These letters were forwarded through Sheer-ool-Moolk Deccany and Nizam-ool-Moolk, son of Imad-ool-Moolk Ghoory, officers hostile to the Moguls, whom they regarded as rivals. They accordingly presented the letters to Alla-ood-Deen Shah, when heated with wine, and related the de­feat of Mullik-oot-Toojar, and the behaviour of the surviving Moguls. The story was told with a thousand exaggerations, and with aggravating and malicious insinuations. The King, incensed against the foreigners, without a moment's reflection, di­rected the two officers who brought the com­munication to repair forthwith to Chakun, and put all the foreigners to the sword.

Like Abdoolla Zeead, or Shums-ool-Joshun, * putting on armour against the descendants of the Prophet, these officers moved towards Chakun with a great force. The Syuds and Moguls, hearing of their approach, shut themselves up in the fort, and despatched petitions to court, relating the truth, and pleading their innocence; but their messengers were intercepted by Sheer-ool-Moolk, who destroyed the letters. They despatched other letters, but finding that none of their own companions were allowed to pass, they entrusted their petition to two natives of Hindoostan, who had been for years maintained by their countrymen. These wretches, whose black complexions were but an index of their hearts, giving way to their naturally treacherous disposi­tions, carried the letters to Sheer-ool-Moolk, who destroyed them, as he had done the former, and re­warded the betrayers with gifts. The approaches to Chakun were now so closely blocked up, that no persons could pass without search; and the unfortunate Syuds, like their great ancestor Hoos-sein, were reduced to the extremity of despair. But they resolutely determined to defend them­selves till the last. Sheer-ool-Moolk, finding them obstinately bent on resistance, summoned the Dec-cany officers from the Concan to assist him; and thus a great army was assembled before Chakun. The siege continued for two months without effect; during which time Sheer-ool-Moolk wrote fre­quently to court, that the Syuds and Moguls, con­tinuing in obstinate rebellion, had asked assistance of the King of Guzerat, offering to deliver up Cha-kun into his hands. The Deccany ministers sup­ported these representations with all their influence, and procured repeated orders from the King to punish the rebels in such a manner as to operate as an example to others. If now and then a letter from the accused found its way to the capital, the ministers took care to prevent its being seen by the King, who, they pretended, was so enraged, that he would not even hear or read a word from them.

When provisions in the fort grew scarce, the besieged resolved to leave a sufficient number to defend their families, and to make a sally on their enemies; hoping, that by fighting their road through them, they might reach the capital, and lay the true state of affairs before the King. The Decca-nies learning their design dreaded the event, as they knew they would all fight desperately, and some would, most probably, make good their way to court, which would immediately lead to a discovery of the treachery of the Deccanies; they therefore had recourse to stratagem to get the besieged into their power. To this end they sent a message to them, saying, that being followers of the Prophet, and pitying their misfortunes and the children and women of the Syuds, they had interceded with the King for pardon, who at last, complying with their petition, had given orders that they should be permitted to retire unmolested out of his dominions, with their families and effects. A forged order, to this purpose, was produced as a proof of the sin­cerity of their declaration, and both chiefs, like Yezeed, * swore by the Almighty, by the Koran, and by the Prophet of God, that they would not injure them in person or property.

Relying on these solemn oaths, the unfortunate foreigners, in number about two thousand five hundred, of whom twelve hundred were Syuds of pure descent, evacuated the fort, with their wives and children, and encamped at a short distance, in order to provide the means for moving them. The Deccany chiefs for three days abided by their promises, using every endeavour to gain their confidence, and lull suspicion, by kind offices and offers of assistance. On the fourth day, how­ever, they prevailed on the chiefs to come to an entertainment in the fort, at which all the prin­cipal foreigners, in number about three hundred, attended, with the exception of Kasim Beg (Suff Shikun), * Kurra Khan Koord, and Ahmud Beg of Mecca. While in the act of eating, a number of armed men, on a signal given by Sheer-ool-Moolk, rushed upon them, and put every soul to the sword. At the same instant, four thousand Deccanies outside the fort attacked the camp of the foreigners and put every male to death, even the very infants at the breast. After this tragedy, they plundered the tents, and treated the women with all the insult that lust or brutality could pro­voke. Since the time of Hoossein, the Syuds were never so maltreated; but is it not astonishing, that men, who called themselves servants of the Prophet, should so basely misuse his descendants?

Kasim Beg and the Moguls, who had encamped about two miles from the rest of their unfortunate companions, on hearing the alarm, armed them­selves, and putting even the women in soldiers' habits, fled towards the capital. Sheer-ool-Moolk instantly despatched two thousand horse to pursue them under Dawood Khan, and wrote to all the jageerdars and farmers to intercept them as rebels, or cut them off, under pain of the King's dis­pleasure. Kasim Beg, however, with three hun­dred followers only, posted on without halting, except when the Deccanies approached so near as to oblige him to disperse them, which he did fre­quently with desperate valour. He passed the nights in the open fields, and in this manner pro­ceeded for some days; till at length, near the town of Beer, he was closely pressed by Dawood Khan, who had summoned Hussun Khan, the ja-geerdar of Beer, to his aid. This nobleman had once been saved from great danger in one of the Beejanuggur campaigns by Kasim Beg, whom he now resolved to assist in turn; and he accordingly told Dawood Khan, that it was impossible the Moguls could be rebels, as they were hastening of their own accord to the capital. Dawood Khan was now joined by Sheer-ool-Moolk in person, who overtook him with fifteen hundred additional troops, with which they attacked the Moguls. Kasim Beg, with his followers, resisted like men fighting for life. Dawood Khan was luckily killed by an arrow in the first onset; but this cir­cumstance only excited the Deccanies to revenge, and they had almost overpowered the Moguls, when Hussun Khan coming to their assistance, the Deccanies retreated with the body of their leader towards Chakun. Hussun Khan conducted the brave sufferers to his residence, where they were supplied with provisions by his kindness; and he wrote also representations to the King, who, in answer, commanded Kasim Beg and his compa­nions to repair to court.

Upon their arrival, Alla-ood-Deen Shah com­manded them into his presence, and having ex­amined into the whole affair, he was enraged at the conduct of his treacherous ministers, and blamed himself for his own fatal confidence. He then directed Moostufa Khan, who had withheld the letters of the Syuds from his perusal, to be be­headed on the spot, and his body to be exposed in the public streets. He appointed Kasim Beg to the government of Dowlutabad and Joonere, and conferred on him the honours enjoyed by the late Mullik-oot-Toojar. He raised all his followers to rank, and ordered fresh levies of Moguls to be raised and placed under their command. He appropriated the houses and effects of Nizam-ool-Moolk and Sheer-ool-Moolk to his own use, and commanded them, with all the other aggressors, to be led into the capital, walking on foot, loaded with heavy chains. Those persons who had been instrumental in forging the first accusations he put to death in various ways, and deprived their children of their estates, so that they wanted even a meal. Ac­cording to the Tubkat Mahmood Shahy, Sheer-ool-Moolk and Nizam-ool-Moolk were afflicted with leprosy in the same year, and their children walked the streets for shameful purposes, among the outcasts of society.*

In this year (A. D. 1453) Sheikh Azry, the King's preceptor, for whom when a youth he had great respect, wrote him a long letter of advice from Khorassan. The King was much affected with the perusal. He in consequence forswore the use of wine, and answered the letter with his own hand, and sent also valuable presents in return. The King now rigidly enforced the institutes of Ahmud Shah, attended regularly to the adminis­tration of his affairs, and removed all the Deccanies from offices of trust.

A. H. 859.
A. D. 1454. In the year 859, a dangerous eruption breaking out in the King's foot, which baffled the art of the surgeons, he was necessarily confined to his private apartments, and reports were often spread through the provinces of his death. Among other persons, one Julal Khan, the King's brother-in-law, being assured of his decease, seized on many districts around his go­vernment of Nowulgoond, which he gave in charge to his son Sikundur Khan, grandson (by his mother) to the late Ahmud Shah. * Khan Azim, governor of Tulingana, also dying at this time, and no officer of sufficient influence being on the spot to assume the charge, the officers of the province submitted to the authority of Sikundur Khan.