The son of the late King, ascends the throne — proceeds to reduce Byana — retreats to Dehly — falls into contempt. — Interest­ing account of the Mahomedan rule in India. — The terri­torial limits of each principality described. — The King re­moves his court to Budaoon — attempts to put his minister to death. — The latter flies to Dehly, and invites Bheilole Lody to occupy it. — Bheilole arrives — deceives the King as to his motive — is adopted by the King as his heir — Alla-ood-Deen abdicates his throne — and is content to live at Budaoon.

ALLA-OOD-DEEN, the son of Syud Mahomed, ascended the throne on the demise of his father, and all the chieftains, excepting Bheilole Lody, took the oath of allegiance. The new King, how­ever, was in no condition to resent this mark of con­tempt; but having collected an army in the beginning

A. H. 850.
A. D. 1446.

of the year 850, he marched to recover Byana. While on his route, he received advices that Ibrahim Shah Shurky was advancing towards Dehly, which, though false, brought the King back to his capital. Humeed Khan, the Vizier, ventured to remonstrate on his acting on so vague a report; but the observation brought upon the Vizier the displeasure of his master.

This step at once proved fatal to the King's re­putation; and the meanest of the people did not hesitate to say publicly, that he was a weaker

man than his father. On the following year he marched to Budaoon, where he remained some time employed in laying out gardens, building pleasure houses, and mak­ing entertainments. Fancying the air of Buda-oon agreed better with his health, he expressed an inclination to make that city his residence, from which the Vizier endeavoured in vain to divert him.

Hindoostan was, at this period, divided into separate principalities. The Deccan, Guzerat, Malwa, Joonpoor, and Bengal, had each its inde­pendent king. Punjab, Depalpoor, and Surhind, as far south as Paniput, formed the territory of Bheilole Khan Lody; Mehrowly and the country within seven coss of Dehly, as far as the Seray Lado, was in the hands of Ahmud Khan Mewatty; Sumbhul, even to the suburbs of Dehly, was occu­pied by Duria Khan Lody; Kole Jalesur, in the Dooab, by Eesa Khan Toork, and Rabery and its dependencies by Kootub Khan Afghan; Kampila and Pattialy by Raja Purtab Sing, and Byana by Dawood Khan Lody; so that the city of Dehly, with a very small tract of country, alone belonged to the King.*

Bheilole Lody, about this time, made another attempt upon the capital, but was not more suc­cessful than before. The King, as soon as relieved from this danger, began to consider of the means to recover part of his lost empire, and held a con­sultation with Kootub Khan, Eesa Khan, and Purtab Ray. These chiefs, desirous to weaken him still more, told him that the nobles were dis­gusted with his vizier, Humeed Khan; and that if he were removed from office, and imprisoned, they were ready to support him, and did not doubt that the affairs of his government would assume a more favourable aspect. Syud Alla-ood-Deen, becoming the dupe of those traitors, imprisoned and disgraced the minister, and immediately ordered preparations for removing the court to Budaoon; from which not all the remonstrances of his best friends could restrain him, though they represented, in a strong light, how impolitic it was, at such a juncture, to quit Dehly.

A. H. 852.
A. D. 1448. Alla-ood-Deen, accordingly, in the year 852, marched to Budaoon, leaving Hissam Khan in the government of Dehly. When he arrived at his new capital, Koo-tub Khan and Purtab Ray, waiting on the King, represented that as long as the Vizier was alive, the chiefs could not be induced to trust themselves at court. The King was thus prevailed on to order the Vizier's death; but the Vizier's brother, having discovered his intention, found means, with the assistance of some of his friends, to release Hu-meed Khan, who escaped to Dehly. There he took possession of all the King's effects, and sent the females of the royal household out of the city.

Alla-ood-Deen deferring, by frivolous delays and excuses of weather and unlucky days, his march to Dehly, allowed time for the Vizier to invite Bhei-lole Lody to assume the government. Bheilole, seizing the opportunity, amused the King by writing to him that he was on his march to chastise the Vizier; but having arrived, he quietly took posses­sion of the capital, and was proclaimed King.

A. H. 854.
A. D. 1450.

This event occurred in the year 854; though the name of Alla-ood-Deen was, for form's sake, allowed to be read in the Khootba as usual. Bheilole, leaving his son, Khwaja Bayezeed, in Dehly, marched in person to Depalpoor, to organise, at his convenience, his Af­ghan army. While thus engaged, he wrote to Alla-ood-Deen, that his only motive for securing the capital was to expel the Vizier. To this letter he received for answer, that the King having adopted Bheilole as his son, he (Alla-ood-Deen) should ever esteem him as his brother; and form­ally abdicated the throne in his favour, on con­dition of his being permitted to reside quietly in pos­session of Budaoon. Bheilole Lody from that hour rejected the name of Syud Alla-ood-Deen from the Khootba, and publicly assumed all the insignia of royalty. Alla-ood-Deen remained at Budaoon unmolested till his death, which happened in the year 883 (A. D. 1478): his reign in Dehly being seven years, and his retirement at Budaoon nearly 28.