Origin of this chief. — Accidental circumstance of his being first brought to the King's notice — is raised to the rank of a noble of two thousand horse, and receives the districts of Talnere and Kuronde in jageer — compels the Raja of Buglana to pay tribute — invades the districts of Sooltanpoor and Nun-doorbar, belonging to the King of Guzerat, but is obliged to retire to Talnere — concludes peace with the King of Guzerat — assigns Talnere to his youngest son, and leaves the rest of his territory to his eldest son, Nuseer Khan Farooky. — Death of Mullik Raja — his pedigree derivable from Oomr Farook.

THE first person who assumed independence in the province of Kandeish was Mullik Raja, the son of Khan Jehan Farooky, whose ancestors were among the most respectable nobles at the Dehly court, in the reigns of Alla-ood-Deen Khiljy and Mahomed Toghluk.

On the death of Khwaja Jehan, his son Mullik Raja was very young, and inherited only a small patrimony. He was diffident in his disposition, and, at the same time, too proud to thrust himself

into notice through the throng of abject courtiers who usually attend on monarchs. When he ar­rived at a certain age, he found he had expended the little property which he inherited, and he therefore entered the King's army as a private horseman. He was excessively addicted to the chase; and one day having attracted the notice of some of the courtiers on a hunting party, while he attended the King, he was admitted into the gholam khas, or the life-guard of Feroze Toghluk. Some time after this, it happened when the King was on a sporting excursion in Guzerat that his Majesty followed an antelope thirteen or fourteen coss (from twenty-six to twenty-eight miles), and his attendants, excepting one or two, were all left behind. The King and his steed were completely exhausted. Far removed from the camp, and with his horse jaded, it appeared improbable that he could reach it for many hours. At this moment a horseman was descried at a distance, leading a brace of greyhounds, whom the King's party beckoned towards them. Upon his arrival he was asked if any thing could be procured to eat. He replied, pointing to his steed, which carried some game, that he had some venison, and if his Majesty pleased he would instantly strike a light and dress it. The King, upon learning that his host was Mullik Raja, the son of the late Khan Jehan, an officer of respectability, resolved to promote him; and at the very first durbar raised him to the rank of an officer of two thousand horse, and shortly afterwards conferred on him the dis­tricts of Talnere and Kuronde, situated on the borders of the Deccan.

A. H. 772.
A. D. 1370. In the year 772, Mullik Raja marched with a force to his frontier, and not only took peaceable possession of his own small district, but reduced Bharjy, Raja of Buglana, to consent to the payment of an annual tribute to the King of Dehly. In this first ex­pedition he received a tribute of five large ele­phants and ten small, besides a quantity of pearls and jewels as well as specie. On his return, he caused the elephants to be covered with velvet housings, embroidered with gold; and having laden several camels with muslins, and other manufac­tures of Kandeish, and also some pearls, he sent them as an offering to the King. Feroze Toghluk observed, that the very duty which the governor of Guzerat ought to have performed long ago had been fulfilled by Mullik Raja. He was, in consequence, honoured with the title of Sipah Salar * of Kandeish, and raised to the rank of a commander of three thousand horse. In the course of a few years he could muster twelve thousand horse, and levied contributions from the rays of Gondwana as far as Gurra Mundla; and such was his fame, that the Ray of Jajnuggur, notwithstanding the distance, established a friendly intercourse with him.

After the death of Feroze, when Dilawur Khan Ghoory assumed independence in Malwa, an in­timate connection took place between the latter and Mullik Raja, so much so, that Dilawur Khan gave his daughter in marriage to Mullik Nuseer, the son of the governor of Kandeish. At this period, Moozuffur Shah of Guzerat declared him­self independent; and some internal commotions subsequently arising, Mullik Raja, relying on the support of Dilawur Khan, invaded the Guzerat pro­vinces, and laid waste the districts of Sooltanpoor and Nundoorbar. Moozuffur Shah, though engaged in reducing the infidel Hindoos in his kingdom, on hearing of this inroad, made rapid marches to Sooltanpoor, from whence Mullik Raja was glad to retreat, and to seek protection in the fort of Tal-nere, wherein he was closely invested by the King of Guzerat. On this occasion Mullik Raja em­ployed the most accomplished and learned men about him to negotiate a peace; and as Moozuffur Shah hoped to obtain assistance from the governors of Kandeish and Malwa, in reducing the infidels, he consented to terms. After which period, Mullik Raja confined his military operations entirely to his own country, and was indefatigable in pro­moting the arts of civilisation and of agriculture during the rest of his life. Before his death, he sent for his two sons, Mullik Nuseer and Mullik Iftikhar. To the former he gave the “garb of “desire and assent,” which he received from his preceptor and tutelary saint, Sheikh Zein-ood-Deen of Dowlutabad, and nominated him his successor. On his younger son, Mullik Iftikhar, he bestowed the fort and district of Talnere; and on the 22d of

Shaban 22.
A. H. 801.
April 28.
A. D. 1399.

the month of Shaban, A. H. 801, Mullik Raja died, and was buried at the town of Talnere, after a reign of twenty-nine years.*

In the year 1013, (A. D. 1604,) when the author attended the palanquin of the daughter of Ibrahim Adil Shah from Beejapoor to Boorhan-poor, he asked Mirza Ally Isfahany, after the capture of Aseer, if any history existed of the Farooky family. The Mirza replied, he knew of none; but said that he once saw a genealogy of the family down to Mullik Raja, which he copied and had by him, which contains the descent of the Farooky family. It is as follows: —

Mullik Raja, the first Mahomedan ruler of Kandeish, is descended from the Caliph Oomr Farook, and traces his pedigree thus: Mullik Raja, the son of Khan Jehan, the son of Ally Khan, the son of Oothman Khan, the son of Simeon Shah, * the son of Ashab Shah, the son of Armian Shah, the son of Ibrahim Shah of Bulkh, the son of Adhum Shah, the son of Ahmud Shah, the son of Mahmood Shah, the son of Ma-homed Shah, the son of Azim Shah, the son of Asghur, the son of Mahomed Ahmud, the son of the Imam Nasir Abdoolla, the son of Oomr-ool-Farook, entitled Khuleefa, or representative of the last of the prophets.

Mullik Raja became the disciple of the holy saint Zein-ood-Deen of Dowlutabad, and from him received the “garb of desire and assent,” which he delivered to his son Nuseer, who in like manner transmitted it to his son, and in this way it was handed down from father to son for nearly two hundred years; and Bahadur, the son of Raja Ally Khan, the last of the independent rulers of Kandeish, possessed this precious relic when he lost his kingdom.