Is induced to oppose the King of Malwa. — Battle of Surkech. — The King of Malwa retires. — Peace concluded. — Shums Khan, the son of Feroze Khan of Nagoor, solicits the King's aid against the Rana Kombha of Chittoor. — Reinforcements sent to Nagoor. — The King's troops defeated. — Treaty of offensive alliance against the Rana concluded between the kings of Malwa and Guzerat at Champanere. — Aboo taken by the King of Guzerat — he compels the Rana to pay one thousand one hundred and seventy-six pounds weight of gold. — Death of Kootb Shah.

ON the death of Mahomed Shah he was suc­ceeded by his son Kootb Khan, under the title of Kootb Shah. This prince was born at Nun-doorbar, on the night of Monday the 8th of Jumad-oos-Sany, in the year 855, (8th of Au­gust, A. D. 1451,) and ascended the throne in the forty-ninth year of his age. The King of Malwa, Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy, in prosecution of the war, obtained possession of the town of Sooltanpoor, by gaining over the governor Mullik Alla-ood-Deen Sohrab Toork. He appointed that officer commander of his troops, and made rapid marches to the capital of Guzerat. Kootb Shah was advised by some of his courtiers to retreat to Sorut, * and allow the King of Malwa to occupy for the present the eastern provinces; when it was proposed, that, after his return to Mando, Kootb Shah should attack the Malwa troops, and recover his losses. This advice was so entirely in unison with the King's feelings, that he actually suggested it to the officers of the army; who, with one voice, protested against a measure so fraught with disgrace and inevitable ruin. * They reminded the King of the deeds of his warlike grandsire and ancestors, and used every means in their power to induce him to lead his army to oppose the invader; a measure to which he reluctantly assented, and made one march towards the enemy.

Mullik Alla-ood-Deen, the Guzerat officer who had betrayed the fort of Sooltanpoor to the enemy, and who now held the high post of commander-in-chief of the Malwa army, on finding that Kootb Shah was actually on his march to resist the in­vasion, returned to his allegiance, and went over to his king, who received him with such marks of favour, that during one levee he bestowed upon him seven different khiluts, and conferred on him the title of Alla-ool-Moolk.

When the two armies were within six miles of each other, the Guzeratties at the village of Sur-kech, and the Malwites at Butwa, Sooltan Mahmood addressed some verses, conceived in taunting language, to Kootb Shah, who returned for answer that the present generation had not forgotten the conquest of Malwa by Moozuffur Shah, the capture of Sooltan Hooshung, and the restoration of his kingdom at the hands of his grandfather, Ahmud Shah.

Suffur 1.
A. H. 856.
Feb. 10.
A. D. 1453. On the night of the 1st of Suffur, A. H. 856, Sooltan Mahmood mounted at dusk, with the intention of surprising the Guzerat army, but lost his way in the night among some ruined walls near his own camp. Kootb Shah, hearing of his failure, ordered out his line, and at day-break attacked the Malwa forces, who were also by this time under arms. In this action, the left wing of the Guzerat army was repulsed, and fled to Ahmudabad, but the right wing succeeded in defeating the body of the enemy to which it was opposed. Notwith­standing this circumstance, Sooltan Mahmood of Malwa, although deserted by all his army except­ing thirteen troopers, charged with this small party as far as the royal tents of Guzerat. From which he brought away the crown, the King's girdle, and many other valuable jewels, to his own camp. On his arrival, he caused a report to be circulated, that he intended to attack the Guzerat army again on the same night; which becoming known to the enemy, as he intended, induced the Guzeratties to remain on the alert. This enabled Sooltan Mahmood, whose troops had been severely handled, to retreat without molestation, if we ex­cept the opposition he experienced from the Kolies and Bheels. Kootb Shah, congratulating himself sincerely on having got rid of the Malwa forces with such facility, returned to the city of Ahmudabad with his spoils, consisting, among other articles, of sixty elephants. A considerable detachment was now sent to retake Sooltanpoor; which being effected, a peace was concluded between the two sovereigns, by which it was agreed each should retain whatever places his troops now occupied; and one article enjoined the parties to wage per­petual war against Hindoos, whose destruction was solemnly agreed on.

A. H. 860.
A. D. 1455. In the year 860, Feroze Khan, the oc­cupant of Nagoor, died, and his brother, Mujahid Khan, having expelled Shums Khan, the son of Feroze Khan, kept possession of the estate. Shums Khan immediately applied to Rana Koombho of Chittoor for aid; and as the Rana's family had long wished for an opportu­nity to humble the chief of Nagoor, he marched against him. The garrison, without offering re­sistance, agreed to receive Shums Khan; and he was formally re-instated with the understanding that he was to dilapidate part of the battlements, * in token of submission to the Rana, after which he returned. So far from doing this, however, Shums Khan improved the fortifications, and set the Rana at defiance; who, enraged at this con­duct, returned to Chittoor, only to collect a large force, and then marched against Nagoor. Shums Khan, unable to cope with him, left the place, under charge of one of his best officers, and proceeded to Ahmudabad to obtain reinforcements.

Kootb Shah became so well pleased with Shums Khan, that he not only required him to reside at his court, but he even married his daughter, and ordered an army, under the command of Ray Ram-chundur and Mullik Gudday, to reinforce the gar­rison of Nagoor. These troops no sooner arrived than an action ensued with the Rana, who completely defeated the Guzeratties, and killed many brave officers and men. Kootb Shah, hearing of this dis­aster, marched in person; but despairing of reducing Chittoor, he proceeded in the direction of Sirohy, the Raja of which was closely connected with the Rana of Chittoor. He was opposed by the Raj-poots of Sirohy, whom he defeated, and afterwards entering the hills, he reached Koombulmere. Here the Rana attacked the Moslems, but was defeated in several engagements, and sued for peace, con­senting to pay a large sum in specie, and a quantity of jewels; after which Kootb Shah returned to Ahmudabad.

On his road to Guzerat he was met by Taj Khan, an ambassador from the court of Malwa, who had been sent to propose an offensive alliance against Rana Koombho of Chittoor, whose country it was agreed should be divided between the allies. All the towns to the southward, and lying con­tiguous to Guzerat, were to be attached to the kingdom of Kootb Shah, while the districts of Mewar * and Aheerwara should be reduced and retained by the Malwa forces. This treaty was solemnly signed by the respective envoys at the

A. H. 860.
A. D. 1456.

town of Champanere, in the latter end of the year 860.

A. H. 861.
A. D. 1457. On the following year, pursuant to the treaty of Champanere, Kootb Shah marched towards Chittoor, and on the road stormed and carried the fortress of Aboo, where having left a garrison, he pursued his march. At the same time Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy also commenced his attack on the side of Malwa. The Rana was desirous of opposing the Malwa army first; but Kootb Shah's approaches were so rapid, that he reached Sirohy, and entered the hills, compelling the Rana to come to a general ac­tion, in which the Rajpoot army was entirely de­feated. Kootb Shah followed up his success, and shortly after brought the Rana again to action: he was defeated a second time, and fled to the hills, whence he deputed an ambassador, and pur­chased the retreat of the King of Guzerat by the payment of fourteen maunds† * weight of solid gold, and two elephants which conveyed the treasure. A seasonable donation was at the same time made to Sooltan Mahmood Khiljy, who was also induced to retreat to Malwa.

A. H. 862.
A. D. 1458. On the following year, 862, the Rana broke the treaty, and marched to attack Nagoor with fifty thousand horse and foot; intimation of which the governor immediately despatched by a messenger to the King at Ahmud-abad. Kootb Shah was at the time engaged in a course of debauchery, from which he could not be recalled; notwithstanding which, the prime mi­nister, Imad-ool-Moolk, collecting part of the army, made one march from the capital, but was obliged to halt for a whole month, before the equipments could be prepared. The Rana, hearing that the troops had actually moved, retired to Chittoor; and the King returning to Ahmudabad, continued to spend his time in licentious excess.

In the latter end of the same year he marched to Sirohy; the Raja of which place being related to Rana Koombho, and apprehensive of the Maho-medan arms, fled to the hills of Koombulmere, while the Guzeratties laid waste his country; a simultaneous movement was also made by the Malwa forces against Chittoor. Kootb Shah having pursued the Rana to the fort of Koombul-mere, found that he was unable to take it, and contented himself, therefore, after plundering the country, with retreating to Ahmudabad. Shortly after his return to which city, he was taken dan-

Rujub 23.
A. H. 863.
May 25.
A. D. 1459.

gerously ill, and died on the 23d of Ru-jub, 863. He was buried in the vault of Mahomed Shah. It was generally be­lieved at the time of his death that the King had been poisoned by Shums Khan of Nagoor, whose daughter he had married; and that chief suffered death in consequence, but it was afterwards proved he was perfectly innocent. * Kootb Shah is entitled Ghazy (the Champion of the Faith), and reigned seven years and seven months, during which period many scenes of the most wanton cruelty took place. He was of a violent and capricious temper, and of a sanguinary disposition, often putting to death, without the slightest cause, some of his most confidential servants and favourites, who usu­ally suffered during the time of his disgraceful debauches.