myrmidons to assassinate him. "On the morrow, when preparing to execute the royal commands, they found, on the removal of the sheet from his body, that it was covered with about ten sirs of flowers. Táj Khán was alarmed at what he had done. Nevertheless, under the peremptory instructions he had received, he cut off that head, which was the ornament of prostration in prayer, and bound it on a spear-head, like that of a common malefactor or murderer, and sent it on to its destination accompanied by the body stuffed with straw." 1 "On its arrival, Islám Sháh ordered that it should be impaled in the front of the Red Gate; and it is said, that when this was done, a black wind arose which darkened the whole world, and such an earthquake was felt that the loftiest buildings fell to the ground. From that date, moreover, calamities befell the reign of Islám Sháh."

He seems to have been buried in Dehlí; for the Mahkzan-i Afghání informs us that when, after exposure for three successive nights, a load of roses, notwithstanding the doubling of the guard, was found to have been thrown over the body, Islám Sháh was inspired with remorse, and ordered that he should be solemnly interred. Firishta also says that his corpse was interred at Dehlí after his assassination by Táj Khán; that his tomb is frequented even at the present day; and that the common people, esteeming him to be a saint, go there to offer prayers for success in their undertakings.

But I have also had his tomb pointed out to me at Khawáspár in the Upper Panjáb, between the Jelam and the Chináb. He is in that neighbourhood also held in high repute for his piety and courage; and there are several popular songs sung in his praise, under the appellation of "Sakhí" or "generous."

F.-DEATH OF SHUJA'AT KHAN.

We read so much respecting the actions of this gallant officer during the reigns of Sher Shah and Islám Sháh,2 that there is no need here to expatiate upon them. Most of the authors who have made any mention of his death concur in representing it as a 1 Briggs ascribes this event to 957 A.H. (1550 A.D.), but not on the authority of his original.

3

2 Amongst other monuments of his rule, is the town of Shujá'walpúr, near Ujjain. 3 See Makhzan-i Afghání (MS., p. 326), and Tárikh-i Khán-Jahán (MS., p. 221). Firishta says he died at Málwá in 962 H., and the others also say after the death of

Islám Shah.

natural one, but as the following details appear highly probable, and are illustrative of the ignominy and baseness which prevailed at this period, I will abstract an account of them from Ahmad Yádgár (MS., pp. 345–350).

Shujá’at Khán, Ghází Khán Súr, and Háji Khán were directed by Islám Sháh to lead an expedition against Súrat Sing Ráthor, whose principality was Chonsú. The sole reason for this wanton attack seems to have been that he had a white elephant and a beautiful daughter. The elephant, though so remarkable for its docility in the stable that even children might play with its trunk and tusks, was equally celebrated in the field for its valour and ferocity, insomuch that no strange driver dare approach it.

Súrat Sing chanced to be at Dwárka when he heard of the arrival of this formidable force; but two Rájpút chieftains, Kúmpá and Pampá, having been left behind to manage the army during his absence, collected ten or twelve thousand veteran soldiers, and erected an earthen circumvallation round Chonsú, with a deep ditch, protected by outworks in different places.

One day, after the army of Islám Sháh had reached that neighbourhood, they came suddenly upon the village of Nákár, where the Rájpúts were standing negligently in detached bodies, and had taken no means for securing their outposts in that portion of the defences. The three nobles, after a short consultation, determined upon an immediate attack, and the lot fell upon Shujá'at Khán to lead the advance, with 4000 cavalry and seven or eight elephants. Hájí Khán and Ghází Khán were to support him respectively on the right and left. The Rájpúts maintained their ground against every attack of Shujá'at Khán, though directed with the utmost vigour and impetuosity; and at the same time, "the two nobles. retired, both on the right and left, because Islám Sháh was illdisposed towards Shujá'at Khán, though he pretended to be otherwise, on account of Daulat Khán Ujíála, the Khán’s adopted son, who was a catamite of the King's. He had, therefore, directed them secretly on the day of battle to let him advance heedlessly, and not give him any support when he required it, in order that he might be slain." Consequently, when Shujá'at Khán found himself deserted by his colleagues, being determined to sell his life dearly,

he put himself at the head of two thousand of his own cavalry, and astonished even his infidel opponents by his deeds of gallantry, "until his horse fell covered with wounds; when, being driven to defend himself on foot with his bow and arrows, he made every bolt which he sped send an infidel to hell."

The next day, the Hindus being defeated by the other two generals, performed the jauhar, when one thousand women became victims in that sacrifice. Immense plunder fell into the hands of the victors, and treasure was carried off which it had taken three or four generations to amass. "The King was highly rejoiced to hear of Shuja'at Khán's death, and ordained a splendid festival to be held. He recounted to Daulat Khán Ujíála all the feats of valour which had been achieved by Shujá'at Khán and in order to assuage his grief, elevated him to the rank which had been enjoyed by his adoptive father."

What a paternal king! What loyal and obsequious nobles!

G. WAKI'AT-I MUSHTAKI.

The author of this work, Shaikh Rizku-lla Mushtákí, was born in 897 H., and died in 989 H., (1492-1581 A.D.). In the body of the work he names his father Shaikh Sa'du-lla. He speaks of himself in his preface as having associated from early youth with the most learned men of his age, and having greatly benefited by their colloquies. From them he used to hear several extraordinary relations of bygone times, which, together with what he had derived from the exercise of his own powers of observation, he used to recount for the instruction and edification of his friends. They were so much struck with the marvels he related, and the value of

1 Before this (if we except Ujjain, which his father was compelled to give up to him) he appears to have held no specific rank, but perhaps took precedence of all the nobles, as being the personal favourite of the King. The Makhzan-i Afghání tells us he was at liberty to draw at any time a lac of rupees from the Treasury. This young and favoured person appears, from some few traits recorded of him, to have been better than the general run of his vile contemporaries. He was murdered, after his father's death, by his perfidious brother Báz Bahadur, who has left behind him a name of celebrity in Málwá.

2 Nia'matu-lla calls him Mauláná Mushtakí, without giving his name (Makhzan-i Afgháni, MS., fol. 2 r.).

his communications, that they would bring him pen and ink, and beseech him to record in a more permanent form the result of his researches; and at last, upon a particular friend of his suggesting that the author should compile an historical work for the advantage of those who were partial to such inquiries, he undertook the task, and we have the result in the Wákiát-i Mushtákí.

1

He is spoken of in terms of high commendation by Shaikh 'Abdu-l Hakk and Shaikh Núru-1 Hakk in the Táríkh-i Hakki and the Zubdatu-t Tawarikh. He is styled uncle by both these writers; ' but as 'Abdu-l Hakk was the father of Núru-1 Hakk, he must necessarily stand in a remoter relation to one of them. He is represented as a great traveller, as having mixed with many celebrated men, as an eloquent and learned man, consistent and pure in his conduct, much devoted to spiritual exercises, and especially in the doctrines and practices of Súfi-ism, fully acquainted with the history of politics of his time, and his conversation as very engaging and replete with wit, repartee, and anecdote. In his Persian compositions he styled himself Mushták, in his Hindúí Rájan. He possessed the rare accomplishment at that time of considerable knowledge of the Hindúí language. He quotes several distichs in the course of his history, and "his Paimában Job Niranjan and other treatises in Hindi are celebrated throughout the world." He had eight

brothers, all possessed of rare qualifications; and as far as his grandnephew can be understood, it would appear that their contemporaries were unanimous in ascribing to them the merit of having effected a considerable improvement in the popular language of the country. The family appears to have had a bias towards historical composition; for, independently of the two works noticed above, our author's grandfather, by name Shaikh Fíroz, who is said to have excelled equally with his pen and sword, wrote an heroic poem upon the war between Sultán Bahlol and Sultán Husain Sharkí. 'Abdu-1 Hakk mentions that he had it in his possession, but had lost it, leading us to infer that it was very scarce. Shaikh Firoz died in

1 'Abdu-l Hakk's Essay on the Literary History of Dehli (MS., fol. 20 v.), and Núru-1 Hakk's Zubdatu-t Tawáríkh (MS., fol. 80 r.), and Akhbáru-l Akhyár (MS., fol. 191 r.).

2 The distinction between the Hindúí and Hindí is observed both by 'Abdu-l Hakk and Núru-1 Hakk, but they are evidently meant to apply to the same language.

860 H. (1456 A.D.).' He appears to be entitled to a portion of the saintship which attaches to the name of his grandson, for he was much devoted to spiritual exercises, indulged in visions and ecstasies, and was especially learned in the doctrines and practices of Súfi-ism. His religious preceptor was Shaikh Muhammad Miskin, who resided at Kanauj, and was much revered by his credulous disciples. It is related of him that when his house was destroyed by fire, a store of rice was burnt along with his other goods. "It matters not," said he, "the harvest of us who are scorched (with fire as well as the light divine) will not all be destroyed," and threw the grain upon the ground, when lo! every seed of the grain, when they came to reap it, was found to be double. When this marvellous produce was brought before Sultán Sikandar, he devoutly thanked God that such men were produced in his time."

Size-Small Folio, containing 210 pages of 17 lines each.

pp. 168-210

But it is not to be supposed that the treatment of the history is so methodical as the above table would leave one to suppose. On the contrary, the work is very ill-arranged, long digressions are frequently introduced, and reference is again made to reigns which have been previously disposed of, and to matters which he confesses he had forgotten. Thus, in the middle of the reign of Islám Sháh, we have an account of some of the nobles of Ibráhím Sháh, and then of Sultán Sikandar, so as to leave the impression, that here at least there must be some error of the copyist or the binder; for such a 1 Akhbáru-l Akhyár (MS., fol. 323 v.).

2 There is an account of this saint in the Akhbáru-l Akhyár (MS., fol. 191), and at the end of it there is a laudatory notice of Mushtáki. See also Tabakát-i ShahJahani (MS., fol. 137 v.).