After burying Alá-ud-dín Lódí, the conspirators assembled in a mosque near the royal court, where, seating themselves, they besieged the Sultán for three days. At the end of this time, the latter, being no longer able to endure his confinement, sent to ask them why they were assembled. They unanimously answered, “they were the Sultán's servants, but that his confidant, Muháfiz Khán, who was not a proper person to serve him, must be delivered over to them.” The Sultán would not consent to this, but soon after called these noblemen to him, that they might pay their respects. As one among them was in some way connected with Muháfiz Khán, the same sent to tell him that it would not be proper that he should be present at the meeting. The fool, either from pride or reliance on the Sultán's favour, did not attend to this warning; and, having accordingly come, stood behind the king's throne. When Álam Khán Lódí saw him standing there, being no longer able to contain himself, he made a signal to his followers: on observing which, Muháfiz Khán, through fear of his life, took shelter below the throne. The mutineers, after dragging him by the hair of the head from below the throne, cut him in pieces; and, although the Sultán urged them to forbear, yet no one attended to his request. The latter, being quite petrified at this transaction, drew his dagger, with an intention of killing himself; and, although the conspirators almost immediately wrested the dagger from his hand, a small part of the point had however penetrated his belly. After dressing his wound, they gave him into custody, to be confined as before: and Álam Khán Lódí, with Wajíhu-l-Mulk, Mujáhid Khán, and Mujáhidu-l-Mulk, who were the principal nobles, were appointed to have charge of him. They, having conducted him to Ahmadábád, continued to watch him narrowly as before; but, as an intrigue had been now set on foot among themselves, their vexation was manifested at being thus obliged to guard him. After consulting what ought to be done, they proposed to blind him with a hot iron, and raise a child to the throne; but some said that there was n necessity for even a child; and that, by dividing the country among themselves, each might govern his own domain. It was, therefore, agreed on that the country should be divided, and that each should have a determinate portion in certain districts. This design was never accomplished; as one of them, Tátár Khán, privately told the Sultán what he had heard; and the Sultán, going with a party of horse at night, ordered that the houses of Álam Khán Lódí and Wajíhu-l-Mulk should be plundered. Those who were the leaders of the nobles consequently took to flight; and a detailed account of the same may be found in the Mirát Sikandarí. The Sultán, having again become master of his kingdom, gave the office of prime-minister to Asaf Khán, who had before held the same office under Sultán Bahádur; and who, with Khudáwand Khán and several others, were promoted to high offices.
As Álam Khán Lódí, after his flight, wrote to Daryá Khán, then living in poverty among the cities of the Dekhan, and requested he would join him, the latter, accordingly, came, and met Imádu-l-Mulk at Bhroch: but with this event the Sultán became anxious and uneasy. In the mean time a communication came from Imádu-l-Mulk, representing that as Álam Khán and Daryá Khán were old servants of his government, it would be wrong to allow them to go to Shír Sháh, the king of Dehlí, and that he should give them jágírs on the frontiers; where they might do him great service. To this proposition he agreed; but, as Álam Khán's brother, with his family, had fled, the fulfilment of the promise was delayed. The Sultán, being ever on the watch, lest Daryá Khan, Álam Khán, and Imádu-l-Mulk, should join to raise a disturbance in the country, ordered the latter to come to him with all possible expedition, in order that he might consult him on these matters. Sayyid Arab Sháh was accordingly despatched to Imádu-l-Mulk, who, having come to Chámpánír, with ten or twelve thousand cavalry, experienced the royal favour.
Soon after, it happened that some one at
night set up the cry that it was the Sultán's
order to plunder Imádu-l-Mulk. The people
rushing from all quarters, in consequence of
this false assertion, plundered Imádu-l-Mulk
and his followers; on which the former, being
much hurt at heart, and greatly injured, sought
an asylum with Sayyid Mubárak. The Sultán,
when made acquainted with this transaction,
was much vexed; and, after causing those who
had occasioned this commotion to be seized,
ordered them to be executed. He also endeavoured
by every means to conciliate Imádu-l-Mulk;
but, as he mentioned his intention of
visiting the holy cities of Mekka and Medínah,
the Sultán complied with his wishes, and forwarded
him to the port of Súrat; where he was
A. Hij. 952,
A.D.1545.
Succeeding these events, the Sultán appointed Sayyid Mubárak to command a force against Daryá Khán and Álam Khán; and he, after gaining a battle, drove them from Gujarát, when they both went to Shír Sháh of Dehlí.
At this time, the Sultán abandoned the pleasures of the harem; and the government having thus received an accession of power, both nobles and soldiers fell so completely under its management, that they had not the power of disobeying. There was now some desire manifested of seizing on Málwa; but, when the Sultán consulted his minister, Asaf Khán, in this matter, he was told that he might obtain a country equal to Málwa by merely attaching a fourth of the Gujarát province, or that part called the apportioned lands, then possessed by Rájpúts, Grássias, and Kúlis. “If,” said the minister, “that fourth was only brought under government management, it is sufficient, as a jágír, to maintain twenty-five thousand horse;” and the order was accordingly given for its resumption. The Grássias of Ídur, Sirohí, Dúngarpúr, Bánswárah, Lonawárah, Rájpípalah, the banks of the Mahindrí river, and Halwad, began on this account to disturb the country. The parties of soldiers stationed at Sirohí, Ídur, and other places, were therefore ordered to extirpate the very name of Rájpút and Kúli from such places; excepting, however, those who were the armed police of the country, or such as were engaged in trade, and who were to be distinguished by a specific mark on the right arm. Should any of this class be found without this mark, they were to be executed.
In consequence of such orders, the Mohammedan faith obtained such a superiority in those parts, about the latter part of this reign, that no Hindú was allowed to ride on horseback through the city; and those on foot were not allowed to wear clothing, unless distinguished by a red patch of cloth sewed on the shoulder. They were, moreover, prevented from exhibiting any public marks of infidelity, such as the idolatries of the Húlí and Dewálí festivals. It is therefore related that after the villain Burhán murdered the Sultán, the Grássias and Kúlis set up an image of the murderer, which they worshipped, and addressed it, saying, “This is our protector, who has saved us from perdition.”