Consternation at Dehly. — The Dowager-queen elevates her youngest son to the throne. — Measures taken by Alla ood-Deen to strengthen his party — his profuse liberality to all classes. — The Queen-dowager invites her eldest son, governor of Mooltan, to repair to Dehly; but he declines the contest with Alla-ood-Deen, who arrives at the capital. — The young King, and his mother, fly to Mooltan. — Alla-ood-Deen pro­claimed King in Dehly — entertains the people with public festivities — becomes popular — forms a new administration of the most able men of the state — gives a donation of six months' pay to the army. — Sends his brother to attack the princes in Mooltan — they surrender under the most sacred promises of kind treatment — are brought to Dehly, and all the males are deprived of sight by the King's orders, and subsequently put to death. — The Queen-dowager and the females are confined in Dehly. — Moguls invade India — are defeated by the King's brother, with the loss of 12,000 men. — Guzerat in­vaded, and partially conquered. — Mutiny in the Guzerat army. — Defection of Mahomed Mogul — takes refuge with the Raja of Runtunbhore. — Mogul invasion repulsed by Zuffur Khan. — Another invasion, by 200,000 men — reaches Dehly. — Great exertions of the King. — Moguls defeated. — Zuffur Khan killed. — Plot to assassinate the King, who is severely wounded, and left for dead. — The King's great presence of mind, and good conduct. — The assassin killed. — Plot to raise a king in Dehly discovered and put down. — The King's uneasiness. — Internal regulations in all branches of his government. — Sends armies to Chittoor on the west, and to Tulingana on the south. — Mogul invasion of 120,000 men — reaches Dehly without a check. — The Moguls with­draw suddenly. — The King frames a scheme of finance. — Regulates the price of all articles. — Famine ensues. — An­other Mogul invasion. — Moguls cut off in their retreat. — The King sends armies to Guzerat, Malwa, and the Deccan. — Success of his generals, particularly Mullik Kafoor, in the Deccan. — Capture of Kowul Devy — also of her daughter Dewul Devy. — Siege of Jalwur. — Massacre of the Moguls in Dehly, by the King's orders. — Flourishing condition of the empire under Alla-ood-Deen. — The King becomes sus­picious of his sons, and confines them. — Misfortunes in the empire. — Dissensions in the provinces. — Revolution in the Deccan. — Death of the King.

INTELLIGENCE of the murder of the King having reached Ahmud Hubeeb, who was advancing with the army, he retreated to Dehly. Mullika Jehan, the Dowager-queen, imprudently, and without con­sulting the chiefs, placed the crown on the head of her youngest son, the Prince Kuddur Khan, entitled Rookn-ood-Deen Ibraheem; the heir apparent, Arkully Khan, his elder brother, being then at Mooltan. The Queen accompanied the young prince from Kelookery to Dehly, and seated him on the throne in the green palace, though he was yet a boy, and altogether unacquainted with affairs of state: at the same time, she divided the provinces among her partisans. Arkully Khan, the real heir, who possessed all the qualities of a king, was greatly perplexed by these proceedings, but thought proper, for the present, to remain at Mooltan.

Alla-ood-Deen, having learned that affairs at the capital had fallen into the hands of his inveterate enemy the Queen, Mullika Jehan, and her infant son, no longer confined his views to an independent kingdom at Luknowty, but boldly aspired to the throne of Dehly, for which city he determined to march in spite of the rainy season. His first objects were to raise an army within his govern­ment, and to confer royal titles on his friends and followers. Almas Beg was honoured with the title of Aluf Khan; Mullik Noosrut Jalesury with that of Noosrut Khan; Mullik Hijubr-ood-Deen assumed the name of Zuffur Khan, and Mullik Sunjur, whose sister was married to Alla-ood-Deen, received the title of Rookn Khan. To these titles were superadded estates.

Alla-ood-Deen, by the advice of Noosrut Khan, distributed presents also among the army, wher­ever he encamped, and he amused himself by throwing golden balls from a sling among the people, so that his liberality soon brought abun­dance of soldiers to his banners. The Queen-dowager, in the greatest perplexity, owing to the information she daily received of Alla-ood-Deen's popularity, despatched an express to Mooltan, for her son Arkully Khan; but he returned for answer, that the time was past, for before he could arrive, the troops of the capital would join the enemy; that his coming now, therefore, would be of no avail. He observed, “a stream may be “diverted at its source, but when it becomes a “river, dams cannot oppose its current.”

Alla-ood-Deen made no delay in his march, but crossed the Jumna, below Dehly, and encamped opposite the north-east gate. The Prince, flutter­ing like a solitary bird, collected his forces, and marching out of the city, drew up his line before the enemy. But when he saw them preparing for battle, he retreated into the city, and during the night was deserted by a number of omras, who went over with their forces to Alla-ood-Deen. The Prince now perceived that there was no safety but in flight. Taking, therefore, his mother, the haram, and treasure with him, he set out for Mooltan, accompanied by Mullik Rujub, Kootb-ood-Deen Oolvy, Ahmud Hubeeb, and Ameer Julal. The citizens, after the departure of the young King, crowded to pay their respects to Alla-ood-Deen, who causing new coin to be struck in his name, made a pompous and triumphant entry into Dehly,

A. H. 696.
A. D. 1296.

in the latter end of the year 696, and as­cended the throne, in the ruby palace. He commenced his reign by splendid shows, and grand festivals, and encouraged every description of gaiety, which so pleased the un­thinking rabble, that they soon lost all memory of their former King, and of the horrid scene which had placed the present one on the throne. He who ought to have been viewed with detestation, became the object of admiration to those who could not see the blackness of his deeds through the splendour of his munificence.

Whilst obtaining by these means popularity with the lower classes, he endeavoured also to secure the good will of the great by conferring titles, and of the venal and avaricious by gifts. The office of vizier was conferred upon Khwaja Khuteer, a man renowned for his virtue in those degenerate times. Kazy Sudr-ood-Deen Aarif, entitled Sudr-i-Jehan, was made chief justice in the civil court; and Oomdut-ool-Moolk, Mullik Humeed-ood-Deen, and Mullik Eiz-ood-Deen, were raised to the offices of secretaries. Both were men of great learning and talents. Noosrut Khan was appointed Kotwal of Dehly; Mullik Fukhr-ood-Deen Koochy was raised to the dignity of chief justice in the criminal court, and Mullik Zuffur Khan to that of chief secretary; many others were also raised to high offices, which it would be tedious to enumerate. Alla-ood-Deen Khiljy, having bestowed six months' pay on his whole army, began to concert measures for extir­pating the descendants of the late Julal-ood-Deen Feroze. He despatched Aluf Khan his brother, and Zuffur Khan, with forty thousand horse, towards Mooltan. They, on their arrival, invested that city, and laid siege to it for two months. At length the citizens and troops, betraying the cause of the Princes Arkully Khan and Kuddur Khan, surrendered the place on condition of the lives of the Princes being spared, for the fulfilment of which Aluf Khan gave the most solemn assur­ances.

The object of this expedition being attained, Aluf Khan wrote to his brother an account of his success, which was read in all the public pulpits after prayers, and great rejoicings were ordered to be made on the occasion. Aluf Khan, meantime, proceeded in triumph with his army, and brought his state-prisoners towards Dehly. He was met on his way by Mullik Noosrut Khan Kotwal, and was informed that the King had commanded the eyes of the prisoners to be put out. This cruel order was not only carried into effect on the two princes, but was extended to Oghloo Khan, * the grandson of the great Chungiz Khan, to Ahmud Hubeeb, and to others of less note. All their effects were also confiscated. The two unfortu­nate princes were then imprisoned in the fort of Hansy, where they were soon after assassinated; while the Queen-dowager Mullika Jehan, and all the ladies of the late King's haram, and his other children, were confined at Dehly.

In the second year of this reign, Khwaja Khuteer was dismissed from the office of vizier, which was conferred on Noosrut Khan. This minister demanded the restoration of all the sums that the King, at his accession, had bestowed on the nobility and people, a measure which created great disgust, and led to disturbances. During these transactions, advices reached Dehly, that Ameer Dawood, King of Mawur-ool-Nuhr, had prepared an army of 100,000 Moguls, with a de­sign to conquer Mooltan, Punjab, and Sind, and that he was then actually advancing with great expedition, carrying every thing before him with fire and sword. Alla-ood-Deen detached his brother Aluf Khan, to oppose the invaders; and the two armies met in the districts of Lahore, where a bloody conflict ensued, in which the Moguls were defeated with the loss of 12,000 men, and many of their chiefs. A great number of prisoners of all ranks was taken, who were put to the sword some days after, without sparing even the women and children captured in the Mogul camp. This victory raised the fame of the King's arms, established his power at home, and overawed his foreign enemies. Alla-ood-Deen, about this time, by the advice of his brother Aluf Khan, seized many omras, who, in the late revolution, had taken advantage of the distresses of the Prince Arkully Khan, and of the Queen-mother, to obtain from them large sums of money for their services. He caused these people to be deprived of sight, and their estates to be confiscated, by which means he added considerable wealth to his own coffers.