most religionists, in that, like the Hindoos, they are perfectly tolerant in matters of faith; and require only a conformity in certain signs and ceremonies: but unlike the Hindoos, they admit proselytes; although those from among the Mahomedans are the least esteemed. They are now become one of the most potent states in Hindoostan. These, the emperor marched against in person, and after much trouble and delay reduced; but their chief escaped. The emperor then took up his residence at Lahore, and seems to have continued there a very long time: probably, to check the remnant of the party of the Seiks; and to settle the affairs of the province, in general. Here he died, after a short illness, in 1712: and, it would appear, that he never had an opportunity of visiting Agra, or Delhi, during his reign.

He also left four sons: among whom a war, for the succession, commenced on the spot. The second son, Azem Ooshawn, took possession of the treasures; but was opposed by his three brothers, who agreed to divide the empire among them. A battle, in which Azem was killed, decided matters in their favour; chiefly by the address and bravery of the youngest, Jehaun Shah; who seemed resolved to abide by the agreement, to divide the empire; and as a proof of his intention, directed the treasures to be divided. But Zoolfecar Khan, an Omrah in high trust, intrigued to prevent it; intending to raise to the throne, Jehaunder Shah, who was the best fitted for his purposes. A second battle was fatal to Jehaun Shah; and left his two remaining brothers to dispute the empire by a third battle; which left Jehaunder, who was originally the eldest, in possession. He did not long enjoy his dignity; for at the end of nine months, he was dethroned by Feroksere (or Furrocksere), son of the deceased Azem Ooshawn; and of course, great grandson of Aurungzebe. The weakness and meanness of Jehaunder, is almost without parallel, in the annals of kings:* and gave occasion to

• His history is given in the abovementioned Memoirs.

the Syeds (or Seids) Houfsein Ali Khan, and Abdoolla Khan, two brothers, and Omrahs of great power, to set up Feroksere. Having been possessed of governments in the eastern provinces, their influence enabled them to collect an army, with which they defeated that of Jehaunder, near Agra, in the same year, 1712.

The Seiks appeared again in arms, during the following year: and in 1716, they were grown so formidable, that it appeared necefsary to march the grand army against them, with the emperor at its head; but we are ignorant of the particulars of the campaign.

It was in this reign that the English East-India Company obtained the famous FIRMAN, or grant, by which their goods of export and import were exempted from duties, or customs; and this was regarded as the Company's COMMERCIAL CHARTER in INDIA, while they stood in need of protection, from the princes of the country.

In the year 1717, Feroksere was deposed, and blinded by the Seids: who raised to the throne Ruffieh-ul-Dirjat, a son of Bahader Shah. Both this emperor and his brother, Ruffieh-al-Dowlat, were, in the course of a year, raised to the throne; and afterwards deposed and put to death by the Seids; who had now the disposal of the empire and all its concerns. Thus, in 11 years from the death of Aurung zebe, five princes of his line, who had mounted the throne, and six others who had been competitors for it, had been disposed of: and the degraded state of the regal authority, during this period, had introduced an incurable anarchy, and a disposition in all the governors of provinces, to shake off their dependency on the head of the empire. From this time, affairs declined very rapidly: and the empire, which had acquired some degree of consistency under the house of Timur, was now about to be dismembered, in a degree beyond what it had experienced, even before the era of the Mahomedan conquests.

Mahomed Shah, grandson of Bahader Shah, was placed on the throne by the Seids, in 1718. This prince, warned by the fate of

his predecessors, and having very early in his reign, acquired power sufficient for the purpose, got rid of the Seids: but not without a rebellion and a battle.

Nizam-al-Muluck, Viceroy of the Deccan, had for some time been rising into power; and the times being favourable, he meditated independency. He had received some affronts from the Seids, which furnished him with an excuse for withdrawing to his government: from whence, in 1722, he was invited to court, and offered the post of vizier. This offer, however, he declined, as not suiting his projects; which had for their object, sovereignty, instead of ministry; in the Deccan, at least. The Mahrattas too, whose power had progrefsively increased, and who even held their ground against so martial and persevering a prince as Aurungzebe, were, as might be expected under a succefsion of weak ones, grown truly formidable to the rest of the empire: and their vicinity to the Nizam, afforded him a complete pretence for increasing his army. When the princes of the house of Timur were so eagerly pursuing the conquest of the Deccan, it seems to have escaped their penetration, that this region, which possessed ample resources within itself, and innumerable local advantages in point of security, from an enemy without, was also situated at such a distance from the capital, as to hold out to its viceroy the temptation of independence, whenever a favourable opportunity might offer. Perhaps, if the Deccan had been originally left to itself, the posterity of Timur might still have swayed the sceptre of Hindoostan.

While the Nizam continued so formidable in the south, the Mahrattas directed their attacks against the middle and northern provinces. Malwa and the open parts of Agimere were over-run by them: and their detachments insulted even the capital of the empire. The weak Mahomed had in the early part of his reign endeavoured to satisfy their demands, by paying them a tribute amounting to one-fourth of the net revenue of the invaded provinces: but this, as might have been foreseen, only increased

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their insolence; and ended in their seizing on the provinces themselves.

In 1738, the Nizam, confident of his interest with a powerful faction at court, came thither, attended by a large body of armed followers. Dowran, the commander in chief of the army of the empire, was at the head of the court party; which the Nizam finding too strong, to be easily dispofsefsed of their places, he invited Nadir Shah, the usurper of the Persian throne, and who was then engaged in the siege of Candahar, to invade Hindoostan: hoping that he and his faction might get rid of Dowran; or at any rate, that they might profit by the confusion it would occasion. Many thought that the Nizam's views extended to the empire itself. Accordingly, in the following year, Nadir Shah entered Hindoostan, and advanced to the plains of Carnawl, where Dowran had afsembled the army, but was soon after killed in a skirmish. So uncertain was the state of things even at this time, that Nadir Shah offered to evacuate the empire for fifty lacks of rupees (half a million) But the intrigues of the Nizam and his party, occasioned the weak emperor to throw himself on the clemency of the invader; who entered Delhi, and demanded 30 millions sterling, by way of ransom. Tumults, massacres, and famine, were the result: 100,000 of the inhabitants were mafsacred, and 62 millions of plunder were said to be collected. Nadir married his son to a granddaughter of Aurungzebe, restored Mahomed Shah to his throne, and returned to Persia, after obtaining the cefsion of all the countries subject to Hindoostan, lying on the west of the Indus.

His departure left the Nizam in possession of the whole remaining power of the empire: which he sacrificed to his own views in the Deccan, where he established an independent kingdom for himself. The Mahratta invasions of the Carnatic in 1740, and 1741, and particularly the defeat and death of Doast Ally (Nabob of Arcot) by their arms, called the Nizam home; after delegating his power at court, to his eldest son Gazi o'dien.

The Nizam, on his arrival, settled the Carnatic for the present, by placing Anwar o'dien, father of the present Mahomed Ally, in the government, or nabobship of Arcot; which was then understood to comprehend nearly the present Carnatic.

Bengal became independent of Delhi a little before this time (1738), under Aliverdy Cawn; and not long after, a vast army of Mahrattas, both from Poonah and Berar (for they were now divided into two states) invaded it, under the sanction of the emperor's name; who being at a lofs to satisfy their repeated demands, sent them to collect for themselves the arrears of revenue since the defection of Aliverdy. About the same time the Rohillas, a tribe from the mountains that lie between India and Persia, erected an independent state on the east of the Ganges, and within 80 miles of Delhi. Very strong symptoms of the universal difsolution of the empire appeared at this time.

Nadir Shah died in 1747: and in the confusion that followed, Abdalla, one of his generals, seized on the eastern part of Persia, and on the bordering provinces of India, that were ceded by Mahomed Shah to Nadir; and these he formed into a kingdom, known at present by that of Candahar; or more familiarly by the country of the Abdalli. It comprizes nearly the ancient empire of Ghizni.

Mahomed Shah died the same year, having reigned 29 years: a long period, considering the fate of his immediate predecessors, and the state of anarchy that prevailed so universally in Hindoostan.

Ahmed Shah, son of Mahomed, succeeded his father. In his reign, which lasted about 6 years, the entire division of the remainder of the empire took place: nothing remaining to the house of Timur, save a small territory round Delhi, together with the city itself (now no longer a capital), exposed to repeated depredations, mafsacres, and famines, by the contests of invaders. The last army that might be reckoned imperial, was defeated by the Rohillas, in 1749; by which their independency was firmly established in the