Ascends the throne — causes the city of Mando to be called Shadiabad — becomes cruel to his brothers and children, as also to his officers — abandons himself to his pleasures — the people are disgusted. — The King accuses his minister of an intention to dethrone him. — The latter pleads his innocence, but resolves to cut off the King. — The King is poisoned by his cup-bearer, at the instigation of the minister, Mahmood Khan Khiljy.

TWO days after the death of Sooltan Hooshung, Ghizny Khan was crowned at Mando, and as­suming the title of Sooltan Mahomed Ghoory, ordered that his capital might henceforth be called Shadiabad Mando, or “The City of Joy;” and public prayers were read and coin struck in his name. Business was as usual transacted by Mullik Mogheis and his son Mahmood Khan, and no alterations took place in consequence of the death of the late king. Shortly after his accession, Sooltan Mahomed, however, evinced many traits of cruelty in his jealousy towards his brothers. Se­veral persons supposed to favour them were put to death on bare suspicion, without public trials; and he put out the eyes of his nephew and son-in-law, Nizam Khan, and also those of Nizam Khan's three sons by his daughter. These acts excited disgust in the upper classes of society, and terror among the common people; so that the nation ap­peared ripe for insurrection. About this period the Rajpoots of Nandote having laid waste part of the territory of Malwa, Sooltan Mahomed, by the ad­vice of Mahmood Khan, placing the army under the command of his chief minister, Mullik Mogheis, ordered him to march and punish the enemy, having presented him on the occasion with ten elephants and a robe of honour. Shortly after, it was apparent the King had relinquished all in­terest in the transaction of public business, leaving it entirely to Mahmood Khan, while he gave him­self up to the pleasures of the seraglio, and aban­doned himself to drunken excess. The natural consequence of such conduct threw an increased accession of power and influence into the hands of the minister, while respect for the King gradually declined. This state of affairs was by no means pleasing to many of the nobles, who, dreading lest Mahmood Khan should be induced to usurp the crown, and thus put an end to the Ghoory dynasty, sent secret messages to the King, warning him of his danger. Mahmood Khan, who was at this time in the habit of seeing the King daily in private, became aware of his suspicions, and took precautionary measures for his own safety, which did not escape the King's notice, who one day told him that he had heard he intended to usurp the crown; then taking him by the hand, and leading him to his wife, the minister's sister, he conjured him, at all events, to spare his life. The astonished Mahmood disavowed any such motive, saying, that he had never broken the oath which he had sworn to his father, the illustrious Sooltan Hooshung, to support his authority.

Mahmood Khan, however, after he left the se­raglio, resolved on the death of the King, which he conceived, having once been suspected of treach­ery, was now the only means of securing his own life. He in consequence bribed one of the King's private servants to administer poison to him in his wine, from the effects of which he died. The officers about the King's person no sooner ascertained the fact, than they brought forth the Prince Musaood, one of the late king's sons, a boy thirteen years of age, from the seraglio, in order to place him on the throne. One of the officers (Mullik Bayezeed Sheikha) going to Mahmood Khan, and sup­posing him to be ignorant of the King's death, said that his Majesty wanted to see him, as he wished to send an envoy immediately to Gu­zerat. Mahmood Khan replied, that having relin­quished his office of minister, he intended hence­forth to become a sweeper at the tomb of his beloved master Sooltan Hooshung; and that under these circumstances it might be as well that the nobles should come to his house, and make ar­rangements for the future administration of affairs, as the King appeared to have abandoned himself to wine and women. Mullik Bayezeed, the more con­firmed in his opinion of the minister's ignorance of what had occurred, agreed that those officers who had resolved on placing the Prince Musaood on the throne should go to Mahmood Khan's house, and seize his person. But the minister having obtained timely information of their intentions, previously ordered a body of soldiers to be in readiness in a private apartment, which, when they entered, rushed out and confined them. This bold measure so confounded the rest of the Prince Musaood's party that some fled precipitately out of the city, while others who remained, collecting troops, en­deavoured to possess themselves of the canopy over the tomb of Sooltan Hooshung, and placing it on the head of the Prince Musaood, intended to proclaim him King. Mahmood, hearing of their pro­ceedings, mounted his horse, and rode direct to the palace, where he made an attempt to secure the per­sons of the two young princes, Musaood and Oomr Khan; but meeting with opposition in the court­yard, swords were drawn on both sides, and a fight ensued, which continued till night-fall. On this occasion many persons were killed; but the Prince's party being defeated fled, and Mahmood occupied the palace. On the next day he sent word to his father, inviting him to assume the reins of govern­ment; but he declined, saying that he alone was best able to conduct the affairs of the state.