Alla-ood-Deen Shah, in spite of his indisposi­tion, prepared to march in order to reduce the rebels, on which Julal Khan and Sikundur Khan agreed, that the former should remain in Tulingana, and the latter proceed to Mahoor, the better to distract the motions of the royal army. The King sent offers of pardon, if the rebels would lay down their arms; but Sikundur Khan having on a former occasion joined the Prince Mahomed Khan in his insurrection, and having been guilty of many other offences, refused to rely on the King's promises. He therefore represented to the King of Malwa, Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy, that Alla-ood-Deen Shah had been long dead, but that the ministers, pretending he was still alive, had re­solved to destroy the principal nobles, and to divide the kingdom among themselves; that under these circumstances, if the King of Malwa chose to undertake the project, the provinces of Berar and Tulingana would fall without a blow into his hands. Sooltan Mahmood, crediting these assurances so flattering to his ambition, marched, in conjunc-

A. H. 860.
A. D. 1455.

tion with the ruler of Kandeish, in the year 860, to the Deccan. They were joined by Sikundur Khan, who advanced with a body of one thousand horse to meet them.

Alla-ood-Deen Shah, on receiving this intelli­gence, changed his design of going in person to Tu-lingana, whither he deputed Khwaja Mahmood Geelany (commonly called Gawan), with a con­siderable army, to attack Julal Khan. At the same time Khan Jehan, governor of Berar, was directed to watch the motions of the ruler of Kandeish, while Kasim Beg, * governor of Dow-lutabad, advanced with a corps of observation towards the division led by the King of Malwa, the King of the Deccan being with the main army, consisting chiefly of the Beejapoor division, follow­ing at the distance of ten miles.

Sooltan Mahmood of Malwa, now satisfied that the Deccan king was still living, and actually marching against him, retreated with the greatest part of his army, leaving an officer, under pre­tence of assisting Sikundur Khan, but with secret instructions, in case of his attempting to join the Deccanies, to seize his person, and bring him prisoner to Mando with all his treasure. Sikun-dur Khan, gaining timely information of this design, escaped from the Malwa army with two thousand Afghans and Rajpoots to Nowlgoond, to which place Khwaja Mahmood Gawan was then about to lay siege. Shortly after this, Sikundur Khan delivered up the fortress, on condition of a free pardon. On going to court with Khwaja Maho-med Gawan, he was again received into favour, and Nowlgoond was restored to him. The King having left Fukhr-ool-Moolk Toork in the govern­ment of the Mahoor districts, and Furhut-ool-Moolk in command of the garrison of Mahoor,

A. H. 862.
A. D. 1457.

returned to his capital, where in the year 862, the disorder in his foot increasing to a mortification, he left this world of vanity for that of eternity, after a reign of twenty-three years, nine months, and twenty days.

Alla-ood-Deen Shah is said to have been elo­quent, possessing great wit, and fond of learning. He would sometimes ascend the pulpit in the grand mosque on Fridays and holidays, and read the Khootba, in which he mentioned himself by the following titles:—“The monarch just, merciful, “patient, and liberal to the servants of God, chief “in worldly and religious affairs, son of the most “distinguished among princes, Ahmud Shah Wully “Bahmuny.” One day, an Arabian merchant, who had sold horses for the King's use, the payment for which was delayed by the officers of the house­hold, being present when he read the above titles, roused by the ill usage he had experienced, and indignant at the cruel massacre of the inno­cent syuds, which had just taken place, exclaimed with a loud voice, “Thou art neither the just, the “merciful, the patient, nor the liberal king, but the “cruel and the false, who hast massacred the Pro-“phet's descendants, yet darest to assume such “vaunting titles in the pulpit of the true be-“lievers.” * The King, struck with remorse, com­manded the merchant to be paid on the spot, saying that those would not escape the wrath of God who had thus injured his reputation. He then retired to his palace, and never entered the mosque again, till he was brought there a corpse to be interred. The King, finding himself dying, appointed his son, Hoomayoon his successor con­trary to the wishes of all his court, who dreaded his cruel and sanguinary temper; and several of the nobles made their escape to Guzerat before the King's death, to avoid the tyranny of his suc­cessor.