Ascends his brother's throne — leads a vast army into Orissa — compels the Raja of Gualiar to pay him tribute — lays claim to the throne of Dehly, and engages in war with Bheilole Lody — is defeated, and quits his kingdom, which henceforth is incorporated with that of Dehly.

THIS prince ascended the throne of the Shurky kings immediately after the death of his brother Mahomed Shah. One of the first acts of his government was to put to death several officers, who after his succession had headed a party against him. Shortly afterwards he led an army, consist­ing of thirty thousand horse and a hundred thou­sand infantry, besides four hundred elephants, for the purpose of conquering Orissa. On reaching that province he caused his troops to disperse in detachments, in order to lay waste the country. The Ray of Orissa, unable to oppose this sudden inroad, perceived no remedy but submission; and in order to conciliate the invader, the Ray sent thirty elephants, a hundred horses, and various articles, including silken and other cloths; with which Hoossein Shah being satisfied, he returned to Joonpoor.

A. H. 870.
A. D. 1465. In the year 870, Hoossein Shah sent a considerable army to reduce the fortress of Gualiar; which was invested, and after some time the Ray made peace, and con­sented to pay tribute. Hoossein Shah had now at­tained such power, that he was prevailed on by his wife, a princess of Dehly, to lay claim to that throne.

A. H. 878.
A. D. 1473.

For this purpose he marched, in the year 878, with an army composed of one hundred and forty thousand horse and foot, and one thousand four hundred elephants. On information of the movement of the Shurky army, Bheilole Lody deputed an embassy to Sooltan Mahmood of Malwa, promising to him the cession of the district of Byana for the services of his army, in order to oppose Hoossein Shah; but the envoy had scarcely reached the Malwa capital before the Shurky troops were already in posses­sion of the suburbs of Dehly. Bheilole Lody, conceiving himself unable to withstand the army of Hoossein Shah, made overtures for peace, and agreed to cede the whole of the territory of Dehly, retaining for himself the city and a tract of country lying within a circuit of eighteen coss of the capital. Hoossein Shah, elated with pride, rejected these terms; and Bheilole, who repented of his offer the instant it was made, became glad of the opportunity of retracting. He therefore left the city with eigh­teen thousand cavalry, and encamped on the banks of the Jumna, opposite the Shurky troops. As the river was between the two camps, some time passed before any action occurred, till one day Bheilole Lody, taking advantage of the Shurky cavalry being absent on a foraging party, led his cavalry into the Jumna, and attacked the enemy at noon. The Shurky line, wholly unprepared for this assault, had no time to form, but fled, and the whole of the family of Hoossein Shah Shurky was taken; the ladies of which were treated with every mark of re­spect, and shortly after sent to Hoossein Shah. In

A. H. 879.
A. D. 1474.

the following year Hoossein Shah was again induced by his wife, Mullika Jehan, to march against Dehly, and having reached the vicinity of that capital, he was met by an envoy who offered terms; but the prosperity of the Shurky dynasty having arrived at its zenith, its decline commenced from this moment. Hoossein Shah mistaking for pusillanimity the overtures of Bheilole for reconciliation rejected them, and boldly asserted that he would be content only with the possession of Dehly. Bheilole, in consequence, marched forth, and opposed the Shurky army in three successive actions. In the first battle, Hoos-sein Shah was defeated, as also in the second; when being followed by the Dehly troops he sustained a third defeat, and was individually so closely pursued that he left his horse and escaped on foot. The details of these circumstances have already been related in the Dehly history. The Dehly army advanced without any other check to Joonpoor, which fell to the arms of Bheilole Lody; while Hoossein Shah, abandoning his capital, was obliged to content himself with a small tract of country, yielding only a revenue of five lacks of rupees.*

Bheilole Lody having delivered over Joonpoor and its kingdom to his son Barbik, enjoined him not to deprive Hoossein Shah of the small tract to which he was confined, terming it his family estate. On the death of Bheilole Lody, and on the accession of his eldest son, Sikundur Lody, Hoossein Shah Shurky incited the Prince Barbik of Joonpoor to march against his brother, and wrest the government out of his hands; but Barbik was defeated in the first action, and retired to Joonpoor, to which place he was pursued by Sikundur Lody. Joonpoor fell shortly after, and it was added to the kingdom of Dehly. Hoossein Shah was now induced to seek refuge with Alla-ood-Deen Poorby of Bengal, by whom he was treated with the respect due to his station till his death. The subversion of the Shurky dynasty may be dated therefore from the subju­gation of that principality by Sikundur Lody, an

A. H. 881.
A. D. 1476.

event which occurred in the year 881. The reign of Hoossein Shah Shurky lasted for a period of nineteen years.