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-
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-