A few months after the conclusion of this

A. H. 802.
A. D. 1399.

campaign, in the beginning of the year 802, the King marched to punish Nur­sing Ray, the Raja of Kehrla. Upon his arrival at Mahoor, Feroze found the native chiefs of that district, out of apprehension of Nursing Ray, had consented to acknowledge that Raja's authority. On the present occasion, there­fore, they obtained pardon at the intercession of some of the nobility, made large offerings, and joined the army. The King halted one month and five days at Mahoor, and then proceeded towards Kehrla. Nursing Ray, who had great wealth and power, being possessed of all the hills of Gondwana, and other countries, sent rich presents to the kings of Malwa and Kandeish, entreating their assistance; but though they had on former occasions furnished him with aid, yet, as they in reality wished his destruction, they on the present occasion declined joining his cause. Not­withstanding this circumstance, Nursing Ray re­solved to engage the King, and marching two coss from Kehrla, assembled his troops and waited for his approach.

Feroze Shah was anxious to lead the army in person; but Khan Khanan and Meer Fuzl Oolla Anjoo having requested to be allowed to conduct the enterprise, he gave his consent. They opened the war by addressing a letter to Nursing Ray, re­minding him of his late conduct, and advising him to compromise matters by consenting to pay tribute: but his reply was couched in threats of defiance, and he made greater preparations for war. Khan Khanan and Meer Fuzl Oolla, now advancing, at­tacked his lines, which brought on a severe con­flict, in which Shoojat Khan, Dilawur Khan, and Bahadur Khan, Mahomedan officers of rank, suffered martyrdom, and the infidels charging furiously, the troops of Islam were broken. At this instant it was reported to Meer Fuzl Oolla that Khan Khanan was slain. He directed his informant to keep the news secret; and himself ad­vancing with two hundred horse, caused the drum of victory to be beaten, giving out, that the King was coming to their assistance. The troops, on this information, rallied and repulsed the enemy. Meer Fuzl Oolla was soon after joined by Khan Khanan, supposed to be slain; and now, in their turn, attacking the Hindoos, the Mahomedans put them to flight, and took prisoner Gopal Ray, the son of Nursing Ray. The fugitives were closely pursued to Kehrla, leaving upwards of ten thousand slain on the field, while Nursing Ray, having with much difficulty gained the fortress, was besieged by the victorious army.

At the end of two months, the garrison, being reduced to great distress, offered terms; but re­ceived for answer from the generals that they had no power to accede to any proposal, but that of unconditional surrender. Nursing Ray, seeing no other alternative, went with his family to the King's camp at Elichpoor, where expressing contrition for his conduct, and acknowledging himself the King's vassal, offered even to give up Kehrla itself; but he hoped his Majesty, after receiving his sub­mission, would admit him among the number of his tributaries, and overlook past events; in con­sideration of which he promised to pay every year the tribute fixed by Alla-ood-Deen Hussun Gungoo.

Feroze Shah, becoming reconciled to Nursing Ray, gave him a dress of honour, richly embroidered with gold; and receiving one of his daughters into his haram, together with a present of forty-five elephants, a considerable sum of money, and other valuables, he directed the siege of Kehrla to be discontinued. On the junction of Khan Khanan and Meer Fuzl Oolla's divisions, Nursing Ray was permitted to proceed home, and the King returned in triumph to Koolburga. As this victory was chiefly owing to the exertions of Meer Fuzl Oolla, that nobleman was promoted to the command of the Berar army.

A. H. 804.
A.D. 1401. In the year 804, repeated accounts coming from the court of Ameer Tei-moor of that conqueror having conferred the throne of Dehly on one of his sons, with orders to subdue all the kingdoms of Hindoostan, and that he had resolved to march in person, to support his designs, if necessary, Feroze Shah sent ambassadors to the Tartar chief with rich presents, and a letter expressive of his respects. Teimoor received the ambassadors graciously, and accepted the presents. The ambassadors also represented, that Feroze Shah Bahmuny was desirous to be numbered among his dependents, and would, whenever Teimoor should either march in person, or send one of the princes to conquer Hindoostan, hasten from the Deccan to co-operate with his troops. Teimoor, pleased at these gratuitous offers of aid, was prevailed on, through the agency of some of his courtiers, to confer the sovereignty of Malwa and Guzerat on Feroze Shah, with permis­sion to use the canopy, and all other insignia of royalty; and at the end of six months, Teimoor delivered to the ambassadors a firman, containing the formal cession of the countries in question, to­gether with a sword set with jewels, from his own side, a royal robe, a Toorky slave, and four Syrian horses, superior in beauty to any before seen in the Deccan. The kings of Guzerat, Malwa, and Kan-deish , * whose power was yet weak, alarmed at the encroachments of Feroze Shah, sent ambassadors to court his friendship; observing, that, as Mahome-dans, they ought to live together like brothers, and unite in alliance against the power of the Emperor of Dehly. At the same time, they privately wrote to the Ray of Beejanuggur, that whenever he should need their assistance against Feroze Shah to inform them, that they might lend him all the support in their power. In consequence of these overtures, the Ray of Beejanuggur changed his conduct towards the King, and neglected to pay his tribute for four years; and Feroze Shah, knowing the secret enmity of his neighbours, the kings of Guzerat and Malwa, did not press him, but passing over his neglect for the present, resolved to punish it at some future convenient time.

It happened that in the town of Moodkul lived a goldsmith, who had a daughter named Nehal, of such exquisite beauty, that nature seemed to have exerted all her art to render her perfect. Agreeably to the custom of Hindoostan, her parents wished to betroth her in childhood to a youth of her own cast; but she requested that the ceremony might be delayed, with such earnestness, that it was put off. Some time after, an old bramin, who had been on a pilgrimage to Benares, stopping on his return at her father's house, was struck with the beauty of his daughter, adopted her as his child, and resolved to render her skilful in music and dancing, of which he was a perfect master. The bramin continued nearly eighteen months with her family: at the end of which period, finding her fully accomplished, he took his leave, with a promise shortly to return, with proposals calculated for the honour of his pupil, and the advantage of her family. The bramin, who had from the first de­signed to exalt his adopted daughter to the station of a princess, proceeded to Beejanuggur; and being introduced to the Ray, spoke in such praise of the maid, that he resolved to possess her, and entreated the bramin to solicit her in marriage. The request had been anticipated by the bramin, and he accordingly agreed to assist him in the attain­ment of his wishes; on which, the Ray despatched him with rich gifts to the parents, and offered to be­stow the title of Rany, or Princess, on their beautiful daughter. The bramin lost no time in his journey; and on his arrival at the goldsmith's house de­livered to him and his wife the Ray's orders that they should repair with their child to Beeja-nuggur. They were overjoyed at such unex­pected good fortune; and calling the maid, laid before her the rich gifts of the Ray, congratulated her on being so soon to be united to a great prince, and attempted to throw upon her neck a golden necklace set with jewels as the token of betrothal, and which, if done, the engagement could not have been broken off. The daughter, to the astonishment of her parents, refused to receive the necklace; ob­serving, that whoever entered the haram of Beeja-nuggur was never afterwards permitted to see even her nearest relatives; and though they might be willing to sacrifice her for the wealth of the court, yet she was too fond of her parents to submit to an eternal separation from them, even for the splendour of the palace of Beejanuggur. This affectionate declaration, accompanied with tears, reconciled her parents to their disappointed hopes, who, rather than use force, dismissed the bramin with all his gifts, — and he returned to Beejanuggur without success. The maiden, subsequently, re­vealed to her parents, that she had long had an inward conviction that she should one day become the wife of a prince of the faith of Islam, and recommended them to await patiently the will of Providence.

When the bramin arrived at Beejanuggur, and related to the Ray the failure of his mission, the Prince became outrageous; and he resolved to gra­tify his passion even by force, though the object resided in the midst of Feroze Shah's dominions. For this purpose, quitting Beejanuggur with his army, on pretence of making the tour of his terri­tories, he halted on the banks of the river Toong-budra; where having selected five thousand of his best horse, he commanded them, in spite of the remonstrances of his officers, to march night and day with all expedition to Moodkul, and sur­rounding the village where the goldsmith lived, to bring his daughter prisoner, with her whole family, but without doing them any injury.