Mullik Kafoor, having effected the object of his expedition, prepared to return to Dehly with the spoils. The night before his intended march, a quarrel arose among some brahmins, who had taken refuge in his camp. Some one who under­stood their language found the quarrel regarded hidden treasures, which being communicated to the superintendent of the market, the brahmins were seized and carried to Mullik Kafoor. At first, they denied any knowledge of the treasures; but their lives being threatened, and each being questioned apart, and apprehensive that one would inform against the other, they at length dis­covered the secret. Seven different places were pointed out near the camp, where treasures were concealed. These being dug up, and placed upon elephants, Mullik Kafoor returned to Dehly, where he arrived, without any remarkable occurrence, in

A. H. 711.
A. D. 1311.

the year 711. He presented the King with 312 elephants, 20,000 horses, 96,000 maunds of gold, several boxes of jewels and pearls, and other precious effects. Alla-ood-Deen, on seeing this treasure, which exceeded that of the Badawurd of Purveez, * was greatly rejoiced, and rewarded all his officers with largesses. To each of the principal offices he gave ten maunds of gold, and to the inferior five. The learned men of his court each received one maund; and thus in proportion he distributed wealth to his servants, according to their rank and quality. The re­mainder was melted down, coined, and lodged in the treasury. It is remarkable that silver is not mentioned, as having been taken during this expe­dition to the Carnatic, and there is reason to conclude that silver was not used as coin in that country at all in those days. No person wore bracelets, chains, or rings of any other metal than gold; while all the plate in the houses of the great, and in the temples, was of beaten gold.†*

Amongst other extraordinary events of this reign is the massacre of the newly converted Ma-homedan Moguls. Although no particular cause is assigned for it, the King suddenly took it into his head to discharge all the soldiers of this class, desiring them to look out for other service. Some of them engaged with the omras; but the major part remained at Dehly in great distress, in hopes that the King would relent on seeing their wretched condition. He, however, remained obdu­rate; and some daring fellows among them, forced by their misfortunes, entered into a conspiracy to murder him. This plot being discovered, Alla-ood-Deen, instead of merely punishing the conspirators, extended his rigour to the whole body. He ordered them all to be instantly put to the sword; so that 15,000 of those unhappy wretches lay dead in the streets of Dehly in one day, and all their wives and children were enslaved. The King was so inex­orable and vindictive, that no one durst attempt to conceal (however nearly connected) one of this unfortunate race, and not one of them is supposed to have escaped.

The King, elated by the success of his arms, abandoned himself to inordinate pride. He lis­tened no longer to advice, as he sometimes conde­scended to do in the beginning of his reign, but every thing was executed by his irrevocable word. Yet it is related, that the empire never flourished so much as in this reign. Order and justice pre­vailed in the most distant provinces, and magni­ficence raised her head in the land. Palaces, mosques, universities, baths, mausolea, forts, and all kinds of public and private buildings, seemed to rise as if by magic. Neither did there, in any age, appear such a concourse of learned men from all parts. Forty-five doctors, skilled in the sciences, were professors in the universities.

Among the holy men were the following: Sheikh Nizam-ood-Deen Owlia of Dehly, Sheikh Alla-ood-Deen, the grandson of the celebrated Sheikh Fu-reed-ood-Deen Shukrgunj of Ajoodhun, Sheikh Rookn-ood-Deen, the son of Sudr-ood-Deen Aarif, and grandson of the famous Sheikh Baha-ood-Deen Zacharia of Mooltan. The family of this latter personage had such influence, that persons guilty of almost any crime were protected if they sought an asylum with them. Sheikh Baha-ood-Deen Zacharia left enormous wealth to his descendants, the whole of which was expended in charity by his son and grandson. Besides these, was Syud Taj-ood-Deen, the son of Syud Kootb-ood-Deen, remarkable for his profound learning, and his extensive charities. He was originally Kazy of Oude, and eventually died Kazy of Budaoon. His brother, Syud Rookn-ood-Deen, Kazy of Kurra, was also celebrated among the learned men of his time. At Keytuhl, also, there were two brothers famous for their learning, and the sanctity of their lives, namely, Syud Mogheis-ood-Deen, and Mountujib-ood-Deen, who were styled the Nowayut Syuds.

Among the poets of this reign, we may record the names of

Ameer Khoosrow Dehlvy.
Ameer Hussun Sunjurry.
Sudr-ood-Deen Aaly.
Fukr-ood-Deen Khowass.
Humeed-ood-Deen Raja.
Mowlana Aarif.
Abdool Hukeem.
Shahab-ood-Deen Sudr Nisheen.

Besides whom were several historians and com­pilers of memoirs of the times. Most of the above­mentioned persons received pensions from the court.

But the King seemed to have now reached the zenith of his splendour and power; and as every thing is liable to perish, and stability belongs to God alone, so the fulness of the King's prosperity began to decline, and the lustre of his reign to fade away. He resigned the reins of government en­tirely into the hands of Mullik Kafoor, whom he blindly supported in every impolitic and tyran­nical measure. This gave disgust to the nobles, and caused universal discontent among the people. He neglected the education of his own children, who were removed from the seraglio, when very young, and entrusted with independent power. Khizr Khan was made viceroy of Chittoor, when as yet a boy, without any person of wisdom to ad­vise him or to superintend his conduct, while Shady Khan, Moobaruk Khan, and Shahab-ood-Deen, the other princes, held public offices of the same important nature.

The Raja of Tulingana, about this time, sent some presents and 20 elephants to the King, with a letter informing him that the tribute, which he had agreed to pay in his treaty with Mullik Kafoor, was ready. Mullik Kafoor, upon this, desired leave of the King to make another expedition into the Deccan, pro­mising that he would not only collect the tribute, but bring the Raja of Dewgur and others, who had withheld it, under due subjection. Mullik Kafoor was principally moved to this by his jealousy of Khizr Khan, the declared heir to the empire, whose government lay most convenient for that expedition, and whom he feared the King intended to send to the south. Alla-ood-Deen consented to Mullik Kafoor's proposal, who accordingly proceeded the

A. H. 712.
A. D. 1312.

fourth time to the Deccan in the year 712. He seized the Raja of Dewgur, and inhu­manly put him to death. He then laid waste the countries of Mahrashtra and Canara, from Dabul and Choule, as far as Rachoor and Moodkul; he afterwards took up his residence at Dewgur, and realising the tribute from the Princes of Tulingana and the Carnatic, despatched the whole to Dehly.

Alla-ood-Deen, by this time, owing to his intem­perance and excess, had ruined his constitution, and was taken extremely ill. His wife, Mullika Jehan, * and her son Khizr Khan, neglected him entirely, and spent their time in riot and revelry. The King's strength daily giving way, he ordered Mullik Kafoor from the Deccan, and Aluf Khan from Guzerat, complaining to them in private of the undutiful and cruel behaviour of his wife and son towards him during his illness. Mullik Kafoor, who had long aspired to the throne, now began seriously to form schemes for the extirpation of the royal line. He therefore insinuated to the King, that Khizr Khan, the Queen, and Aluf Khan, had conspired against his life, and that which gave an air of probability to the accusation was, that at this time the Queen was very urgent to procure one of Aluf Khan's daughters to be married to her son Shady Khan. Mullik Kafoor did not fail to take advantage of this circumstance, so that the King at length being suspicious of treachery, ordered the Prince Khizr Khan to Amroha, there to continue till he himself should recover from his indisposition. Though Khizr Khan was full of the follies of youth, his father's order made a deep impression on his mind, and he felt conscious of having neglected him. At his departure, he therefore took an oath privately, that if God should spare the life of his father, he would return all the way on foot to the capital; and when he heard that his father's health began to recover, he steadily fulfilled his vow, before he waited on him. The traitor, Mullik Kafoor, turned this act of filial piety entirely against Khizr Khan. He insinuated that his behaviour, by such a sudden change, could be imputed to nothing but hypocrisy; and ascribed his disobe­dience of coming without his father's leave, to an intention, on his part, of intriguing with the nobles, in order to excite a revolution. Alla-ood-Deen did not give entire credit to these insinuations; but sending for Khizr Khan, embraced him to try his affection, and seeing him weep, seemed convinced of his sincerity, and ordered him into the seraglio, to see his mother and sisters. Unhappily for this prince, the giddiness of youth made him deviate again into his former wild habits. He neglected for several days to visit his father, during which time his subtle enemy gained over some of the King's private domestics, and induced them to support his aspersions against Khizr Khan.