Regarding the conversion of the Rájá to Mohammedanism, it is sometimes said that, having come to Ahmadábád with the Sultán, he became a follower of Hazrat Sháh Álam, as related in the Mirát Sikandarí, and that his tomb, situated near the road leading from the Kolápúr gate, is conspicuous on the right-hand side.

After this, Mahmúd Bígarrah called together the Sayyids and learned men of every quarter, in order to settle them in the country of Sorath; and, having turned his thoughts to populating it, rebuilt a fort, and founded a noble palace there. The nobles also built dwelling-houses agreeably to order; and in a little time there arose a city, almost equal to Ahmadábád, which was named Mustafábád. He also gave the Mandalik Rájá the title of Kháni Jehán, on whom he conferred a jágír; and having taken away the golden images from his idol temple, ordered that they should be distributed as a present among the soldiery.

After this, he hastened into Sind; and in the year of the Hijra 878, A.D. 1473-74, having made many prisoners in that quarter, brought them from thence to Júnagarh. In the same year, he conquered the island of Sankha-dhára,* dependant on Jiggat, to which he was urged by a complaint from Múlá Mohammed Samar­kandí, that the infidels of that quarter had cap­tured a boat, in which was he with his whole family. The difficulties and dangers of that expedition have been detailed at length by the author of the Mirát Sikandarí, where the account may be found.

During the time of destroying the idols and temples of Jiggat, many rubies, pearls, and silken cloths, were obtained as booty; and the Sultán, having built a mosque there, gave the charge of Sankha-dhára to Malik Toghán, otherwise entitled Farhatu-l-Mulk.

In the year of the Hijra 800, A.D. 1475-6, Hazrat Sháh Álam, the glory of the Saints, died; and his tomb, which exists in Rasúlá­bád, was built by the instructions of Táj Khán Narialí, one of the nobles of distinguished rank at court.

The Sultán having arrived at Mustafábád,

September 16,
A.D. 1475.

or Júnagarh, on Friday, the 13th of Jumádá-ul-awal of the same year, heard that the people of Malabar had come with several ghorábs (small boats,) and were blockading the ports of Gujarát. He immediately ordered that several boats should be got ready for the punishment of the parties, and took his depar­ture for the port of Goa; whence returning by the way of Khambáyat, he encamped at Sirkí, where he remained three days on a pil­grimage to the tomb of Shaikh Ahmad Khattú. At this place, having called together the chil­dren of the nobles and soldiers who had fallen in battle, or had died during the above expedi­tion, he settled the jágírs on their sons. Where there were no sons, he conferred half the jágír on the daughters; and in case of there being neither sons nor daughters, he fixed the means of subsistence for the dependants. Immediately following this, he returned to Ahmadábád, where he continued inactive (with the exception of going once a year on a journey to Musta­fábád for the purpose of hunting) until the time when he resolved on the capture of the fort of Chámpánír, which was in the possession of Rawal Tuppaí* On the occasion of his jour­ney thither, while hunting one day on the banks of the River Watruk, twelve coss south-east from Ahmadábád, he founded there the city of Mahmúdábád; and, having fortified a rising ground on the banks of the before-mentioned river, he ordered noble palaces to be built, of which the marks and remains are yet to be seen at the time of writing, being the year of the Hijra 1170, A.D. 1756.

After this, he pursued his intention of cap­turing the fort of Chámpánír, which submitted

Nov. 22,
A.D. 1484.

to him on the 2d of Zú-l-kadah, A. Hij. 889, A.D. 1484; and, being much pleased with the climate of the place, he established it as his capital, and ordered a mosque and a fort to be built, and having made it a great city, it was known by the name of Mahmúdábád Chámpánír. The nobles and ministers, with the merchants and tradesmen, at length built houses for themselves, and several gardens ornamented the neighbourhood of this place. One of these gardens was known by the name of Halol.

In A. Hij. 891, A.D. 1486, he went to Mus­tafábád, and returned several times to Mah­múdábád.

After this, in the year Hij. 892, A.D. 1487, he committed the charge of the country about Sorath and Júnagarh to the prince, Khalíl Khán; at which time some merchants, who had brought for sale four hundred Irákí and Turkí horses, from the countries of Khorásán, came to demand redress, saying, that having brought these along with several silken stuffs, they had been plundered in the neighbourhood of the mountains of Abú, by the Rájá of Sirohí, who had not even spared their old garments. The Sultán ordered that an account of the price of the horses and other articles should be made out, and commanded the merchants to be paid the money from the treasury, as he could receive the amount from the Rájá of Sirohí. The Sultán, having then marched towards Sirohí, sent a menacing order to the Rájá, and to this effect, that if he did not return the merchants' horses and their goods, the royal troops would be sent against him. The Rájá, on this being made known to him, asked for forgiveness, and complied with the order; on which the Sultán returned to Mahmúdábád, where he amused himself for four years, going to Ahmadábád during the hot season of ripe melons, and returning again to Ahmadábád, after enjoying himself there for six months.

In the year of the Hijra 904,* A.D. 1498, when Ádil Khán Farúkí, the ruler of Khándesh, neglected to send the usual tribute, a force was sent forward to that quarter; but, immediately on the arrival of the Sultán at the banks of the Taptí River, Ádil Khán sent the tribute and made his excuses. The Sultán, consequently, sent back his army by the way of Nadarbár, and went in the direction of Tálnír, for the purpose of seeing its fort: whence returning to Nadarbár, he there joined his army, and went to Mahmúdábád (Chámpánír).

Having carried an army against Chaiwal, in the year of the Hijra 913, A.D. 1507, in order to destroy the Europeans, he effected his designs against the towns of Bassai (Bassein) and Man­bai (Bombay); and returned to his own capital

A. Hij. 914.
12th May,
A.D. 1508.

on the 11th of Muharram, A. Hij. 914,* A.D. 1508.

Subsequently to this, Álam Khán, who was the Sultán's grandson by his daughter, and whose father was the ruler of Assír and Burhánpúr, requested his mother to petition the king of Gujarát, representing that eight years had elapsed since the death of Ádil Khán I. son of Míran Mubárak Farúkí, who died without heirs; and that the nobles, who supported the claim of one of Malik Rájí's relations to the government, had given him the title of Ádil Khán;* while they, being in possession of the country, were predominant in his name. This petition further requested that the Sultán would place Álam Khán on the throne of his ancestors and protect his servant. The Sultán gave it his favourable attention; and, in the month of Rajab, advanced towards Nadarbár, for the purpose of support­ing Álam Khán. Having arrived at Tálnír, after the Ídu-z-zohá, (the passover or sacrificial feast) he gave the title of Ádil Khán to Álam Khán, the son of Húsí Khán; and, presenting him with four elephants and three laks of tank­chas, fixed him in the government of Assír and Burhánpúr. He also raised Malik Sarang Khiljí to the title of Khán Jehán, and presented him with the town of Bunnass, which is a dependancy of Sultánpúr and Nadarbár, and was his place of nativity. In the grant of this gift, he inserted the name of Ádil Khán, and likewise promoted several of the nobles about Court.

At length, Ádil Khán departed well pleased to Assír, and the Sultán returned to his capital; at which time Sayyid Mohammed Júnpúrí came to Ahmadábád, and laid claim to the miraculous power of the Imám Mehdí. The Pretender took up his abode in the mosque of Táj-Khán, son of Salar, which is near the Jumalpúr gate; where he began to assemble the people. On this account, the Ulamas and doctors issued a religious decree against him, ordering that he should be put to death; but the Sayyid took his departure for Patan, where he supported his ministry. The Mohammedans of Pálanpúr became his followers; and there are now some of the Med­hiví* sect to be found there.

Not long after this period, in the month of Zú-l-hijjah, of A. Hij. 916, A.D. 1510, the Sul­tán set out for Patan; and, as this was the last time he appeared in public, having collected together all the great men of the state, he told them that his life was near a close. On return­ing from Patan, he came to Ahmadábád in four days; when, having made a pilgrimage to the burial place of Shaikh Ahmad Khattú, he wept tears of repentance over his own tomb, which had been built at the foot of the Shaikh's mau­soleum. Subsequently to this, having entered the city of Ahmadábád, he fell sick; and, continuing so for three months, sent for the prince, Khalíl Khán, from Baroda. After informing him of his approaching dissolution, he finally took his leave for another world, on Monday

A. Hij. 917.
3d Ramazán,
25th November,
A.D. 1511.

the 3d of Ramazán, in the year of the Hijra 917, A.D. 1511; and his remains were deposited in the mausoleum which exists at Sirkej.

Mahmúd Bígarrah, who was born in the month of Ramazán, A. Hij. 849, A.D. 1445, reigned fifty-four years, having attained sixty-seven years of age when he died.