brave and renowned warrior. He saw the king given up to debauchery, and utterly regardless of the affairs of his kingdom. Youths of new-made fortunes, without experience, and knowing nothing of the world, were chosen by the Sultán as his advisers, and men of wisdom and counsel were set aside. All alike were heedless, haughty, and unsuspicious. Malik Asad, seeing all this, conspired with some malcontents of Deogír, and formed a plot to seize the Sultán, at Ghatí-sákún, when drinking in his harem, unattended by guards. Some horse­men with drawn swords were to rush in and kill him, and after that the royal canopy was to be raised over Malik Asad, as brother and heir of 'Aláu-d dín. It was presumed that after the death of the Sultán there would be no opposition to Malik Asad's eleva­tion, but that all people would support him. This was the plot which the conspirators had conceived and matured. While on the march they saw that ten or twelve resolute horsemen might enter the harem and kill the Sultán, but his time was not yet come; * * * and one evening one of the conspirators came in to the Sultán and gave full information of the plot. The Sultán halted at Ghatí-sákún, and there arrested Malik Asad and his brothers, with all the party of conspirators who were leagued with them. After some investigation, they were all beheaded in front of the royal tent. Following the custom of his father, the Sultán, in his ruthlessness, ordered the arrest at Dehlí of twenty-nine indi­viduals, sons of Yagharsh Khán. These were all of tender years, and had never left their homes. They had no knowledge what­ever of the conspiracy, but they were all seized and slaughtered like sheep. Their wealth, which their father, the uncle of the late Sultán, had amassed in a long course of time, was brought into the royal treasury, and the women and girls of the family were turned into the streets and left homeless.

The Sultán escaped from this plot by the decree of God; but he learned no wisdom from it, made no change in his conduct, and gave up none of his dissolute drunken habits. As he pursued his journey homewards, he arrived at Jháín, from whence he sent Shádí Kath, chief of his guards (silahdár), to the fort of Gwalior, with orders to put to death at one fell swoop Khizr Khán, Shádí Khán, and Malik Shahábu-d dín, sons of the late 'Aláu-d dín, who had been deprived of sight, and were dependent on him for food and raiment. According to his orders Shádí Kath slew the poor blind wretches, and carried their mothers and wives to Dehlí. Acts of violence and tyranny like this became the practice. * * * The good qualities which the Sultán had possessed were now all perverted. He gave way to wrath and obscenity, to severity, revenge, and heartlessness. He dipped his hands in innocent blood, and he allowed his tongue to utter disgusting and abusive words to his companions and attendants. * * * After he returned from Deogír, no human being, whether friend or stranger, dared to boldly advise him upon the affairs of his realm. The violent, vindictive spirit which possessed him led him to kill Zafar Khán, the governor of Gujarát, who had committed no offence; and thus with his own hands to uproot the foundation of his own supremacy. A short time after, he caused to be decapitated Malik Sháhín, one of his vile creatures, to whom he had given the title of Wafá-e Mulk, and whom he had once made his vicegerent. * * He cast aside all regard for decency, and presented himself decked out in the trinkets and apparel of a female before his assembled com­pany. He gave up attendance on public prayer, and publicly broke the fast of the month of Ramazán. Malik 'Aínu-l Mulk Multání was one of the greatest nobles of the time; but he caused him and Malik Karábeg, who held no less than fourteen offices, to be assailed with such filthy and disgusting abuse, by low women, from the roof of the palace of the Hazár-sutún, as the occupants of that palace had never heard before. In his recklessness he made a Gujarátí, named Tauba, supreme in his palace, and this low-born bhand would call the nobles by the name of wife or mother, would defile and befoul their garments, and sometimes made his appearance in company stark naked, talking obscenity. * * *

After the execution of Zafar Khán, he conferred the government of Gujarát upon his favourite Hisámu-d dín,* maternal uncle of the traitor Khusrú Khán, and sent him to Nahrwála with amírs, officers, and men of business. All the army and attendants of Zafar Khán were placed under this fellow, an ill-conditioned Parwárí slave, whom the Sultán had often thrashed. This base-born upstart proceeded to Gujarát, and collecting his kindred and connections among the Parwárís, he stirred up a revolt. But the nobles of Gujarát collected their forces and adherents, made him prisoner, and sent him to Dehlí. The Sultán, in his in­fatuation for his brother, gave him a slap on the face, but soon after set him at liberty, and made him one of his personal atten­dants. When the nobles of Gujarát heard of this they were confounded, and felt disgusted with the Sultán. After the re­moval of this brother of Khusrú Khán, the government of Gujarát was given to Malik Wahídu-d dín Kuraishí, who, in comparison, was a worthy and fit person; and he received the title of Sadaru-l Mulk. * * *

Malik Yak Lakhí, governor of Deogír, revolted; but when the intelligence reached the Sultán, he sent a force against him, from Dehlí, which made him and his confederates prisoners. When they were brought to the Sultán, he had the ears and nose of Yak Lakhí cut off, and publicly disgraced him. His confederates also received punishment. Malik 'Aínu-l Mulk, Táju-l Mulk, and Yamkhíru-l Mulk were sent as governor and assistants to Deogír, and these being good men, their appointments excited surprise. They soon settled the district, regulated the forces, and made arrangements for the payment of the tribute. * * *

When Khusrú Khán marched from Deogír to Ma'bar, it was seen that he acted in the same way as Malik Náíb Káfúr had done. The Ráís of Ma'bar fled with their treasures and valu­ables; but about a hundred elephants, which had been left in two cities, fell into the hands of Khusrú Khán. On his arriving in Ma'bar the rains came on, and he was compelled to remain. There was in Ma'bar a merchant, named Takí Khán, a Sunní by profession, who had acquired great wealth, which he had purified by paying the alms prescribed by his religion. Relying on the fact of the invading army being Musulmán, he did not flee. Khusrú Khán, who had nothing in his heart but rapacity and villany, seized this Musulmán, took his money from him by force, and put him to death, declaring the money to belong to the treasury. Whilst he remained in Ma'bar he did nothing but plot with his confidants as to the best means of seizing and putting to death those nobles who supported the reign­ing dynasty; and he consulted with them as to the course he should pursue, whom of the army he should make his friends, and whom he should get rid of. He fixed his attention upon certain of the old Maliks, such as Malik Tamar of Chanderí, Malik Afghán, and Malik Talbagha Yaghda of Karra, who had considerable forces at their command, and he made some ad­vances to them. His treacherous designs and rebellious inten­tions reached the ears of the old nobles, and they perceived, from many other signs and appearances, that the flames of rebellion were about to break forth. So the loyal nobles Malik Tamar and Malik Talbagha Yaghda sent to tell him that they had heard of his doing his utmost to get up a rebellion, and that he wished to remain where he was, and not return to Dehlí; but they added that they would not allow him to remain, and that he had better make up his mind to return whilst there remained a show of amity between them, and without their having to seize him. By many devices and menaces they induced him to return, and did all they could think of and contrive to bring him and his army to Dehlí. Their expectation was that the Sultán, on learning the facts, would show them great favour, and would punish Khusrú Khán and his fellow-conspirators. The Sultán was so infatuated, and so strongly desired the presence of Khusrú Khán, that he sent relays of bearers with a litter to bring him with all haste from Deogír in the course of seven or eight days. * * * Khusrú Khán told the Sultán that some maliks, who were his enemies, had charged him with treason, and were weaving a tissue of lies against him. Then he insinuated some counter-charges into the ears of the Sultán, who was so deluded as to believe what he represented. * * * The army afterwards arrived, and Malik Tamar and Malik Talbagha made a report of the designs of the Khán. * * * Fate blinded the Sultán, and he would not believe. * * * He grew angry with the accusers. He ordered Malik Tamar to be degraded, and not to be allowed to enter (the palace); and he took from him the territory of Chanderí, and gave it to the Parwárí boy. Malik Talbagha Yaghda, who had spoken more plainly about the plans of the traitor, was deprived of sight, beaten on the mouth, stripped of his offices, territories, and retainers, and put in prison. Whoever spoke of their fidelity, or testified to the treachery of Khusrú Khán, received condign punishment, and was imprisoned or banished. All the atten­dants of the court plainly perceived that to speak against him would be to court the same chastisement. The wise men of the court and city saw that the Sultán's end was approaching. * * *