Who was known by the name of Niām Khān, upon hearing the tidings of his father's decease, came in haste* from Dihlī to the township of Jalālī, entered the camp* and despatched the corpse of his father to Dihlī. On Friday, the seventeenth of the year above mentioned, he ascended the throne in the palace of Sulān Fīrūz, which is situated on the banks of the Black water, with the concurrence of Khān-i-Jahān ibn i Khān-i-Jahān, and Khān-i-Khānān Farmalī,* and all the Amīrs, and was addressed by the title* of Sulān Sikandar. It is said that at the time of leaving Dihlī, he went to Shaikh Samā'u-d-Dīn Kanbū,* the spiritual guide of Shaikh Jamālī,* who was one of the greatest among the Ulamā Shaikhs of his time, on pretence of taking an omen,* for this reason that he feared lest the Shaikh might favour the claims of the other brothers,* so making his customary daily walk a pretext, he enquired the meaning of the expression As‘adak Allāh* from the Shaikh.

^314. When he answered, It means may God Most High make you fortunate, he besought him saying, Kindly let this expression fall three several times from your auspicious lips; the Shaikh did so,* then he arose and said I have gained my request, then he besought the Shaikh to assist him, and set out to go to the army, and after that his rule was firmly established,* he left Dihlī, and marched towards* Rāprī and Itāwa to conquer the country, and spent seven months there. He also sent Isma‘īl Khān Lūhānī* with overtures of peace to King Bārbak Shāh at* Jaunpūr, while he proceeded in person against* ‘Īsā Khān Governor of Patīālī;* and* ‘Īsā Khān confronted and fought with him and was wounded, and after tendering his submission succumbed to his wounds. Rāi Ganesh,* the Rāja of Patīālī who was friendly to Bārbak Shāh, came in and had an interview with the Sulān who* confirmed him in the Govern­ment of Patiālī.* Bārbak Shāh coming from Jaunpūr to Qanauj, the parties met and an engagement took place between them.* Mubārak Khān Luhānī,* who was with the army of Bārbak Shāh, was taken prisoner in this battle,* Bārbak Shāh fled to Badāon, Sulān Sikandar besieged* that fortress, and Bārbak Shāh being reduced to extremities sought an interview with the Sulān, who reassured and encouraged him, and took him along with him to Jaunpūr, restoring him to his former position upon the throne of the Sharqī kings, except that he divided certain parganas of these territories* among his own Amīrs, detailing armies for each place and appointing trusted officers of his own following to assist Bār-bak Shāh.* Then he took Kalpī from Ā‘zam Khān* Humāyūn the son of Khwāja Bāyazīd. From thence he came to Jahtara,* and from that place to Gwāliār, sending Khwāja Muḥammad Farmalī ^315. with a special robe of honour on an embassy to* Rāja Mān,* who in turn sent his brother's son to pay his respects to the Sulān and to offer his submission. This nephew of his accordingly accom­panied the Sulān as far as Baiāna. Sulān Sharq* the Governor of Baiāna, the son of Sulān Aḥmad Jilwānī the First, came and visit­ed him, and was desirous of handing over the key of the fort* to the agents of the Sulān; however he changed his mind, and on arrival at Baiāna strengthened the defences of the fort. The Sulān proceeded to Agra where Haibat Khān Jilwānī, a subordi­nate of Sulān Sharf* fortified himself in the fort of Agra.* The Sulān left certain of his Amīrs in Agra and* proceeded to Baiāna* and in the year 897 H. (1491 A. D.) Sulān Sharq* fell into straits and sued for quarter, surrendering the fortress of Baiāna to the Sulān; that province was then conferred upon Khān-i-Khānān Farmalī. In the same year the tribe of Bachgotīs* in the Jaunpūr territory had assembled to the number of a hundred thousand cavalry and infantry,* and were raising a disturbance. The Sulān proceeded thither and Bārbak Shāh came in and offered his allegiance. Leaving there, he proceeded to occupy himself with a hunting expedition to the borders of Awadh (Oudh), and again returned to Jaunpūr, and arrived at the fortress of Janhār,* and engaged in battle with the Amīrs of Sulān Ḥusain Sharqī who held it, and having defeated them, without waiting to completely invest the fortress came to Patna;* and having come to Ārīl,* which is near Ilāhābās (otherwise called Prayāg),* laid waste that district,* and proceeding by way of Karra and Mānikpūr hastened to Dalmau',* and from thence came* to Shamsābād, and remaining there six months went to Sambal [whence he again returned to Shamsābād].*

And after the rainy season in the year 900 H. (1494 A. D.) ^316. he set out with the object of chastising the rebels of Patna, and great slaughter took place and many prisoners were taken; from thence he proceeded to Jaunpūr.* In this expedition very many horses were lost, hardly one in ten remaining alive;* the zemīn­dārs of Patua and others wrote and informed Sulān Ḥusain Sharqī of the loss of the horses, and of the scarcity of supplies in Sulān Sikandar's army, and invited him (to advance). Sulan Ḥusain col­lected an army, and marched from Behār with a hundred elephants against Sulān* Sikandar, who for his part crossed the Ganges by the ford of Kantit* and came to Chenār* and from thence to Banāras. Sulān Ḥusain had arrived within seventeen krohs of Banāras when Sulān Sikandar marched against him rapidly.* In the midst of his march Sālbāhan the Rāja of Patna, who was a trusty zemīndār, left Sulān Ḥusain and joined Sulān Sikandar.

Sulān Ḥusain drew up in line of battle, but suffered defeat and retired towards Patna.* Sulān Sikandar left the camp, and pursued him* with a hundred thousand light cavalry; while thus engaged he learned that Sulān Ḥusain had gone to Bihār. After nine days Sulān Sikandar arrived,* and joining his camp set out for Bihār. Sulān Ḥusain, leaving his deputy* in Bihār, could not remain there, but proceeded to Khul Gānw one of the depen­dencies of Lakhnautī, and Bihār fell into the hands of Sikandar's troops.* Thence the Sulān proceeded to Tirhut and conquered it.