'Adil Khán's people paid no attention, and a great number of them went in with 'Adil Khan.1

When Islám Shah saw that his plot against his brother had been unsuccessful, he was obliged to speak courteously to him. He said, "I have a number of Afgháns in my service, who are very unruly, and whom I will now make over to you." After which, Islám Sháh seated his brother on the throne, and treated him with all possible civility. 'Adil Khán was a man who loved ease and comfort. He was aware of the deceit and cunning of Islám Sháh, and would not consent to this. He rose up, and after causing Islám Sháh to seat himself on the throne, he first of all made him an obeisance and did homage, and congratulated him on his accession to the throne. The chief nobles, after paying their customary compliments, retired to their appropriate places. The four nobles before mentioned then informed the King that an oath and a promise had been made that 'Adil Khán should be allowed to depart after the first interview, and that a jágir should be allotted to him.

Islám Sháh ordered this to be done, and 'Isá Khán and Khawás Khán were directed to accompany’Adil Khán to Bayána. Two months afterwards, Islám Sháh sent Ghází Mahalí, one of his attendants, with golden chains, and ordered him to seize 'Adil Khán.3 ’Adil Khán, hearing this ill-news, fled to Khawás Khán in Mewát, before Ghází Mahalí arrived, and informed him of the perjury of Islám Sháh. In the mean time, Ghází Mahalí reached that place. Khawás Khán was enraged. He sent for Ghází Mahalí, and caused the fetters to be fastened on his own legs,

1 Ahmad Yadgar (MS., p. 322) says five or six thousand of 'Adil Khan's men, armed with swords, forced their way into the fort in defiance of all attempts to exclude them.

2 Which the Makhzan-i Afghání informs us had been fixed on as his jágír.

3 The Makhzan-i Afghání charges him with this childish message, "That it would afford an indelible proof of his submission and loyalty, if he for some days would allow himself to be put in chains and repair to Court, where His Majesty would take off the fetters again, and, after many favours, allow him to depart again for Bayána." Such nonsense would not be tolerable even in Esop's Fables or Little Red Riding Hood.

and thus raised the standard of rebellion. He wrote in private to the chiefs who were with Islám Sháh in Agra, and gained them over to his party, and then marched towards Agra at the head of a powerful force. Kutb Khán and 'Isá Khán, who had been concerned with him in the business of the oath, stimulated him to advance, and advised him to manage so that 'Adil Khán should reach Agra a little before daybreak, in order that the people might, without feeling ashamed, forsake Islám Shah and join him.1

When 'Adil Khan and Khawás Khán reached Fathpúr Síkrí, they went to visit Shaikh Salím, one of the holy men of the age. By chance, that night happened to be the Shab-i Barát, and the performance of the prayers appointed for that occasion delayed Khawás Khan. They did not, therefore, arrive in the neighbourhood of Agra until the forenoon. Islám Sháh, having learnt their arrival, and being informed of the evil disposition of the nobles, was sorely distressed, and said to Kutb Khán, "If I have illtreated 'Adil Khán, why did not Khawás Khán write to me on the subject, that I might give up my intention." Kutb Khán, perceiving the King's distress, said, "Be not cast down, the business is not yet irremediable. I will undertake to suppress this disturbance." Islám Sháh sent away Kutb Khán, and other chiefs who inclined to the side of 'Adil Khán, and told them to go to 'Adil Khán. His design was to place these people at a distance from himself, and then to proceed towards the fort of Chunár, where he might collect his treasures, and afterwards, after having made new arrangements, advance to the attack of his enemies. 'Isá Khán endeavoured to dissuade him from doing this, and said, "If you place no confidence in the nobles of your father and others, you ought at least to trust those 5000 men who have served the King since he was a Prince. Possessing

This ridiculous false modesty of the traitors is represented by Ahmad Yadgar (MS., p. 322) as being felt, or professed, only by the instigators themselves. He reasonably concluded that such notions are foreign to the sentiments of obtuse artisans and phlegmatic shopboys, and could only be entertained by sensitive and delicate jágírdárs.

such a force as you do, it would be madness to shrink from the contest which is before you; and although certain of the nobles have secret ill-will towards you, yet it shows a want of caution to send them to the enemy. Your best course will be to lead the army into battle in person, and to show yourself foremost in the field. In this way no one will desert to the foe." Islám Shah's heart was strengthened, and he determined to remain where he was. He sent for Kutb Khán and the other chiefs, to whom he had granted permission to depart, and said to them, "Why should I make you over to the enemy with my own. hands? Perhaps they are ill-disposed towards you." After this he prepared for war, and posted himself on the field of battle. When those who intended to join 'Adil Khán saw Islám Sháh fully prepared for action, they refrained from going. The two armies met face to face, and a battle took place in the neighbourhood of Agra. The decree of the Almighty granted victory to Islám Sháh, and the army of 'Adil Khán was defeated. 'Adil Khán fled alone and unaccompanied towards the hills of Bhata, and no one knew what had become of him. Khawás Khán and 'Isá Khán Níází went to Mewát. Islám Sháh despatched a powerful force in pursuit of Khawás Khán,3 and a second battle took place at Fírozpúr (Jharka), near Mewát. Islám Sháh's troops were routed; but Khawás Khán, perceiving his inability to continue the war, went to the skirts of the Kamáún hills, and for a long time devastated the territories of Islám Sháh in their vicinity.

After these events, Islám Sháh became mistrustful of all his father's nobles, and took measures to overthrow them. He put some of them in prison, and deprived others of all their posses

1 At Márhákar, a small town to the west of Agra. Dorn calls it Mundagur.

2 The original reads "Páta." Ahmad Yadgar says "Paya." Dorn says “Patna.” The Makhzan-i Afghání says, "Crossing the Jumna, he arrived at Chandwár, and thence fled through the jungle tract into the country of Thatta." The Táríkk-i Khán-Jahan has “Pata.” Briggs, “Patna.”

3 The Makhzan-i Afghání says that after this battle the title of Khawas Khan was bestowed upon’Isa Khan Hujjab.

sions. He also placed his own nephew, Mahmúd Khán, the son of ’Adil Khán, under surveillance,* and ruined* first Kutb Khán Súr, then Barmazíd Súr, Jalál Khán Súr, and Zain Khán Níází. He slew Jalál Khán Súr, as well as his brother, by binding them to the feet of an elephant, after which he caused the aforesaid nobles to be placed on the elephant, and paraded through the camp. The hearts of the nobles of Sher Sháh were filled with terror and consternation. After this he put many others to death, amongst whom was Khawás Khán, who bore the title of Masnad 'Alí, who was impaled on some frivolous pretext.3 He continued for a long time to distress the whole of his subjects, and to make God's servants miserable; but towards the end of his reign he behaved towards the people with liberality and generosity. He gained the good-will of the poor by granting them pensions and stipends. Bent upon destroying his father's nobles, he went towards Chunár, and on the road put Jalál Khán, who was a friend of 'Adil Khán, to death. He removed all the treasure from Chunár, and sent it to Gwalior. He then returned to Agra, and remained there.

When some time had elapsed, many of Sher Shah's nobles became convinced that Islám Sháh intended to ruin them. Saíd Khán, the brother of Haibat Khán Niází, fled from Agra to Haibat Khán, and induced him to rebel against Islám Sháh. Kutb Khán, one of the great chiefs and a principal grandee, who had been concerned in 'Adil Khán's first sedition, escaped in the greatest alarm, and joined 'Azam Humáyún Níází at Lahore.

1 Ahmad Yadgar (MS., p. 326) says he killed his nephew, but gives no name. [The original words are “sar sí kard.”]

2 [The words of the MS. in both these sentences are koknárí sákht, an expressive phrase signifying that he squeezed them as poppy heads are squeezed. Firishta says they were sent into confinement at Gwalior; but see Dorn, p. 157.]

3 One could scarcely suppose, from the mode in which this name is here introduced, that he is the same Khawas Khan who is mentioned in the preceding paragraph, or that he is to appear again shortly afterwards, acting a most conspicuous part in the battle of Ambála. His death is too summarily passed over by most authors who treat of this period, and I have, therefore, added a few particulars in an Appendix. [See Appendix E.]

"Gwalir" [or Gwaliyar] in the original throughout.

Islám Sháh wrote a farmán to 'Azam Humáyún, demanding the surrender of Kutb Khán. ’Azam Humáyún, by deceitful representations, contrived to send him to Islám Sháh, who imprisoned him, with fourteen other chiefs, such as Sháhbáz Khán Lohání the son-in-law of Sher Khán, Barmazíd Súr, and other persons. He then sent them to Gwálior, after which he took measures for the seizure of Azam Humáyún and Shujá' Khán,1 and sent these two grandees a summons to appear before him. 'Azam Humáyún wrote from Lahore, to excuse himself from coming; and Shujá' Khán came from Málwá and paid his respects to Islám Sháh; but as Islám Sháh desired to obtain possession of the persons of these two chiefs at the same time, he allowed Shujá' Khán to return to his jágir. He went back to his fief in Málwá, and Islám Sháh turned his face towards Rohtás and Chunár.

On the road, 'Azam Humáyún's brother, who had always been an attendant at Court, fled to Lahore. On account of his flight, Islám Sháh went back to Agra, where he collected his troops and marched thence towards Dehlí. When Shujá' Khán received intelligence of these occurrences, he hastened to Dehli with all possible speed, without being summoned by Islám Sháh. The King gratified him by treating him with distinction, and after arranging his army, and halting some days at Dehlí, he proceeded in the direction of Lahore. 'Azam Humáyún and the whole of the King's enemies had an interview with Khawás Khán and his friends, and despatched a powerful force from the Panjáb to encounter His Majesty. They came up with each other near Ambála; and as Islám Shah was encamped very near the Níází troops, a fight was imminent. On the night preceding the day of battle, 'Azam Humáyún and his brothers met in Khawás Khán's tent, and consulted together concerning the appointment of another Sovereign. Khawás Khán said, that the best course would be to raise 'Adil Khán, the eldest son of Sher Sháh, to the throne, as he was the rightful heir. Upon this all the Níázís said

1 He is styled "Shujá’at Khán” throughout the previous reign. The Tárikh-j Khan-Jahan calls him "Shujá'al." [See Appendix F.]