Ascends the throne. — Yekhtyar-ood-Deen Aluptugeen and Khwaja Mehdy assume great power. — The King endeavours to procure their assassination in open court. — Aluptugeen is killed.—Khwaja Mehdy escapes with several wounds. — A con­spiracy against the King's life, discovered by himself. — The persons concerned gradually removed from court, and assas­sinated on their own estates, according to secret orders from the King. — Invasion of Punjab by the Moguls of Chungiz Khan. — Lahore besieged. — The minister sent with an army to oppose the invaders — measures adopted by him to seduce the army from their allegiance. — The army, under the minister, marches to Dehly to dethrone the King. — The citizens deliver the King over to his enemies — suffers death.

WHEN Sooltana Ruzeea Begum was confined in the fort of Bituhnda, her brother Beiram, one of the sons of Shums-ood-Deen Altmish, ascended the

Monday, Rumzan 27.
A. H. 637.
April 21.
A. D. 1240.

throne on Monday the 27th of Rumzan, in the year 637. Yekh-tyar-ood-Deen Aluptugeen, with the assistance of Khwaja Mehdy Ghiznevy, having espoused the King's sister, widow of the late Kazy Yekhtyar-ood-Deen, by degrees got the entire government into his own hands. He also maintained an elephant * at his gate, a piece of state reserved solely for royalty. This circumstance having excited much jealousy in the King's mind, he employed two Toorky slaves to feign drunkenness, and in that state to endeavour to assassinate both Aluptugeen and the Vizier. Accordingly, on a certain day, these Toorks, while the King was giving public audience, having pressed into the crowd, became very troublesome. Aluptugeen, who stood first in the rank of nobles, went to turn them out, but they drew their daggers, and first plunging them into his breast, ran to the Vizier, on whom, also, they inflicted two severe stabs; but he escaped through the crowd, without being mortally wounded. The slaves were immediately seized and cast into chains, but shortly after were pardoned and released.

The Vizier kept his bed for some days, on ac­count of his wounds; but as soon as he recovered, he appeared again at court, as if nothing had happened. Budr-ood-Deen Sufeer Roomy, master of requests, formed a scheme to depose the King, and for this purpose, connected himself with a powerful faction at court. The conspirators met together at the house of Taj-ood-Deen Kotwal,

Suffer 17.
A. H. 638.
Sept. 8.
A. D. 1240.

on Monday, 17th Suffer. Taj-ood-Deen, however, relenting, informed both the King and the Vizier of the whole affair. A faithful servant of the King, assuming the character of a madman, was allowed to overhear the conversation that took place at the meeting. The Vizier, although he secretly favoured the conspiracy, excused himself from attending the consultations.

The story of the kotwal being confirmed by the person whom the King sent to overhear the conspirators, a body of cavalry was despatched to surround the house and seize them; but they, having obtained previous intelligence, dispersed before the horse arrived. The next day, Budr-ood-Deen Sufeer, one of the principals, was made governor of Budaoon, while another, Kazy Julal-ood-Deen Kashany, was removed from office. In a few months after, Budr-ood-Deen and Taj-ood-Deen were both assassinated by the King's emis­saries, and Kazy Shums-ood-Deen, who was also engaged in the plot, was trodden under foot by elephants. These proceedings, without trial or public accusation, justly alarmed every one; and advantage being taken by the faction of this feel­ing, a mutiny was promoted among the troops, and secretly fomented by the Vizier Khwaja Mehdy, who had not forgotten the attempt lately made by the King on his life.

Meanwhile news arrived that the Moguls of Chungiz Khan had invested Lahore, on Monday

Jumad-ool-
Akhir 16.
A. H. 639.
Nov. 22.
A. D. 1241.

the 16th of Jumad-ool-Akhir, * in the year 639; that Mullik Kurragooz, the Viceroy, finding his troops mutinous, had been obliged to fly in the night, and was actually on his way to Dehly, and that Lahore was plundered by the enemy, and many of the inhabitants carried away prisoners.

The King, on this urgent occasion, called a general council of state in the white palace, when it was determined to send the Vizier, and Mullik Kootb-ood-Deen Hussun Ghoory (Vakeel-oos-Sul-tanut), with other officers, towards Lahore, to oppose the Moguls. The army arrived as far as the river Beea, where the town of Sooltanpoor now stands, when the Vizier, who had every reason to be hostile to the King, began to sow the seeds of sedition in the minds of his officers; and the better to effect his purpose, wrote privately to the King, accusing certain nobles of disaffection, begging he would either join the army in person, or send written orders to him and his colleague Kootb-ood-Deen Hussun, authorizing them to make away with those officers who were discontented and dis­posed to revolt. Though previously aware of the treachery of his Vizier in the late conspiracy, the King had permitted this crafty courtier so to gain his confidence, that he gave full credence to this representation. Beiram Padshah replied, that the officers deserved death; at the same time, he recommended the Vizier to keep them quiet till he should be able fully to convict and bring them to punishment without danger. This was pre­cisely what the minister required: for by produc­ing the King's letter, he inflamed the minds of the officers, while he misled them with respect to the accuser. He even pretended to be apprehensive for himself; and having consulted with them re­garding their general safety, they resolved to unite and support the Vizier against the King.

The news of this confederacy opened the King's eyes when too late. He now proceeded in great perturbation to the house of Khwaja Kootb-ood-Deen Bukhtyar, Ooshy (the Sheikh-ool-Islam), a venerable and learned man, requesting him to go to the camp, and endeavour to reclaim the dis­affected chiefs. The Sheikh-ool-Islam accordingly went forth privately; but being unable to accommo­date matters, returned to Dehly. The Vizier, in the mean time, threw off the mask, and, advancing with the army to the capital, besieged it for three months and an half, till, at length, disaffection having com-

Zeekada 8.
A. H. 639.
May 10.
A. D. 1241.

municated itself to the citizens, Dehly was taken on Monday the 8th of Zee-kada, in the year 639, and Beiram thrown into prison, where in a few days he suf­fered death, after a reign of two years, one month, and fifteen days.