On the next morning the Guzerat army arrived; and Ahmud Shah Bahmuny, stung with vexation at the repeated defeats his arms had suffered during the late campaign, seemed determined to retrieve the character of the Deccanies in a general action. When the two lines were drawn out opposite to each other, Ajdur Khan, a young Deccany noble­man, galloped forth and challenged any of the nobles of Guzerat to meet him singly. The offer was accepted by Azd-ool-Moolk of Guzerat, and they both fought as the opposing armies advanced. Ajdur Khan was severely wounded, and taken prisoner, soon after which the action became gene­ral. It was severe on both sides, and continued till sunset, when the retreat was mutually sounded; and this would have been considered a drawn battle, but the King of the Deccan having experienced a very heavy loss in killed and wounded, commenced his retreat during the night.

Ahmud Shah on the next day went into the fort of Tumbole, and with his own hands conferred donations and titles on Mullik Sadut and his brave garrison, which he reinforced, and then marched to Talnere; whence he proceeded to Nadout; and having left Ein-ool-Moolk in charge of that district, returned to Ahmudabad.

In the Siraj-oot-Tareekh Bahmuny, the account of the siege of Tumbole is somewhat differently related; but I think the Deccan historian is not so clear in his account as the Guzerat author, to whose text I have adhered, though God only knows which authority is most to be relied on.

A. H. 836.
A. D. 1432. In the year 836, Ahmud Shah having contracted his son Futteh Khan in mar­riage with the daughter of the Ray of Mahim, marched towards Nagoor and Mewat. On his arrival at Dongurpoor, he received large pre­sents, and exacted tribute from the Raja; thence entering the country of the Kolies and Bheels, subject to Rana Mokul of Chittoor, he laid it waste; and proceeding into the district of Mey-war, he levied contributions from the rays of Kota, Boondy, and Nowlaye. During this cam­paign he was joined by Feroze Khan of Nagoor, who made an offering of several lacks of tunkas, which, however, were not accepted by Ahmud Shah. He now returned to Ahmudabad.

A. H. 839.
A. D. 1435. In the year 839, Mahmood Khan Khiljy, one of the officers of the Malwa government, having rebelled, drove Musaood (the grandson of Sooltan Hooshung Ghoory) from the throne, who sought protection at the court of

A. H. 840.
A. D. 1436.

Guzerat. In the following year, Ah-mud Shah felt himself bound to march an army in order to reinstate him. On his arrival at Basowda he detached part of the force in advance towards Mando to intercept Khan Je-han , * the father of the usurper, then on his march from Chundery; but when the latter heard of the movement of Ahmud Shah, he made forced marches to the capital and reinforced his son, now styling himself Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy.

Ahmud Shah at length arrived before Mando, and the Malwites made several trifling sallies; but in a night-attack, of which Ahmud Shah ob­tained previous information, they were so com­pletely repulsed that they almost all fell victims to their temerity. On the following morning Ahmud Shah detached his son Mahomed Khan, with a body of five thousand horse, to plunder the country of Sarungpoor, with orders to join Oomr Khan, a son of the late King of Malwa, who, having raised a force, was also on his march from Chundery to the capital. Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy, in spite of these disadvantages, was enabled to hold out in the fort; for he had laid in store a large quantity of ammunition and provisions, while the besiegers found it difficult to subsist. In this state of affairs he made a sally from the Tarapoor gate, leaving his father in charge of the fort, and marched to Sarung-poor. On the road, having encountered Mullik Hajy Ally of Guzerat, who was posted to guard a ford on the Chumbul, he attacked and completely defeated him, compelling him to seek refuge in Ahmud Shah's camp. Sooltan Mahmood, follow­ing up his success, attacked the Prince Oomr Khan, whom he also defeated and slew, and eventually established himself on the throne of Malwa. At this time the plague (a disease very unusual in In­dia ) * broke out in the army of Ahmud Shah, so that many of the dead remained unburied. The King

Rubbee-ool-
Awul 4.
A. H. 847.
July 4.
A. D. 1443.

of Guzerat was, therefore, induced to quit Malwa, and to retreat to Ah-mudabad, where he eventually died, on the 4th of Rubbee-ool-Awul, in the year 847, after a reign of nearly thirty-three years.