Succeeds his father — gives encouragement to learned men, and establishes colleges in Mooltan under their superintend­ence — raises troops, and invades the Punjab — takes Kot-girvur and Dhunkote. — Mooltan besieged in his absence by the Prince Barbik and Tartar Khan. — The besieged are repulsed. — Enlists in his army a large body of Bulochies from Mikran — sends an envoy to Dehly, and makes peace — deputes an ambassador to Guzerat — abdicates his throne in favour of his son Feroze, who is assassinated. — Death of Hoossein Lunga.

AFTER the death of Kootb-ood-Deen Lunga, the principal nobles in Mooltan elected his son Hoos-sein to succeed him, and the public prayers were read in his name. This prince was not only a great promoter of literature, but himself a very learned man. He erected colleges, in which were some of the most eminent scholars of the time. In the beginning of his reign he marched to reduce the fort of Sheevur, at that time held by Ghazy Khan, who on hearing of the approach of the Mooltanies advanced to oppose them, to the distance of twenty miles from his capital; and although he behaved with great bravery in the war which ensued, he was compelled to fly, and before he could reach the fort of Sheevur was reduced to seek protection in Bheemra. The members of his family who were in the fort of Sheevur, how­ever, made a gallant resistance, and held out under the expectation of receiving aid from the town of Khooshab, then under Ameer Syeed Khan. Disappointed in these hopes, they eventually sur­rendered the fort of Sheevur, but obtained per­mission to proceed to Bheemra. Hoossein Lunga having remained some time to recruit his army, marched towards the fortress of Hoot. Mullik Kazy Gukkur, who was nearly related to Ameer Syeed Khan, was governor of the place; and, for form's sake, having defended it for a few days, gave it up to Hoossein Lunga, who after remaining there a short period returned to Mooltan; and from thence he marched against Kotgirvur and Dhunkote, both of which places he reduced to subjection. Mean­while Sheikh Yoosoof persuaded Bheilole Lody to assist him in recovering his country. At this time, when Hoossein Lunga had advanced so far to the eastward as Dhunkote, Bheilole Lody deputed his son, the Prince Barbik (who is mentioned both in the Dehly and Joonpoor histories), with an army to reduce Mooltan. Barbik having been joined by the forces of Tartar Khan Lody in the Pun-jab, proceeded towards Mooltan. The brother of Hoossein, who had been left in the fort of Kot-girvur after its fall, had proclaimed himself king, under the name of Shahab-ood-Deen. On receipt of this information, Hoossein Lunga marched to reduce the place; and having confined his rebel­lious brother in fetters, was on his return, when he heard that the Prince Barbik and Tartar Khan had arrived near the city of Mooltan, which they were on the point of attacking. Hoossein Lunga moved his camp without delay; and making rapid marches, crossed the Indus, and threw himself into the fort, before the arrival of the Dehly army; and drawing up his soldiers, he thus addressed them: — “My brethren and fellow-soldiers, I do “not suppose that every man in my army is neces-“sarily a hero, nor do I expect too much from “any of you. Some there are, however, who, “seeking preferment, and ambitious for fame in “the field of battle, lay aside all other consider-“ations; while there are others whose attachment “to their families will induce them to hold back, “and merely keep their situations in the service, “by not positively flying before the enemy. Both “these classes have their value: the former are “useful for foreign conquest, and the latter for “protecting our homes. All those of the latter “class will be required on the present occasion “for the defence of the garrison, while those of “the former, I trust, will be ready to join me at “daylight to-morrow morning under the walls.” On the following day at sunrise twelve thousand men prepared to follow Hoossein, whom he led out against the invaders. After having brought his front opposite the Dehly forces, he directed his cavalry to dismount, himself showing the example, and then ordered the whole to discharge three rounds of arrows in rapid succession into the enemy's lines. This discharge shook the Dehly army, who were prepared only for skirmishing; and the Mooltany horse having mounted again, broke the enemy's ranks, and completed the defeat. Barbik Khan and Tartar Khan fled, passing by the fort of Sheevur, which they did not venture to attack; but proceeding direct to Hoot, they succeeded in obtaining possession of that fort by promising advantageous terms to the garrison, in the first place, after which they inhumanly put them to the sword.

At this period, one Mullik Sohrab Duvally with his two sons, Ismael and Futteh Khan, arriv­ing from Mikran, engaged in the service of Hoos-sein Lunga, who gave over to them the country lying between Kotgirvur and Dhunkote, for the support of himself and tribe. Many other Bulo-chies, also, hearing of the reception of Mullik Sohrab, flocked in great numbers to Mooltan, and were also received into his service, and a portion of the country of Sind, lying contiguous to Bulo-chistan, was also given up to them; till at length all the country lying between Setpoor and Dhun-kote was occupied by Bulochies. It was at this time, also, that Jam Bayezeed and Jam Ibrahim, of the tribe of Sahna, being offended with the treatment they experienced from Jam Nunda, King of Sind, came to the court of Hoossein Lunga of Mooltan.

The tribe of Sahna appears to be of obscure origin. The Sahnas seem originally to have oc­cupied the tract lying between Bhukkur and Tutta, in Sind, and pretend to trace their pedigree from Jam Jumsheed, * King of Persia. Being a warlike race, Jam Nunda used to boast he was also de­scended from Jumsheed, though he was at va­riance with the tribe of Sahna. A dissension arising among the Sahna tribe, Jam Nunda took advantage of it to instigate them against Jam Bayezeed and Jam Ibrahim, two brothers, who being eventually compelled to seek safety in flight, found protection in Mooltan. Hoossein Lunga afforded them an asylum, and conferred the dis­trict of Sheevur on Jam Bayezeed, and that of Oocha on Jam Ibrahim.

Bheilole Lody of Dehly dying, and being suc­ceeded by his son Sikundur, Hoossein Lunga deemed the opportunity favourable to gain the alliance of that court; and consequently deputed an ambassador with rich presents to Dehly, con­veying letters of condolence and congratulation: the former, on account of the death of Bheilole, and the latter, on Sikundur Lody's accession to the throne.

On the arrival of the Mooltan ambassador, Sikundur Lody received the presents, and entered into a treaty of alliance, by which it was agreed that the respective armies of Mooltan and Dehly should keep within their present limits, but that, if required, they should assist each other in case of external invasion. It is related that Hoossein Lunga also sent ambassadors to Moozuffur Shah of Guzerat, the particular object of which was to procure architects, and to bring a plan and model of the several buildings at Ahmudabad. The envoy, Kazy Mahomed, having returned, the King questioned him as to the King's palace at Ahmudabad, and asked if such a one could be built at Mooltan. The envoy replied, “It be-“hoves servants, when required to answer, to “speak the truth; and I am, therefore, constrained “to acquaint your Majesty, that I really cannot “even describe the magnificence of the palace of “Ahmudabad; and I doubt if the whole revenue “of Mooltan were set aside for a year, whether it “would defray the expense of such a building.” Hoossein Lunga was offended at this blunt speech; and although he made no observation, he was evidently stung at the contemplation of his own relative insignificance. The prime minister, Imad-ool-Moolk, perceiving the King's dejection, re­marked, that his Majesty had no cause to lament, since, though India might be the country of riches, yet Mooltan could boast of being a country of men, some of whom were famed in the field of battle, while others were as renowned for their literary acquirements. Among the latter he enumerated Sheikh Yoosoof Kooreishy, Sheikh Baha-ood-Deen Zacharia, and others brought up in the philosophic school of Hajy Abdool Wahab; besides Futteh Oolla and his disciple Azeez Oolla, both inhabitants of Mooltan, and who had each thousands of disciples. The King was pleased at the ingenious turn which his minister had given to the conversation; but it is evident it had an effect on his mind; for very shortly afterwards he abdicated his throne in favour of his son Feroze, asserting as a reason that he was old, and found his faculties failing him. After this he retired from public life; and living in a humble style, contented himself by having about him holy per­sonages, who expounded the laws of the prophet, and explained the tenets of the faith.

On the accession of the Prince Feroze to the throne, Imad-ool-Moolk still held the office of prime minister; but the young king becoming jealous of the great popularity of Beilal, the prime minister's eldest son, he resolved on that youth's destruction, and employed one of his own servants to assassinate him, by shooting an arrow through his heart in the public streets. The minister, unable to obtain redress, and bent on revenge, caused poison to be administered to the young king, of which he died. On the death of Feroze, the old king Hoossein was again prevailed on to ascend the throne, and proclaimed his grandson, Mahmood, the son of the late Feroze, heir-appa­rent, and successor to the government. Imad-ool-Moolk continued to hold the office of prime minister, nor did Hoossein Lunga openly profess to consider him the murderer of his son; but in due time he intimated to Jam Bayezeed, the Sahna emigrant, that he would confer on him the office of vizier, if he could get rid of Imad-ool-Moolk, who was accordingly seized the next day, and put in irons.

Suffur 26.
A. H. 908.
Aug. 29.
A. D. 1502. A few days after which, on Sunday, the 26th of Suffur, A. H. 908 (but ac­cording to some 904), Hoossein Lunga, King of Mooltan, quitted this perishable state of existence for that of eternity, after a reign of thirty or of thirty-four years. I regret that the Towareekh Bahadur Shahy, * which con­tains the history of this prince, is so full of errors; to detail which would be useless, and only tend to lengthen the work to no purpose.