His origin — assumes the reins of government, but disclaims the title of king — forms a new ministry — causes the Khootba, or public prayers, to be read, and coins to be struck in the name of Teimoor — endeavours to re-establish the authority of the Dehly state — recovers great part of the Dooab. — The go­vernor of Surhind assassinated, and one Mullik Toghan Toork becomes master of the place — is expelled by the minister, Zeeruk Khan. — Khizr Khan proceeds by the route of Byana to Gualiar. — Mullik Toghan returns to attack Surhind — is repulsed, and flies — is overtaken, and com­pelled to pay a fine. — Toghan is permitted to retain posses­sion of Jalendur. — Khizr Khan sends an army against Kutehr. — An impostor, assuming the name of Sarung Khan, the late brother of Yekbal Khan, collects forces at Machiwara — is defeated — joins Mullik Toghan, who espouses his cause. — On discovering that he has wealth, Mullik Toghan puts him to death. — Mullik Toghan ravages Surhind, but is defeated, and expelled the kingdom. — Khizr Khan taken ill — dies — his character. — Tokens of the people's regard.

BOTH the authors of the Tubkat Mahmood Shahy

A. H. 817.
A. D. 1414.

and of the Towareekh Moobarik Shahy trace the family of Khizr Khan to that of the prophet, and they accordingly style him Syud. His father, Mullik Sooliman, a person of respectability, was the adopted son of Mullik Murdan Dowlut, a noble of distinction, and governor of the province of Mooltan, in the reign of Feroze Toghluk. Mullik Murdan Dowlut, at his death, was succeeded in his government by

his own son, Mullik Sheikh, and on his death, Mullik Sooliman, who professed to be a Syud, was appointed viceroy of Mooltan, an office which de­scended to his son, Khizr Khan. When Khizr Khan was defeated, as we have already observed, by Sarung Khan, and driven from his country, he waited on Teimoor, after the conquest of Dehly, gained his favour, and was reinstated in his former government, to which Teimoor added Punjab and Depalpoor. This accession of power enabled him, eventually, to pave his way to the throne.

As the author of the Towareekh Moobarik Shahy has produced two distinct and (what he calls) strong proofs of Khizr Khan being really a de­scendant of the Prophet, it seems proper here to notice them, in order that his pretensions to that honour may be examined. The first reason given is, “that on one occasion, when Khizr Khan's fa-“ther, Mullik Sooliman, brought an ewer and basin, “in common with the other servants of Mullik “Murdan Dowlut, at a feast given by him to Syud “Julal Bokhary, the latter, on perceiving it, said “to his host, ‘Why do you employ this fine Syud “youth in so humble an office?’ Such an observa-“tion from the mouth of that venerable, holy man “(says the author) ought to satisfy us that the “youth was really a Syud.” The second proof adduced is, “that Khizr Khan possessed the “qualities of charity, courage, mercy, benevolence, “virtue, abstinence, truth, and kindness, in a de-“gree which rendered him like the Prophet him-“self.” These are the evidences which the author of the Towareekh Moobarik Shahy has produced to prove the noble origin of Khizr Khan. Suffice it for us to know, that after his accession, Khizr Khan conferred honours upon Mullik Tohfa, en­titled Taj-ool-Moolk, and made him vizier, and conferred dignities on Abd-ool-Raheem, the adopt­ed son of his father, Mullik Sooliman. He also gave him the government of Futtehpoor and Mooltan, together with the title of Mullik Alla-ool-Moolk. But while he distributed his favours among his own officers, he refrained from assuming royal titles, and gave out that he held the govern­ment for Teimoor, in whose name he caused the coin to be struck, and the Khootba to be read. After the death of Teimoor, the Khootba was read in the name of his successor, Shahrokh Mirza; to whom he sometimes even sent tribute at his capital of Samarkand.*

In the first year of his government, Khizr Khan deputed Mullik Tohfa with an army towards Kuttehr, which place he reduced. Nursing Ray was driven to the mountains; but upon paying a ransom, was again put in possession of his country. Mohabut Khan, governor of Budaoon, at the same time came to meet Mullik Tohfa, and professed alle­giance. The Vizier now marched towards Gun-poor, Kampilla, and Chundwar, to levy the re­venue which had been due for some years; and after recovering Jalesur out of the hands of the Rajpoots of Chundwar, he marched to Etawa, and having reduced it, returned to Dehly.

Jumad-ool-
Awul,
A. H. 817.
July,
A. D. 1414. In the month of Jumad-ool-Awul, of the year 817, a band of Toorks, the ad­herents of Beiram Khan, assassinated Mullik Ladho, governor of Surhind, and took possession of his country, Khizr Khan sent Zeeruk Khan and Mullik Dawood with an army against them. On their approach, the Toorks crossed the Sutlooj, and retreated to the hills. Zeeruk Khan pursued them; but as the mountains, which are a continuation of those of Nagrakote, were then in possession of independent zemindars, who assisted the Toorks, he effected nothing against them, and in the end was obliged to withdraw his troops.

A. H. 819.
A. D. 1416. In the year 819, Ahmud Shah, King of Guzerat, advanced to Bagore. Khizr Khan led an army to oppose him; and the King of Guzerat withdrew in the direction of Malwa. When Khizr Khan reached Jalwur, * Elias Khan, governor of the new city, (to which the name of “Bride of the Universe,” had been given by Alla-ood-Deen Khiljy, who built it,) came out to meet him. Khizr Khan proceeded from thence to Gualiar, where he levied tribute from the Raja, and then proceeded to Dehly by the route of Byana, where he exacted, as a fee, a considerable sum from Kurreem-ool-Moolk, brother of the late Shums Khan Ahdy, to whose estates he had lately succeeded.

A. H. 820.
A. D. 1417. In the year 820, Mullik Toghan, chief of those Toorks who had assassinated Mullik Ladho, besieged Surhind with a considerable army. Zeeruk Khan, governor of Samana, being again ordered against him, Toghan retreated to the hills; but Zeeruk Khan overtook him at the village of Pail, compelled him to pay a heavy fine, and to give up his son as a hostage for his future conduct, as well as to expel the murderers of Mullik Ladho from his camp. After these arrangements, Mullik Toghan was allowed to re­tain possession of Jalendur; and Zeeruk Khan having returned to Samana, sent both the hostage and the amount realised from Mullik Toghan to the presence.

A. H. 821.
A. D. 1418. In the year 821, Khizr Khan having sent his minister against Nursing Ray, the Raja of Kutehr, he plundered and laid waste that district, and proceeding to Buda-oon, crossed the river at Etawa, on which place he imposed a contribution, and returned to Dehly. Khizr Khan subsequently marched in person to Kutehr, and on his route he attacked and de­feated a formidable band of plunderers at Kole; he then crossed the Ganges, and having laid waste the country of Sumbhul and Kutehr, returned to his capital. After remaining at Dehly only a few days, he moved towards Budaoon. Mohabut Khan, governor of Budaoon, alarmed at his ap­proach, shut himself up in the fort, to which the King laid siege for six months. In the course of the operations, Khizr Khan discovered that Kowam Khan, Yekhtyar Khan Lody, and several of the old friends of the late King, Mahmood Toghluk, had formed a conspiracy against his life. This circumstance induced him to raise the siege of

Jumad-ool-
Awul 20.
A. H. 822.
July 18.
A. D. 1419.

Budaoon, and to retire to Dehly, where on the 20th of Jumad-ool-Awul, 822, having assembled the conspirators, he caused the household troops to fall upon them, and put them to death.

About this time, also, the King understood that an impostor had appeared near Machiwara, assum­ing the name of Sarung Khan, and had collected a body of insurgents, though it was well known that Sarung Khan died during the time of Teimoor's invasion. To suppress this insurrection, Khizr Khan ordered Mullik Sooltan Shah Lody, entitled Islam Khan, at that time governor of Surhind, against the impostor, who being defeated fled to the hills, pursued by the joint forces of Mullik Toghan, governor of Jalendur, Zeeruk Khan, go­vernor of Samana, and Mullik Kheir-ood-Deen, governor of Dooab. The impostor's army shortly after deserted him, each man withdrawing privately to his own home, and the Dehly forces, also separ­ating, returned to their respective stations. In the following year the impostor appeared again, and joined Mullik Toghan, who had again gone into rebellion. Mullik Toghan, however, on dis­covering that his colleague possessed a large quantity of jewels, caused him to be assassinated; and marching to Surhind, he ravaged the country of Munsoorpoor and Pail on his route. The Dehly army, having attacked the insurgents, under Toghan, gave them a total defeat, and drove them entirely out of the kingdom.

A. H. 824.
A. D. 1421. In the year 824, Khizr Khan marched towards Mewat, taking and destroying the fort of Kotla. In this year, also, the Vizier dying, that office was conferred on his son, Mullik Sikundur Tohfa. From Kotla, Khizr Khan marched towards Gualiar, where he raised contributions and returned to Etawa, exact­ing tribute from the son of Soomur Ray. Khizr

Jumad-ool-
Awul 17.
A. H. 824.
May 20.
A. D. 1421.

Khan, falling sick during this campaign, returned to Dehly, where he died on the 17th of Jumad-ool-Awul, 824, after a reign of seven years and a few months.

Khizr Khan was esteemed a just, a generous, and a benevolent prince, for the age in which he lived, on which account his death was much lamented by his subjects; and as a token of their respect for his memory the inhabitants of Dehly, by common consent, wore black for three days.*

After this the nobles†, * having assembled, con­sented to elevate Moobarik, the son of Khizr Khan, to the throne.