A pargana of the value of seven lacs was bestowed on Ibráhím's mother. Parganas were also given to each of her amírs. She was conducted with all her effects to a palace, which was assigned for her residence, about a kos below Ágra.

On Thursday, the 28th Rajab, about the hour of afternoon prayers, I entered Ágra, and took up my residence in Sultán Ibráhím's palace. From the time when I conquered the country of Kábul, which was in the year 910, till the present time, I had always been bent on subduing Hindustán. Sometimes, however, from the misconduct of my amírs and their dislike of the plan, sometimes from the cabals and opposition of my brothers, I was prevented from prosecuting any expedition into that country, and its provinces escaped being overrun. At length these obstacles were removed. There was now no one left, great or small, noble or private man, who could dare to utter a word in opposition to the enterprise. In the year 925 I collected an army, and having taken the fort of Bajaur by storm in two or three gharís, put all the garrison to the sword. I next advanced into Bahrah, where I prevented all marauding and plunder, imposed a contribution on the inhabitants, and having levied it to the amount of 400,000 Sháh-rukhís in money and goods, divided the proceeds among the troops who were in my service, and returned back to Kábul. From that time till the year 932, I attached myself in a peculiar degree to the affairs of Hindustán, and in the space of these seven or eight years entered it five times at the head of an army. The fifth time the Most High God, of his grace and mercy, cast down and defeated an enemy so mighty as Sultán Ibráhím, and made me the master and conqueror of the powerful empire of Hindustán. ^{* * *}

The capital of all Hindustán is Dehlí. From the time of Sultán Shahábu-d dín Ghorí to the end of Sultán Fíroz Sháh's time, the greater part of Hindustán was in the possession of the Emperor of Dehlí. At the period when I conquered that country five Musulmán kings and two Pagans exercised royal authority. Although there were many small and inconsiderahle Ráís and Rájás in the hills and woody country, yet these were the chief and the only ones of importance. One of these powers was the Afgháns, whose government included the capital, and extended from Bahrah to Behár. Jaunpúr, before it fell into the power of the Afgháns, was held by Sultán Husain Sharkí. This dynasty they called the Púrbí (or eastern). Their forefathers had been cupbearers to Sultán Fíroz Sháh, and that race of Sultáns. After Sultán Fíroz Sháh's death, they gained possession of the kingdom of Jaunpúr. Dehlí was at that period in the hands of Sultán 'Aláu-d dín, whose family were saiyids. When Tímúr Beg invaded Hindustán, before leaving the country, he had bestowed the country of Dehlí on their ancestors. Sultán Bahlol Lodi Afghán, and his son Sultán Sikandar, afterwards seized the throne of Dehlí, as well as that of Jaunpúr, and reduced both kingdoms under one government.

The second prince was Sultán Muhammad Muzaffar, in Gujarát. He had departed this life a few days before Sultán Ibráhím's defeat. He was a prince well skilled in learning, and fond of reading the hadís (or traditions). He was constantly employed in writing the Kurán. They call this race Tang. Their ancestors were cupbearers to the Sultán Fíroz that has been mentioned, and his family. After the death of Fíroz Sháh, they took possession of the throne of Gujarát.

The third kingdom is that of the Bahmanís in the Dekhin, but at the present time the Sultáns of the Dekhin have no authority or power left. All the different districts of their kingdom have been seized by their most powerful nobles; and when the prince needs anything, he is obliged to ask it of his own amírs.

The fourth king was Sultán Mahmúd, who reigned in the country of Málwá, which they likewise call Mándú.* This dynasty was called the Khiljí. Ráná Sanka, a Pagan, had defeated them and occupied a number of their provinces. This dynasty also had become weak. Their ancestors, too, had been originally brought forward and patronized by Sultán Fíroz Sháh, after whose demise they occupied the kingdom of Málwá.

The fifth prince was Nusrat Sháh, in the kingdom of Bengal. His father had been king of Bengal, and was a saiyid of the name of Sultán 'Aláu-d dín. He had attained this throne by hereditary succession. It is a singular custom in Bengal, that there is little of hereditary descent in succession to the sovereignty. There is a throne allotted for the king; there is, in like manner, a seat or station assigned for each of the amírs, wazírs, and mansabdárs. It is that throne and these stations alone which engage the reverence of the people of Bengal. A set of dependents, servants, and attendants are annexed to each of these situations. When the king wishes to dismiss or appoint any person, whosoever is placed in the seat of the one dismissed is immediately attended and obeyed by the whole establishment of dependents, servants, and retainers annexed to the seat which he occupies. Nay, this rule obtains even as to the royal throne itself. Whoever kills the king, and succeeds in placing himself on that throne, is immediately acknowledged as king;* all the amírs, wazírs, soldiers, and peasants, instantly obey and submit to him, and consider him as being as much their sovereign as they did their former prince, and obey his orders implicitly. The people of Bengal say, “We are faithful to the throne; whoever fills the throne we are obedient and true to it.” As for instance, before the accession of Nusrat Sháh's father, an Abyssinian,* having killed the reigning king, mounted the throne, and governed the kingdom for some time. Sultán 'Aláu-d dín killed the Abyssinian, ascended the throne, and was acknowledged as king. After Sultán 'Aláu-d dín's death, the kingdom devolved by succession to his son, who now reigned. There is another usage in Bengal; it is reckoned disgraceful and mean for any king to spend or diminish the treasures of his pre­decessors. It is reckoned necessary for every king, on mounting the throne, to collect a new treasure for himself. To collect a treasure is, by these people, deemed a great glory and ground of distinction. There is another custom, that parganas have been assigned from ancient times to defray the expenses of each department, the treasury, the stable, and all the royal establish­ments; no expenses are paid in any other manner.

The five kings who have been mentioned are great princes, and are all Musulmáns, and possessed of formidable armies. The most powerful of the Pagan princes, in point of territory and army, is the Rájá of Bíjanagar. Another is the Ráná Sanka, who has attained his present high eminence, only in these later times, by his own valour and his sword. His original princi­pality was Chítúr. During the confusion that prevailed among princes of the kingdom of Mándú, he seized a number of provinces which had depended on Mándú, such as Rantpúr (Rantambhor), Sárangpúr, Bhílsán, and Chánderí. In the year 934, by the divine favour, in the space of a few hours, I took by storm Chánderí, which was commanded by Maidání Ráo, one of the highest and most distinguished of Ráná Sanka's officers, put all the Pagans to the sword, and from the mansion of hostility which it had long been, converted it into the mansion of the faith, as will be hereafter more fully detailed. There were a number of other Ráís and Rájás on the borders and within the territory of Hindustán; many of whom, on account of their remoteness, or the difficulty of access into their country, have never submittted to the Musulmán kings. ^{* * *}