Shah Hubeeb Oolla, an eminent divine, had been imprisoned for his attachment to the Prince Hussun Khan. On the occasion of the King's marching against Sikundur Khan, towards Nowlgoond, seven of the Shah's disciples formed the resolution of re­leasing him at all hazards. For this purpose, they addressed one Yoosoof, a Toorky slave * of the late Alla-ood-Deen Shah. Yoosoof was a man generally esteemed, and celebrated for his virtue, integrity, piety, and extensive charities; he was, besides, a firm disciple and friend of Shah Hubeeb Oolla. This officer promised his aid, and corrupted some of the guards and door-keepers of the palace. The number of the confederacy was limited to twelve horsemen and fifty foot, all bent upon sacrificing their lives to the service of Shah Hubeeb Oolla. Conceiving their project ripe for execution, Yoo-soof went one evening with his friends to the gate of the seraglio in which the prisoners were con­fined. Most of the guards were absent, but he was questioned by the few on duty. Yoosoof re­plied, that he had the King's commands to enter the prison and blind such and such criminals, pro­ducing a forged order in support of his assertion; on seeing which, the guard suffered him to pass. On his reaching the second gate, another guard re­fused to admit him; for though he showed the royal commission, the kotwal's order was also necessary before entrance could be obtained; upon which, Yoosoof and his band dreading discovery rushed upon the guard, and putting them to death, passed on. Yoosoof first proceeded to the apartments of the state-prisoners, and took off the chains from Shah Hubeeb Oolla; and the Princes Hussun Khan and Yehya Khan, sons of the late King, as also Julal Khan Bokhary, * entreated him to break their chains, and take them with him, to which he con­sented. After this, having gone into every apart­ment, he invited all those who chose to be freed from captivity to repair to the gate of the palace and join him. About seven thousand unfortunate captives of all conditions rose upon their keepers, and arming themselves with clubs or whatever came to hand, ranged themselves at the gate as di­rected. By this time, the kotwal of the city, having heard the alarm, advanced to the palace with the city guards; but the captives, rendered desperate, received them so warmly with showers of stones and clubs, that they were driven back. The prisoners, during the night, dispersed to dif­ferent quarters among their friends; but Julal Khan, who was nearly eighty years old, and the Prince Yehya Khan, fell into the kotwal's hands in a few hours, and suffered death. The Prince Hussun Khan, and Shah Hubeeb Oolla, took shelter in the house of a barber, where they shaved their beards, and assumed the garb of beggars. Shah Hubeeb Oolla recommended that they should quit the country; but the Prince flattered himself, that the people in general, disgusted with his brother's cruelty, were attached to him, and that it was likely he could soon raise an army and recover the throne. Shah Hubeeb Oolla having consented to assist his designs, they both left Bidur, and got some distance from the city. The Prince Hussun Khan now made himself known, and was joined by adventurers and disaffected persons from all quarters. Among others, was his deliverer Yoosoof Toork. In a few days, the Prince raised an army of three thousand horse and five thousand foot, with which he advanced to the fortified palace and garden of Kumtana, only six miles from the ca­pital, in hopes of being able to take it. Finding this measure more difficult than he at first ima­gined, he retreated to the town of Beer, * of which he took possession, together with the country around, and continued to levy fresh troops. Such was the state of affairs when the King arrived at Ahmudabad Bidur with his army.

The King's first act was to punish the neglect of the city guard, all of whom, to the number of two thousand, he put to death with cruel torture. He also caused the kotwal to be confined in an iron cage, every day cutting off some member of his body, which he obliged him to eat, so that he very shortly died. Meanwhile he detached an army of eight thousand horse and foot against the Prince, who at first was successful. On hearing this, the King's fury knew no bounds. He rein­forced his army with more troops; but seizing on the women and children of the officers, threatened to put these hostages to death if the army should be defeated, or the officers desert to the Prince, Hussun Khan.

In the next battle the Prince suffered a total defeat; and Hussun Khan, after a desperate re­sistance, quitted the field with his adherents, hoping to find an asylum at Beejanuggur. Upon his arrival near the fort of Beejapoor, with about eight hundred horse, the governor, Siraj Khan Jooneidy, sent out a message to invite him in, declaring that he would give up the fort and all its dependencies into his hands. Hussun Khan, by the advice of Shah Hubeeb Oolla and Yoosoof Toork, entered the fort of Beejapoor. This fort was then only built of mud. Siraj Khan received the party with apparent respect and attention. At night-fall, however, coming with his attendants to the Prince's apartment, under pretence of pay­ing his respects, he surrounded it, and on the next day attempted to secure the persons of his guests. Shah Hubeeb Oolla suffered martyrdom in mak­ing resistance. At length the Prince Hussun Khan, Yoosoof Toork, and his other followers, even to his tent pitchers, watermen, and sweepers, were seized and sent prisoners by Siraj Khan, under a strong escort, to Ahmudabad Bidur.

Hoomayoon Shah, now abandoning himself to the full indulgence of his cruel propensities, and mad with rage, directed stakes to be set up on both sides of the King's chowk, or market-place, and caused vicious elephants and wild beasts to be placed in different parts of the square, in other places cauldrons of scalding oil and boiling water were also prepared as instruments of torture. The King, ascending a balcony in order to glut his eyes on the spectacle, first cast his brother, Hussun Khan, before a ferocious tiger, who soon tore the wretched Prince to pieces, and devoured him on the spot. Yoosoof Toork, and his seven associates, were then beheaded in the King's presence, and the females of their innocent and helpless families, being dragged from their houses, were violated and ill treated in the palace-square, by ruffians, in a manner too indecent to relate. Tortures were now invented by the King, who in­flicted on both young and old of both sexes tor­ments more cruel than ever entered the imagination of Zohak * and the tyrant Hijaj.† * About seven thousand persons, including females and servants, none of whom had the most distant concern in this rebellion, besides the menials, such as cooks, scullions, and others, were put to death; some being stabbed with daggers, others hewn in pieces

Shaban,
A. H. 864.
August,
A. D. 1460.

with hatchets, and the rest flayed by scalding oil or boiling water. This tra­gedy happened in the month of Shaban, in the same year as the rebellion.

The author of the Towareekh Mahmood Shahy states, he learned from the royal attendants, that upon the King's first hearing of the escape of the Prince Hussun Khan rage and passion so overcame him, he tore his robes, bit his pillows, and often his own lips, in such a manner that they dropped with blood. Alarmed at the example of Hussun Khan, he put to death several innocent persons of the royal family who were confined in different fortresses. Nor did his sus­picions rest here; many other persons of his own court fell the innocent victims of his indiscriminate cruelty. From this moment Hoomayoon threw off all restraint, and seized at will the children of his subjects, tearing them from their parents to gratify his passions. He would frequently stop nuptial processions in the street, and seizing the bride, after enjoying her, send her to the bride­groom's house. He was in the habit of putting the females of his own house to death for the most trivial offences; and when any of the nobility were obliged to attend him, so great was their dread, that they took leave of their families, as if prepar­ing for death.

At length the Almighty took pity on the sufferings of his people, and listened to the com­plaints of the wretched. The tyrant was taken ill, and judging he should die, appointed his eldest son, Nizam Shah, then only eight years of age, his successor; and having summoned Khwaja Jehan Toork from Berar, and Khwaja Mahmood Gawan from Tulingana, made his will, constituting them a council of regency, and guardians to his son during his minority, commanding them strictly, at the same time, to transact no business without the cognisance of the Queen-mother. He died

Zeekad 28.
A. H. 865.
Sept. 3.
A. D. 1461.

on the 28th of Zeekad, 865, according to some, but others relate that he re­covered from this illness, and was as­sassinated during a fit of intoxication by his own servants, who were wearied out with his inhuman cruelties. His reign lasted three years, six months, and six days.