Mahomed Shah, having stationed three thousand horse near the fort to protect his rear, marched onward. Wherever he came he laid waste the country, and slew such of the inhabitants as made resistance. On his arrival at Condapilly, he was informed by the country people, that at the distance of ten days' journey was the temple of Kunchy, * the walls and roof of which were covered with plates of gold, and ornamented with precious stones; but that no Mahomedan mo­narch had as yet seen it, or even heard of its name. Mahomed Shah, accordingly, selected six thou­sand of his best cavalry, and leaving the rest of his army at Condapilly, proceeded by forced marches to Kunchy. He moved so rapidly on the last day, according to the historians of the time, that only forty troopers kept up with him, among which number were Nizam-ool-Moolk Bheiry and Yoorish Khan Toork. On approaching the temple some Hindoos came forth, one of whom, a man of gigantic stature, mounted on horseback, and bran­dishing a drawn sabre by way of defiance, rushed full speed towards the King, and aimed a blow which the latter parried; and with one stroke of his sword cleaved him in twain. Another infidel then attacked the King, whose little band was shortly engaged man to man with the enemy; but Mahomed Shah had again the good fortune to slay his opponent, upon which the rest of the Hindoos retired into the temple. Swarms of people, like bees, now issued from within, and ranged themselves under the walls to defend it. At length, the rest of the King's force coming up, the temple was at­tacked and carried by storm, with great slaughter. An immense booty fell to the share of the victors, who took away nothing but gold, jewels, and silver, which were abundant. The King then sacked the city of Kunchy, and after remaining therein for a week, he returned to his army.

After this achievement, Mahomed Shah having consulted Mullik Hussun Nizam-ool-Moolk, * Yoosoof Adil Khan, and Fukhr-ool-Moolk, de­tached them, together with many other of the foreign officers and troops, composed of the Dow-lutabad and Joonere divisions, consisting of about fifteen thousand men, against Nursing Ray. The King himself marched towards Muchly-puttun, a place also belonging to Nursing Ray, which he reduced, with all the dependent country, and then returned to Condapilly. It was at this time that Nizam-ool-Moolk, Zureef-ool-Moolk, and other officers, envious of the favour shown towards the minister, bribed several of the King's confidential personal domestics to throw out occasional hints prejudicial to Khwaja Mahmood Gawan. They lost no opportunity of poisoning the King's mind, by rendering him suspicious of the minister's am­bition, and insinuated that great peculations took place in the royal revenue. At length they brought that great man to destruction, by contriv­ing an infamous forgery. Before I enter into the particulars of this transaction, it will be proper to state the causes of the hostility of those nobles who plotted his destruction.

The Bahmuny territories having, in the reign of Mahomed Shah, become very extensive, Khwaja Mahmood Gawan thought it desirable to make se­veral alterations in the ordinances established by Alla-ood-Deen Hussun Shah Gungoo, which were calculated for a small state. Having convinced the King of this necessity, he was permitted to carry his plan into execution. The whole kingdom, which had been originally divided into four turufs, or provinces, and placed under four governors, was now distributed into eight. Berar was subdivided into two governments; viz. Gavul being placed under Futteh Oolla Imad-ool-Moolk, and Mahoor under Khodawund Khan Hubshy. Dowlutabad was conferred on Yoosoof Adil Khan; while a tract from Joonere, including several dependent districts on the south, such as Indapoor, Waee, Man, as well as the forts of Goa and Belgam, were placed under Fukhr-ool-Moolk. Beejapoor, with many districts along the Beema, together with Rachore and Moodkul, were reserved by the minis­ter for himself. Ahsunabad Koolburga, Sagur, Nuldroog, and Sholapore, were entrusted to the Abyssinian eunuch Dustoor Deenar. The country of Tulingana, at one time entirely in the hands of Nizam-ool-Moolk Bheiry, was also divided. Raj-mundry, Muchly-puttun, Bilconda, Oorea, &c. still continued under his charge; while the govern­ment of Wurungole was conferred on Azim Khan. Several places in each of the eight divisions were reserved especially to meet the King's private ex­penses; and distinct collectors were appointed from court to manage them.

From the time of Alla-ood-Deen Shah to the present reign, it had been the custom to leave all the forts, in each province, in the hands of the governor, or turufdar, who appointed his own com­mandant and garrison. In consequence of this arrangement, the governors of provinces had some­times rebelled, and it had frequently been found difficult to reduce them to subjection. By the new regulation one fortress alone was left in the governor's hands, in which he might, if he chose, reside; but the remainder were entrusted to officers and troops distinctly appointed by the King, and paid from head-quarters.

The mode of paying the army was also altered; formerly the officers of five hundred men had one lack of hoons * per annum; of a thousand, two lacks, whether payable in cash or in jageer assignment. Khwaja Mahmood, after the entire conquest of Tulingana, in order to conciliate the army, in­creased the pay of an officer of five hundred to one lack and twenty-five thousand hoons, and an officer of a thousand to two lacks and fifty thousand. In the jageer assignments it was understood, if the revenues fell short of the estimate even by one hoon, the balance was payable out of the royal treasury: at the same time, if the officers kept one soldier less than the complement, a sum equal to his pay was deducted from the allowances. By these excellent rules order every where prevailed, the govern­ment acquired strength, and justice was done to all parties; but this rigid scrutiny gave offence to many ambitious chiefs, who, in consequence, en­tertained hatred to the minister.

Khwaja Mahmood perceived their discontent; but as all his views were directed to the public interest only, he disregarded it, feeling confidence in himself and his friends. Among the most sincere of these was Yoosoof Adil Khan, his adopted son. The enemies of the minister also felt that while these two chiefs remained together no attempt could be made against either. Yoo-soof Adil Khan, having, as we have seen, gone on the expedition against Nursing Ray, the two friends were separated, and a number of Dec-canies * and Abyssinians, who had been raised to high offices entirely at the recommendation of Khwaja Mahmood, entered into a conspiracy with Nizam-ool-Moolk Bheiry against their patron, recommending that advantage should be taken of Yoosoof Adil Khan's absence to effect the de­struction of the minister.

Zureef-ool-Moolk Deccany, and one Mifta an Abyssinian, were the two persons selected to exe­cute the plot. Having laid themselves out for the purpose, they became intimate with the Abyssinian slave who kept the minister's seal, and were in the habit of drinking with him. On one occasion, when the slave was much inebriated, they asked him to affix the minister's seal to a paper, which they said was an account of one of their friends, to which the signet of several of the departments was already attached, and which only required the minister's. The slave, intoxicated with liquor, complied, and without even unfolding the paper stamped the seal on the part pointed out to him. The two wretches, overjoyed at their success, went the same night to Nizam-ool-Moolk, who wrote a letter on the paper, as if from Khwaja Mahmood to the Ray of Orissa, in these words: “I am weary of the debaucheries and cruelty “of Mahomed Shah: the Deccan may be con-“quered with little trouble. On the Rajmundry “frontier, there is no officer of any character; “and that tract lies open to invasion from your “quarter. As most of the officers and troops “are devoted to my interests, I will join you “with a powerful army. When we have, in con-“junction, reduced the kingdom, we can divide “it equally between us.” Zureef-ool-Moolk and Mifta Hubshy were instructed to deliver this letter to the King, in the presence of Nizam-ool-Moolk. Mahomed Shah, seeing the seal, was incensed be­yond measure, and Nizam-ool-Moolk availed him­self of the moment to criminate the minister more deeply by false insinuations. The King, losing all command over his reason, and without weighing the probability of the circumstance, sent for Khwaja Mahmood, without even asking to see the mes­senger, who, it was pretended, had been inter­cepted carrying the letter. The minister's friends warned him against going, and recommended him to frame some excuse for not obeying that day, but to wait till the King's frenzy should abate; by which time the authors of the forgery might be detected, and brought to punishment. Khwaja Mahmood resolved to meet the danger, repeating, in reply, certain verses to the following effect: —“He who dies a martyr in the fulness of devo-“tion has his reward here and hereafter; happy, “then, would it be for me to meet with so enviable “a destiny.

“My beard has grown grey in the service of the “father, it will surely be honourable that it be “dyed * red in that of the son.”