The Sultán proceeded to Dhár, and being still indisposed, he rested a few days, and then pursued his journey through Málwa. Famine prevailed there, the posts were all gone off the road, and distress and anarchy reigned in all the country and towns along the route. When the Sultán reached Dehlí, not a thousandth part of the population remained. He found the country desolate, a deadly famine raging, and all cultivation abandoned. He employed himself some time in restoring cultivation and agriculture, but the rains fell short that year, and no success followed. At length no horses or cattle were left; grain rose to 16 or 17 jítals a sír, and the people starved. The Sultán advanced loans from the treasury to promote cultivation, but men had been brought to a state of helplessness and weakness. Want of rain prevented cultivation, and the people perished. The Sultán soon recovered his health at Dehlí.

Whilst the Sultán was thus engaged in endeavouring to restore cultivation, the news was brought that Sháhú Afghán had re­belled in Multán, and had killed Bihzád, the náíb. Malik Nawá fled from Multán to Dehli. Sháhú had collected a party of Afgháns, and had taken possession of the city. The Sultán pre­pared his forces and marched towards Multán, but he had made only a few marches when Makhdúma-i Jahán, his mother, died in Dehlí. * * The Sultán was much grieved. * * He pursued his march, and when he was only a few marches from Multán, Sháhú submitted, and sent to say that he repented of what he had done. He fled with his Afgháns to Afghánistán, and the Sultán pro­ceeded to Sannám. From thence he went to Agroha, where he rested awhile, and afterwards to Dehlí, where the famine was very severe, and man was devouring man. The Sultán strove to restore cultivation, and had wells dug, but the people could do nothing. No word issued from their mouths, and they continued inactive and negligent. This brought many of them to punishment.

The Sultán again marched to Sannám and Sámána, to put down the rebels, who had formed mandals (strongholds?), with­held the tribute, created disturbances, and plundered on the roads. The Sultán destroyed their mandals, dispersed their fol­lowers, and carried their chiefs prisoners to Dehlí. Many of them became Musulmáns, and some of them were placed in the service of noblemen, and, with their wives and children, became residents of the city.* They were torn from their old lands, the troubles they had caused were stopped, and travellers could pro­ceed without fear of robbery.

While this was going on a revolt broke out among the Hindus at Arangal. Kanyá Náík had gathered strength in the country. Malik Makbúl, the náíb-wazír, fled to Dehlí, and the Hindus took possession of Arangal, which was thus entirely lost. About the same time one of the relations of Kanyá Náík, whom the Sultán had sent to Kambala,* apostatized from Islám and stirred up a revolt. The land of Kambala also was thus lost, and fell into the hands of the Hindus. Deogír and Gujarát alone re­mained secure. Disaffection and disturbances arose on every side, and as they gathered strength the Sultán became more ex­asperated and more severe with his subjects. But his severities only increased the disgust and distress of the people. He stayed for some time in Dehlí, making loans and encouraging cultiva­tion; but the rain did not fall, and the raiyats did not apply themselves to work, so prices rose yet higher, and men and beasts died of starvation. * * * Through the famine no business of the State could go on to the Sultán's satisfaction.

The Sultán perceived that there was no means of providing against the scarcity of grain and fodder in the capital, and no possibility of restoring cultivation without the fall of rain. He saw also that the inhabitants were daily becoming more wretched; so he allowed the people to pass the gates of the city and to remove with their families towards Hindustán, * * * so many proceeded thither. The Sultán also left the city, and, passing by Pattiálí and Kampila,* he halted a little beyond the town of Khor, on the banks of the Ganges, where he remained for a while with his army. The men built thatched huts, and took up their abode near the cultivated land. The place was called Sarg-dwárí (Heaven's gate). Grain was brought thither from Karra and Oudh, and, compared with the price at Dehlí, it was cheap. While the Sultán was staying at this place 'Ainu-l Mulk held the territory of Oudh and Zafarábád. His brothers had fought against and put down the rebels, thus securing these territories, * * and the Malik and his brothers sent to Sarg-dwárí and to Dehlí money, grain and goods, to the value of from seventy to eighty lacs of tankas. This greatly increased the Sultán's confidence in 'Ainu-l Mulk, and confirmed his opinion of his ability. The Sultán had just before been apprized that the officials of Katlagh Khán at Deogír had, by their rapacity, re­duced the revenues; he therefore proposed to make 'Ainu-l Mulk governor of Deogír, and to send him there with his brothers and all their wives and families, and to recall Katlagh Khán with his adherents. When 'Ainu-l Mulk and his brothers heard of this design, they were filled with apprehension, and attributed it to the treachery of the Sultán. They had held their present territories for many years, and many nobles and officials of Dehlí, through fear of the Sultán's severity, had left the city, alleging the dearness of grain as the reason, and had come to Oudh and Zafarábád, with their wives and families. Some of them became connected with the Malik and his brothers, and some of them received villages. * * The Sultán was repeatedly informed of this, and it made him very angry, but he kept this feeling to himself, until one day, while at Sarg-dwárí, he sent a message to 'Ainu-l Mulk, order­ing that all the people of note and ability, and all those who had fled from Dehlí to escape punishment, should be arrested and sent bound to Dehlí. * * * This message, so characteristic of the Sultán's cruelty, enhanced the fears of the Malik and his brothers, and they felt assured that the Sultán's intention was to send them to Deogír and there perfidiously destroy them. They were filled with abhorrence, and began to organize a revolt.

About this time, during the Sultán's stay at Dehlí and his temporary residence at Sarg-dwárí, four revolts were quickly re­pressed. First. That of Nizám Má-ín at Karra. * * * 'Ainu-l Mulk and his brothers marched against this rebel, and having put down the revolt and made him prisoner, they flayed him and sent his skin to Dehlí. Second. That of Shaháb Sultání, or Nusrat Khán, at Bidar. * * * In the course of three years he had misappropriated about a kror of tankas from the revenue. * * The news of the Sultán's vengeance reached him and he rebelled, but he was besieged in the fort of Bidar, * * * which was captured, and he was sent prisoner to Dehlí. Third. That of 'Alísha, nephew of Zafar Khán, which broke out a few months afterwards in the same district. * * * He had been sent from Deogír to Kulbarga to collect the revenues, but finding the country without soldiers and without any great men, he and his brothers rebelled, treacherously killed Bhairan, chief of Kulbarga, and plundered his treasures. He then proceeded to Bidar and killed the náíb, after which he held both Bidar and Kulbarga, and pushed his revolt. The Sultán sent Katlagh Khán against him * * * from Deogír, and the rebel met him and was de­feated. * * * He then fled to Bidar, where he was besieged and captured. He and his brothers were sent to the Sultán, * * * who ordered them to Ghazní. They returned from thence, and the two brothers received punishment. Fourth. The revolt of 'Ainu-l Mulk and his brothers at Sarg-dwárí. The Malik was an old courtier and associate of the Sultán, so he feared the weakness of his character and the ferocity of his temper. Con­sidering himself on the verge of destruction, he, by per­mission of the Sultán, brought his brothers and the armies of Oudh and Zafarábád with him when he went to Sarg-dwárí, and they remained a few kos distant. One night he suddenly left Sarg-dwárí and joined them. His brothers then passed over the river with three or four hundred horse, and, pro­ceeding towards Sarg-dwárí, they seized the elephants and horses which were grazing there, and carried them off. A serious revolt thus arose at Sarg-dwárí. The Sultán summoned forces from Sámána, Amroha, Baran, and Kol, and a force came in from Ahmadábád. He remained a while at Sarg-dwárí to arrange his forces, and then marched to Kanauj and encamped in its suburbs. 'Ainu-l Mulk and his brothers knew nothing of war and fighting, and had no courage and experience. They were opposed by Sultán Muhammad, * * * who had been victorious in twenty battles with the Mughals. In their extreme ignorance and folly they crossed the Ganges below Bangarmú, * * * and thinking that the Sultán's severity would cause many to desert him, they drew near to offer battle. * * * In the morning one division of the Sultán's forces charged and defeated them at the first attack. 'Ainu-l Mulk was taken prisoner, and the routed forces were pur­sued for twelve or thirteen kos with great loss. The Malik's two brothers, who were the commanders, were killed in the fight. Many of the fugitives, in their panic, cast themselves into the river and were drowned. The pursuers obtained great booty. Those who escaped from the river fell into the hands of the Hindus in the Mawás and lost their horses and arms. The Sultán did not punish 'Ainu-l Mulk, for he thought that he was not wilfully rebellious, but had acted through mistake. * * * After a while he sent for him, treated him kindly, gave him a robe, promoted him to high employment, and showed him great indulgence. His children and all his family were restored to him.