Shahábu-d-dín Mohammed Ghorí entered Benares after this battle, where he loaded four thousand camels with jewels, fine clothes, and rarities of every description, and sent them to Ghazní. At this time many other cities of India were captured, and the country subdued as far as the confines of China.*

A.D. 1195.
Conquests of
Kutbu-d-dín
Aibuk.

Soon after the defeat and death of the Rájá of Benares, Mohammed Ghorí returned to Ghazní; and the viceroy of India, having fought several battles, extended the Mohammedan possessions in his absence. He defeated the army of Bhíma Deva, of Nahr­wálah; ravaged Gujarát and Ajmír; entered the province of Agra; laid siege to the hill for­tress of Biana,* north of the river Chambul; where, having heard that his master had left

December,
A.D. 1196.

Ghazní, in the month of Muharram Hij. 592,* and was advancing into India, he abandoned the siege, and went to meet him at Hansí. The united armies, having again marched against Biana, took it; and Mohammed Ghorí subsequently laid siege to Gwalior. The Rájá of this place had defended the fortress for nearly twelve months, when the disturbed state of Khorásán, and the hostile incursions of the Saljúk Turkmáns, recalled the Sultán to Ghazní. Having left his general, Bahá-ud-dín Toghrul, to continue the siege of Gwalior,

January,
A.D. 1197.

he marched from India, during the month of Saffar, in the following year of the Hijra. Gwalior still held out for some time against the Mohammedans; but the Rájá, tired of their persevering efforts to take it, sent at length a messenger to the Viceroy, Kutbu-d-dín Aibuk, and instructed him to tell the lat­ter, that, though he would not deliver up the fortress to Bahá-ud-dín Toghrul, he was willing to give the other possession of it, and would pay a tribute to his master. On this the Viceroy marched against Gwalior, to the great annoy­ance of Bahá-ud-dín Toghrul, who resolved to resist this interference; when his death hap­pily relieved the former from all anxiety regard­ing this matter. The Rájá was subsequently reinstated in power at Gwalior.*

Attempt to
recover Ajmír
by the Rájá of
Nahrwálah.

The Supreme Rájá of Nahrwálah, Bhíma Deva Chalúkya, assisted by his feudatories, Prahladana and Dara Versha,* the rulers of Chandravati, assisted by the Rájá of Nagore, made an effort to wrest Ajmír from the Mohammedans. The troops of the latter were, at this time, dispersed over the provinces, but Kutbu-d-dín Aibuk, with the few soldiers he could collect, marched to oppose them, and was defeated. In this action the Viceroy was severely wounded, and carried to Ajmír; which was now besieged by the allied army of Hindús. When intelligence of these movements was received at Ghazní, reinforcements were imme­diately sent to the assistance of the Viceroy. Ajmír was maintained against the besiegers till the arrival of the troops from Ghazní; when the enemy, retiring, were pursued into the district of Sirohí. At this time, the rulers of Chandravati, who were encamped near Abú, resolved to defend the passes into Gujarát; and the Viceroy, hearing of this, attacked and defeated them with great slaughter. On this occasion vast spoils were obtained by the Mo*-le/>hammedans, who now advanced into Gujarát, and captured Nahrwálah. The Viceroy, soon after retracing his steps to Dehlí, took the forts of Badaún, Kalpí, and Kálinjar,* having thus reduced the country as far as the junction of the Jumna and the Ganges.

Conquests by
Mohammed
Bakhtiár
Khiljí, in Awud
and Bahar.

Mohammed Bakhtiár Khiljí, who com­manded a division of troops under the Viceroy, was at this time sent across the Ganges, to possess the province of Awud,* which he reduced. Here he obtained much spoil; and, having rendered hmiself formidable by increasing his military force, excited the envy of the other commanders who were serving under the Viceroy. Soon after, this general appears to have conquered the northern part of Bahar, or Mithila; and his enemies had become so jealous of his suc­cess, that they left no method untried of preju­dicing the mind of Kutbu-d-dín Aibuk against him. The Viceroy yielded so far to their clamour as to enter, at one time, into a design of murdering Mohammed Bakhtiár Khiljí; but, having been persuaded by some of his intimates to commute this sentence, he determined that his servant should decide his fate, in single combat, against a fierce white elephant.* The latter was successful, and rose in the estimation of his master, who subsequently conferred on

A.D. 1203.

him many favours. Mohammed Bakh­tiár Khiljí was again sent into Bahar; the south-eastern part of which, or Magadha, was subdued, and Gaor, its capital city, taken. The Rájá of South Bahar, at this time, was Laka­mír, or Lakshmana Sinha,* last of the Voidya monarchs. He had reigned over the country for seventy or eighty years, and was renowned for his equity and liberality. When the Mohammedan general took Gaor, the Hindú monarch escaped; and the former, not long after, declared himself independent of the Viceroy, by reading the khutba in his own name.

A.D. 1206.
Death of Mohammed
Ghorí,
and establish­ment
of the
Dehlí empire.