Who is the same as Ghāzī Malik, ascended the throne in the year 720 A.H. (1321 A.D.) by the consent of the Amīrs and nobles and was styled by this title. In the space of one week ^222. he ordered and regulated the important affairs of the state with a perfection unattainable to others in the course of years.*

He appointed his own relations to various posts and showing many favours to the Amīrs of ‘Alāu-d-Dīn and to some of the Maliks of Qubū-d-Dīn gave them districts. Then he directed his ambition to the rebuilding of the fortress of Tughlaqābād and all the lofty edifices, and set about it (without delay)* and Badr Shā‘ir Shāshī* invented as a chronogram for the date of building the fort (of Tughlaqābād)* the following: “Enter then her gates.”* He brought to punishment also a body of men* who during the glorious reign of Sulan Qubu-d-Dīn had joined hands with Khusrū Khān and had aided and abetted the band of ruffians and scoundrels. He also gave the title of Ulugh Khān to Malik Fakhru-d-Dīn Jūnā* who shewed marked signs of discre­tion and kingly dignity,* and conferred on him a canopy and the other insignia of royalty, making him his heir-apparent; he also raised Bahrām Ība,* who was the adopted brother of the Sulān,* to the dignity of the title of Kishlū Khān, and entrusted to him the district of Multān and the whole of Sind. To his other four sons he gave the titles of Bahrām Khān, afar Khān, Maḥmūd Khān and Nuṣrat Khan.*

And in the year 721 A. H. [he appointed] Ulugh Khān [to proceed in command of his troops which were at Chandēri and Badāon and in the other eastern districts of Hindustān, towards Deogīr and Tilang, and Ulugh Khān]* taking with him the army of Deogīr, invested the fortress of Arankal which for the past seven hundred years had been the capital of Rai Sadar Mahadco and his ancestors, and having gained possession of the clay-built citadel forming the outer line of defence, was on the point of reducing the inner stone citadel also. In the meantime* ‘Ubaid Rākātī* the poet, a turbulent fellow, the notorious* opponent of Mir Khusrū (on whom be mercy) who rascal that he was wrote the following famous verses:

^223. Khusrū's own verse was very raw, so by mistake he took
Nīzāmi's* saucepan by mistake, his flummery* to cook.

(Mīr Khusrū in many of his compositions complains bitterly against him and Sa‘d Falsafī) joining with Shaikhzāda Dimishqī on the occasion of the late arrival of the stage from Dihlī, spread a false report that the Sulān Tughlaq was no more, where- upon great dismay spread through the Muslims. ‘Ubaid also terrified the Amīrs by his account of Ulugh Khān, and infidels springing up put to death many of the soldiers of the army;* Malik Tigīn and other revolutionary Amīrs planned an insurrection against Ulugh Khān who with fifty sowārs came by rapid marches to the metropolis, whereupon the Amīrs took themselves off, each to his own district; and Malik Tigīn who had gone to the country between Multān and Jaisalmīr* was taken prisoner with his family, and Tāju-d-Dīn Ṭālaqānī, the son-in-law of Malik Tigīn who had escaped from prison, was captured* on the banks of the river Sarū, and Ubaid (the poet)* also was captured in the same way in a wretched plight. All this party with their families and friends, they cast under the feet of elephants, and those who escaped this fate met their death wherever they went.

And in the year 723 A. H. (1323 A.D.) Ulugh Khān for the second time marched towards Tilang; and Rāi Ladar Mahādeo again shut himself up in the fort.

Ulugh Khān gained possession of both the outer and inner citadels* by force of arms, and took the Rāi prisoner together with his family and followers, and leaving commissioners there drew off his army to Jājnagar* and Bīdar,* and having taken as spoil many elephants and other property with jewels and valuables without number [sent them] to Dihlī [and despatched Rāe Ladhar also to the capital and having given to Arankal the name of Sulānpūr] returned to Dihlī.*

And in the year 724 A.H. (1324 A.D.), Sulān Ghiyāu-d- ^224. Dīn Tughlaq Shāh, upon the occasion of the tyranny of the governors of Bengal, left Ulugh Khān as his viceroy in the capital Tughlaqābād which had been built in the space of three years and a fraction, entrusting to his sound judgment the whole civil administration, and left for Lakhnautī with a firm intention of setting things straight; Sulān Nāṣiru-d-Dīn the ruler of Lakhnautī, with the notable princes of those districts hastened to meet the Sulān and placed their necks under his yoke; Sulān Tughlaq Shah conferred upon Sulān Naṣiru-d-Dīn the canopy and staff of office and all other insignia of royalty, entrusted Lakhnautī once more to his control and sent a despatch announc­ing his success to Dihlī; then he sent on in advance Tātār Khān his adopted son, the Governor of afarābād who brought Bahādur Shāh otherwise known as Tūda (? Nūda) the Governor of Sunār Gānw who was boasting his independence, with a chain around his neck, and accompanied by all his elephants into the royal presence at the Court.

Sulān Tughlaq Shāh taking Bahādur Shāh with him, victo­rious and triumphant returned to Dihlī, and proceeding by double stages made forced marches. Ulugh Khān upon hearing this news gave immediate orders for the erection of a lofty and noble palace near Afghānpur which is at a distance of three krohs from Tughlaqābād. It was completed in three days, so that Sulān Tughlaq Shāh might alight there,* and having passed the night in it and having rested might depart thence at an auspicious moment and alight at Tughlaqābād.

The Sulān arrived there and Ulugh Khān having gone out to meet him with all the nobles and grandees, spread a banquet of welcome. The Sulān gave orders for the elephants which he had brought with him from Bengal to be raced, and as the founda­tion of the New Palace was new and unsettled the palace began to shake and totter with the tramp of the elephants. When the people became aware that the Sulān was mounting with all ^225. haste, they hurriedly came out from the palace, without even washing their hands. The Sulān Tughlaq Shāh was engaged in washing his hands* and so did not come out. In consequence he washed his hands of life and the palace fell in upon him.*

We should not lose sight of the fact that from having built a palace such as this, which was quite unnecessary, there is a suspicion that Ulugh Khān may have built the palace* without foundations* as was currently rumoured, but the author of the Tārīkh-i-Fīroz Shāhī makes no mention of this although this may possibly be due to a desire to flatter Fīroz Shāh and out of regard for him.

This event took place in the year 725 A.H. (1325 A.D.) and the duration of the reign of Sulān Ghiyāu-d-Dīn Tughlaq Shāh was four years and some months.

Verse.

If thou placest the world beneath thy feet
Thou wilt not sleep at last in thine own place.

It is currently reported among the people of India that Sulān Ghiyāu-d-Dīn Tughlaq, on account of the ill will he bore to Sulānu-l-Mashāikh, sent a message to the Shaikh while on the way to Lakhnauti to this effect, “After my arrival at Dihlī, either the Shaikh will be (ruler) there or I.”* The Shaikh re­plied, “Dihlī is still some way off.”* This saying became prover­bial from that day and gained currency.

The Tughlaq Nāma of Mīr Khusrū which was the latest of his works, was written in verse in honour of the Sulān and in obedience to his order.

The death of the Sulānu-l-Mashāikh and also of Mïr Khusrū occurred in the same year as has already been stated.