Spirited conduct of the Princess Roohpurwur Agha — causes Mahomed Sunjur, the son of the late Dawood Shah, to be blinded, and raises Mahmood, the youngest son of Hussun Gungoo, to the throne. — Mullik Seif-ood-Deen resumes his office of minister. — The King is congratulated by the Raja of Beejanuggur — encourages literature — invites the celebrated poet Hafiz, from Persia, to his court — the cause of his not coming. — Hafiz's ode on the occasion. — Improvements in the civil department of the King's government. — Insurrection in Sagur — is put down by Yoosoof Toork. — The King's death.

ON the death of Dawood Shah, Khan Mahomed resolved to place on the throne Mahomed Sunjur, the late King's son, then in his ninth year. For this purpose, having collected his dependents, he repaired to the palace. Roohpurwur Agha, being informed of his design, shut the gates, vowing that the son of a traitor who had assassinated his sove­reign and her brother should not be King while she had life. At the same time she proclaimed Mahmood, the youngest son of Alla-ood-Deen Shah, heir to the throne. As Mahomed Sunjur was in the palace, and in the power of the Princess, Khan Mahomed was at a loss how to act; and going to the house of Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory, he endeavoured to prevail on him to join his party, but received for answer, that as Mahomed Sunjur and the Prince Mahmood were both in the hands of Roohpurwur Agha, he thought it advisable, in order to avoid contentions to leave the choice of a king in her hands. Khan Mahomed, aware that the nobles and the people, both Mahomedans and Hindoos, would be guided by the advice of Mullik Seif-ood-Deen, submitted to his wishes, and accompanied him to the palace. The Princess, having caused Mahomed Sunjur to be blinded, to prevent all future attempts in his favour, she, with the concurrence of the ministers and principal officers, placed Mahmood on the throne.

Mahmood Shah was naturally of a disposition humane, virtuous, and just, and his judgment in all affairs of state was usually correct. In the beginning of his reign he caused Khan Ma-homed to be confined in the fort of Sagur, regard­ing him as a promoter of the late seditions; and that chief died not long after in prison. He also com­manded Musaood, one of those persons accessary to the murder of Mujahid Shah, to be executed. Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory was prevailed on, after much entreaty, to accept the office of prime minister, and governor of the capital; and the King engaged in no affairs without his advice. This measure proved fortunate; for during his reign no disturbances occurred in the kingdom, nor did any relaxation take place in the energy of the govern­ment.

After the coronation, Bahadur Khan, Sufdur Khan, and Azim Hoomayoon, * hastened to the capital, where they pledged their allegiance, and made suitable offerings of congratulation; while the Ray of Beejanuggur, having raised the siege of Rachore, agreed to pay to Mahmood the tribute stipulated in the reign of Mahomed Shah Ghazy.

Mahmood Shah had a taste for poetry, and wrote some elegant verses. He also spoke the Persian and Arabic languages fluently. He was neither too much elated with prosperity, nor did he allow grief to overwhelm him in the hour of misfortune or disappointment. He never cohabited but with one wife, and paid great regard to the opinions of divines, in whose company he delighted. During his reign the poets of Arabia and Persia resorted to the Deccan, and partook of his liberality. Meer Feiz Oolla Anjoo, who presided on the seat of justice, once presenting the King with an ode, received a thousand pieces of gold, and was permitted to retire to his own country loaded with wealth and distinction. The fame of the King's taste, his affability, and munificence, spread so widely, that the celebrated poet of Shiraz, Khwaja Hafiz, de­termined to visit the Deccan, but was prevented, by a train of accidents, which are thus related.

Meer Feiz Oolla Anjoo sent to this famous poet a present from the King, and a letter from himself, promising, if he would come to Koolburga he should be handsomely rewarded, and have safe conduct back to Shiraz. Hafiz, from these kind assurances, consented; and having disposed of the articles sent him among his relations and creditors, quitted Shiraz and arrived safely at Lar, where he assisted a friend who had been robbed with part of his ready money. From Lar he was accompanied to Ormus by Khwaja Zein-ool-Abid-Deen Ham-dany and Khwaja Mahomed Kaziroony, who were also going to visit Hindoostan. With these per­sons he took shipping in one of the royal vessels, which had arrived at Ormus from the Deccan; but it had scarcely weighed anchor when a gale of wind arose, and the ship was in danger, and returned to port. Hafiz suffered so much during the storm, that he insisted on being put ashore, and aban­doned his voyage. Having written the following verses, he delivered them to his companions to be given to Feiz Oolla Anjoo, after which he returned to Shiraz:—

Can all the gold the world bestows,
Though poured by Fortune's bounteous hand,
Repay me for the joys I lose,
The breezes of my native land?

My friends exclaimed, “Oh, stay at home,
“Nor quit this once-beloved spot:
“What folly tempts thee thus to roam —
“To quit Shiraz — desert thy cot?

“Yon royal court will ill repay,
“Though all its gorgeous wealth be given,
“The blessings which you cast away,
“Health and content, the gifts of heaven.”

The glare of gems confused my sight —
The ocean's roar I ne'er had heard;
But now that I can feel aright,
I freely own how I have erred.

Though splendid promises were made,
How could I such a dotard prove,
How could I leave my natal glade,
Its wines, and all the friends I love?

Hafiz abjures the royal court —
Let him but have content and health;
For what to him can gold import,
Who scorns the paths of worldly wealth?

When Feiz Oolla received this poem, he read it to the King, who was much pleased; and ob­served, that as Hafiz had set out with the in­tention of visiting him, he felt it incumbent not to leave him without proofs of his liberality. He therefore entrusted a thousand pieces of gold to Mahomed Kasim Meshidy, one of the learned men at Koolburga, to purchase whatsoever, among the productions of India, was likely to prove most acceptable, in order to send them to the poet at Shiraz.

Mahmood Shah, while a youth, was fond of gaudy apparel; but upon his accession to the throne he always wore plain white robes. He fre­quently observed, that kings were only trustees of the state, and that it was a breach of trust to expend more on themselves than necessity required. A famine occurring during his reign, he employed ten thousand bullocks at his private expense con­stantly going to and from Malwa and Guzerat for grain, which was distributed to the people at a cheap rate. He established orphan schools at the cities of Koolburga, Bidur, Kand'har, Elichpoor, Dowlutabad, Choul, Dabul, and in some other great towns, with ample foundations for their sup­port. He appointed stipends for the expounders of the scriptures, and gave monthly charity to the blind throughout his dominions. He paid great attention to Sheikh Siraj-ood-Deen, visited him in his last illness, and after his death, going often to his tomb, offered up prayers, and gave alms to the poor pilgrims who resorted to it.

The King, preferring the blessings of peace to engaging in war, allowed his reign to pass in tranquillity; and from his great wisdom the Dec-canies gave him the title of Aristotle. During a period of nineteen years, nine months, and twenty-four days, only one disturbance occurred, which was quelled in a few months. The circumstance was as follows:—

One Baha-ood-Deen, a native of Dowlutabad, of low origin, was appointed to the command of the fortress of Sagur; and his two sons, Ma-homed and Khwaja, were honoured with the King's confidence, and eventually raised to the rank of nobles, and attained so much power, that they excited the envy of rivals, who traduced them to the King, who was accordingly deceived; and the brothers, alarmed for their safety, went into re­bellion, and fled to Sagur with a thousand follow­ers. The father, misguided by his sons, identified himself with them; and levying troops, defeated the royal army sent against him on two occasions, and acquired much booty, which added to his power.

On the third Mahmood Shah despatched Yoosoof Ajdur, a Toorky officer, * with a power­ful army, who lay before Sagur for two months; during which time the rebels made several des­perate sallies. One day, in particular, the elder brother Mahomed, with four hundred brave com­panions, charged the rear of the royal camp with great success, till he was wounded in the hand by an officer, surnamed Kalapahr, whom he in turn disabled; and although his troops fled, he refused to quit his horse. Baha-ood-Deen coming to the assistance of his son, renewed the action till night, when darkness favoured their retreat. The two brothers, contrary to their custom, however, passed this night imprudently on the edge of the ditch without the fort. A part of the gar­rison which was in league with the royalists took this opportunity of informing Yoosoof Ajdur of the circumstance, and offered to admit his men by a wicket, and put to death the chief insurgent, Baha-ood-Deen. Yoosoof Toork, having procured a number of volunteers for the service, sent them to the fort; telling them, that if the head of Baha-ood-Deen should be delivered to them by the gar­rison, they might venture to enter and occupy it; otherwise, to desist and return to camp. At the hour and place appointed, the party within threw over their chief's head, and the King's troops entering the fort made themselves masters of it. At the same time, by a preconcerted signal, the brothers were attacked by the royalists without, and they died fighting desperately. This was the first and last time in which the sword of punish­ment was drawn from the scabbard during the reign of Mahmood Shah.

The King, not long after this victory, on the

Rujub 21.
A. H. 799.
April 20.
A. D. 1397.

21st of Rujub, 799, died of a putrid fever; and on the following day, Mullik Seif-ood-Deen Ghoory, the faithful ad­herent of the house of Bahmuny, after a life of one hundred and seven years, most of which was devoted to the service of this family, died also. He was buried agreeably to his will in the court of the tomb of Sooltan Alla-ood-Deen Hussun Gungoo Bahmuny, and over his grave was laid a terrace of stone.

It is recorded, that Mahmood Shah was a strict promoter of the law of the Koran, permitting no neglect on the smallest point, which occasioned the judges to take cognisance of all deviations in points of morality. One day a woman convicted of adultery was brought to the court of justice to receive sentence; when the judge, asking her how she came to be guilty of so heinous a crime, she replied, “How could I think, O judge! that the “act was unlawful? seeing that one man may have “four wives, why might not I, also, indulge with “equal propriety in four husbands? If I am in “error, I repent, and will not offend by a repeti-“tion of the crime.” The judge was perplexed, and suffered her to escape only with a reproof.— Mahmood Shah Bahmuny reigned nineteen years, nine months, and twenty-four days.