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amaffed, exceeds all belief. It was faid that filver was found too cumbersome for the foldiery, gold being in fuch plenty. The hiftorian obferves on this occafion, as well as on the taking of Deogur, that the Princes of the Deccan had been for a great number of ages, amaffing this treafure: fo that their country had probably continued undisturbed all that time...y

In 1312 Cafoor ravaged the northern part of the Deccan again, and laid Tellingana and the Carnatic under a tribute: but the entire conqueft of thofe countries was not effected until about three centuries afterwards, under the latter Princes of the houfe of Timur. Alla died in 1326. At this period all Hindoostan proper was comprehended in the Patan empire (fo called from the dynasty in poffeffion of the throne); and the interior policy is faid to be fo well regulated, that ftrangers might travel throughout the empire, in perfect fecurity.

Rebellions breaking out in Tellingana, in 1322, and 1326, it was again fubjected: and the whole Carnatic ravaged from fea to fea. But under a fucceeding Emperor, Mahomed III. the Princes. of the Deccan affumed courage, and headed by Belaldeo, King of the Carnatic, they drove the Mahomedans entirely out of those countries; nothing remaining to them, fave the fortrefs of Dowlatabad (or Deogur). About the same time (1344) the city of Bijinagur, corruptly called Bifnagar, was founded by the fame Belaldeo. Mahomed, who appears to have been a weak Prince, loft much territory, alfo, by rebellions in Bengal, Guzerat, and the Panjab mean while, he was occupied in attempting the conqueft of China, but was repulfed on the frontier. It is probable, from circumstances, that he went by way of Affam. This Emperor alfo planned the abfurd scheme of transferring the feat of government, from Delhi to Dowlatabad: and attempted it twice, but without fuccefs.

Ferofe III. who fucceeded in 1351, appeared more defirous of improving the remains of the empire, after the defection of Bengal

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and the Deccan, &c. than of extending it, by arms. Canals, and public works, for the improvement of agriculture, and of the inland navigation, were his favourite objects, during a reign of 37 years. (See the Memoir, page 72.) The Moguls made another irruption in 1357, and the time now approached, when a more serious one was to take place under Timur, or Tamerlane. After the death of Ferofe, in 1388, rebellion and civil war, during a course of several years, prepared the empire for foreign subjection: and a minority, in the perfon of Mahmood III. who fucceeded in 1393, brought matters to a crifis. During the confufions attendant on the state of a minority, in an empire which could with difficulty be held together, by a veteran defpot, the hiftorian remarks an unusual circumftance: two Emperors in arms against each other, refiding within the fame capital. In this ftate of things, Timur, who had already extended his empire over all the western Afia and Tartary, turned his arms towards Hindooftan in 1398. In the preceding year, he had fent his grandfon Peer Mahomed, to reduce the Panjab, and Moultan; and in October, croffed the Indus himself; and joining his grandfon near Moultan, his army proceeded in different divifions to Delhi, which fubmitted, without what may be properly termed, a battle. This inhuman monster, who had credit enough with a poet of the prefent century, to be brought on the stage, as a hero, poffeffing great and amiable qualities, obtained in Hindooftan, the title of "the deftroying Prince" and was truely worthy of it, from the numerous maffacres and exterminations executed under his immediate direction. Timur staid in Delhi only 15 days: and then appears to have been on his return to the feat of his empire, when, hearing of a fortress in the Dooab, that had refifted the arms of a former Mogul invader (Turmecherin Khan) he marched towards it and took it. From thence he proceeded to the place where the Ganges iffues out of the mountains, and where the Hindoos refort at certain seasons, in vaft numbers, to pay their adorations to, and to purify themselves in that

facred

facred ftream. His object was the extermination of these inoffenfive people; and he partly fucceeded. From this place, turning to the north-weft, along the foot of Mount Sewalick, he continued his maffacres, though not without oppofition, until he arrived on the frontiers of Cashmere. He spent little more than five months between the time of his croffing and recroffing the Indus: and appears to have paid more attention to feasons than Alexander did: as Timur chose the fair feafon for his expedition, whereas Alexander was in the field in the Panjab, during a whole rainy season (see Memoir page 101). Timur, however, may be faid rather to over-run, than to fubject, or conquer: for he did not difturb the order of fucceffion in Hindooftan, but left Mahmood on the throne: reserving to himself the poffeffion of the Panjab country only; and this, his fucceffors did not retain long. His views were at this time, directed towards the Turkish empire; and this made him neglect India; which did not promise so plentiful an harvest of glory, as the other. During his life, which ended in 1405, he was prayed for in the mofques of Hindooftan, and the coin was ftruck in his name: but this might be more the effect of policy in the ufurpers of Mahmood's throne, than the act of Timur. It does not appear from Ferishta, any more than from Sherefeddin, that this Prince carried much treasure, out of Hindooftan, with him. But Nadir Shah's acquifition of the precious metals, at a later period, was great, beyond all ideas of accumulation, in Europe and is only to be accounted for, by the influx of thefe metals from America, during that interval.

For the geography of Timur's marches, the reader is referred to the third fection of the Memoir; and to the

map.

If Hindooftan was in confufion before this invafion, it may be expected that on Timur's departure, matters becane much worse. The death of Mahmood happened in 1413; and with him ended the Patan dynasty, founded by Cuttub in 1205. The throne was then filled by Chizer, a Seid (that is, one of the race of the pro

phet

phet Mahomed) whofe pofterity continued in it, until 1450: when Belloli, an Afghan of the tribe of Lodi, took poffeffion of it, on the abdication of Alla II. under whom all Hindooftan fell into feparate governments; and a potentate, ftyled King of the EAST, whose refidence was at Jionpour, in the province of Allahabad, became the most formidable, among them: while the King of Delhi, had but the fhadow of authority remaining to him. The fon of Belloli recovered a confiderable part of the empire; and in 1501, made Agra the royal refidence. It was during this reign, that the Portuguese first accomplished the paffage to India, by the Cape of Good Hope: but as their connexions were entirely with the maritime parts of the Deccan; and a part of it that had ever been independant of Delhi, no notice of this event, is taken by Ferishta. The empire fell again. into utter confusion, under Ibrahim II. in 1516; and this paved the way for the conqueft of Hindoostan, by Sultan Baber, a defcendant of Tamerlane and of Gengiz Kan; who reigned over a kingdom compofed generally of the provinces fituated between the Indus and Samarcand. Being difpoffeffed of the northern parts of his dominions, by the Ufbecs, he determined to try his fortune in Hindooftan, whose distracted fituation flattered his hopes of conqueft. His refidence at this time was at Cabul, from whence he undertook his firft expedition across the Indus, in 1518. After this, he made four others and in the fifth (A. D. 1525) he defeated the Emperor of Delhi, and thus put an end to the dynasty of Lodi. It is faid that Baber croffed the Indus, this last time, with only 10,000 chofen horfe; the enemy's Generals, by their revolts, furnishing him with the rest of his army. In this, we have a fresh instance of the small dependance that the Hindooftan Emperors could have, on their Viceroys and Generals. Baber reigned only five years in Hindooftan; during which, his chief employment was the reduction of the eastern provinces. Nor did he relinquish his Perfian provinces, by croffing the Indus. His fon, Humaioon, fucceeded him in 1530; but

the

the short reign of Baber, did not allow time enough to compofe the distractions that had fo long prevailed; or to exterminate the feeds of rebellion for the intrigues of his brothers, and the open rebellion of Sheer Kan, drove Humaioon, although a Prince of confiderable abilities, and great virtues, from his empire, in 1541. His flight towards the Indus, and his fojourn among the Rajpoot Princes of Agimere, furnishes a ftriking picture of royal distress. During his stay there, his fon Acbar was born, whom we may reckon among the greatest of the Sovereigns of Hindooftan. The provinces on the weft of the Indus were held by a brother of Humaioon. The ufurper Sheer, did not long furvive his new dignity; being killed at the fiege of Cheitore in 1545: and was buried at Saferam in Bahar, his original estate; in a magnificent maufoleum, which he had ordered to be conftructed, during his life time: and of which, a drawing has lately been exhibited in this country, by Mr. Hodges. Sheer Kan was of Afghan origin; and held the foubahship of Bahar, when he rebelled: and at his death, his empire extended from the Indus to Bengal. He left his throne to his fon Selim, but fo very unfettled was the ftate of Hindooftan, that no less than five Sovereigns appeared on its throne, in the course of 9 years. In effect, there could not exist in the minds of the people, any idea of regular government, or regular fucceffion: for there had scarcely ever been 12 years together, during the laft, or the prefent century, without furnishing fome example of fuccefsful rebellion. This induced a ftrong party in Hindoostan, to invite Humaioon back; and accordingly, in 1554, he returned, and met with but little resistance: but died in confequence of an accident, the following year. He was celebrated for the mildnefs and benevolence of his nature: and his return, notwithstanding the shortness of his reign, was a public bleffing; as it was the means of feating his fon Acbar quietly on the throne. When he was driven from his empire, by Sheer, he refided with Shah Tamasp, of Perfia,

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