The Toorkmans*, hearing of the advance of the King towards Murv, sent an ambassador professing obedience, provided the King would bestow on them a tract of country wherein they might settle. He consented to the proposal, and having despatched a messenger to their chief, Mungoo Khan, invited him to come and conclude the treaty. The King, on their promise of future good behaviour, alienated a large territory for their maintenance. Musaood, after this event, marched towards Herat; but so little faith was kept by the Suljooks, that they attacked the rear of his army, carried off part of his own baggage, and slew a number of his guards. Incensed at this conduct, he sent a detachment in pursuit of them, which took a small party prisoners. He immediately ordered their heads to be struck off and sent to Mungoo Khan, who excused himself, saying, that, for his part, he was glad they had met with their deserts, for he had no knowledge of their proceedings. Musaood continued his march from Herat to Nyshapoor, and from thence to Toos. At Toos, he was attacked by another horde of Suljooks, which he defeated with great slaughter; but having received intelligence that the inhabitants of Badwird had given up their forts to the Suljooks in that quarter, he marched immediately against them, retook the forts, and cleared that country of the enemy. He now returned to Nyshapoor, where *Ferishta calls them, indifferently, Suljooks and Toork mans. A D. 1039. he spent the winter. In the spring of A. H. 430. the year 430, he returned to Badwird, which had been again invaded in his absence by Toghrul Beg, who fled upon the Sooltan's approach towards Badwird and Tedzen. Musaood returned by the route of Suruksh, whose inhabitants refused to pay the revenue. Some of their chiefs being punished, the rest became more tractable, and after their submission the King continued his march to Dundunaken. At this place the Suljooks, collecting their forces. surrounded the King's army on the 8th Rumzan, A.H. 431, and secured the passes on all sides. Musaood drew up his army in order of battle, to induce the enemy Rumzan 8. A.D. 1040. to come to action, which they by no means declined, advancing on all sides with barbarous shouts, and with great impetuosity. This uncommon method of charging discouraged the Ghiznevide troops; and, whether through fear or perfidy, several generals, in the commencement of the battle, rode off with their whole squadrons, and joined the enemy. The King, undismayed even by the defection of his officers, gallantly rode his horse to the spot where he perceived the conflict most bloody, performing prodigies of valour, unequalled perhaps by any sovereign; but his efforts were vain; for when he looked round he beheld nearly the whole of his army, excepting the body which he commanded in person, in full flight. The King thus deserted, and seeing no hope from the efforts of his single arm, turned his steed, and trampling down the enemy, opened a road for himself with his own sword. When he reached Murv, he met with a few of the fugitives, who now began to collect from all quarters. He took from thence the way of Ghoor, and proceeded to Ghizny, where having seized the generals who had so shamefully deserted him, he ordered Ally Dabye, Boghtudy, and Ameer Hajib Samany, to be conveyed to Hindoostan, and confined in hill forts for life. Musaood, now finding himself unable to withstand the power of the Suljook Toorkmans, resolved to withdraw to India, till he was able to collect forces sufficient to make another effort to retrieve his affairs. With this determination, he left his son Modood, and his Vizier Khwaja Ahmud Bin Mahomed, the son of Aluptugeen Hajib, to defend Bulkh, and ordered his other son, the Prince Madood, who had come from Lahore with 2000 horse, to secure Moultan. Meanwhile the Prince Yezeedyar, another of his sons, was sent with a detachment to keep in check the mountain Afghans near Ghizny, who were in arms. Having collected all his wealth from the different strong holds of Ghizny, and loading camels with it, he marched to Lahore. At this time he sent for his brother Mahomed, who had been previously dethroned and blinded, as we have before mentioned. When Musaood reached the caravansera of Muriala on the Sind, (but according to others on the Jheelum, also called the Behut,) the household troops, who had entered into a conspiracy with the camel-keepers, began to divide the treasure among themselves. The troops fearing the King's resentment, and not choosing to refund the plunder, hastened in a mob to the blind Prince Mahomed, who had been before on the throne, and exalting him upon their shoulders, proclaimed him King. Musaood during this time was collecting the only troops on whom he could rely to suppress the mutiny; but no sooner was it known that his brother was proclaimed, than he found himself entirely deserted, and he became prisoner in the caravansera. The mob pressing round him, he was constrained to give himself up into their hands, and was carried before the new King, Mahomed, who told him he had no design to take his life, and desired him to select some fort, whither he might retire with his family into confinement. Musaood, in this extremity, chose the fort of Kurry, but was left without the means of paying his few menial attendants. This obliged him to send a person to his brother to request some money. Mahomed accordingly ordered the pitiful sum of 500 deenars to be sent him, upon which Musaood, exclaimed: Oh, wonderful turn "of fortune! Ah, cruel reverse of fate! Yester 66 day, I was a mighty Prince, 3000 camels "bending under my wealth* ; to-day I am *If this be taken literally, and that 3000 camels carried his wealth, which must include all his camp equipage, as well as his treasure, the amount would not exceed belief. 3000 camels, if all laden with silver, even, would not carry two and a half millions of specie, and we can hardly allow a greater portion than one in ten of his carriage-cattle for the conveyance of gold and silver. "forced to beg, and am condemned to receive but "the mere mockery of my wants." With that he borrowed 1000 deenars from his servants, and bestowed them as a present upon his brothers' messenger who had brought the 500 deenars, which he desired he might again carry back to his master. On the accession of Mahomed he advanced his son, the Prince Ahmud, to the government, reserving for himself only the name. The mind of Ahmud was by many supposed to be strongly tainted with insanity. Shortly after his A. H. 433. A. D. 1042. accession, in the year 433, he, in conjunction with his cousin Sooliman, the son of Ameer Yoosoof Soobooktugeen, and the son of Ally Cheshawundy, went to the fort of Kurry and assassinated Musaood with his own hand, while some affirm that he caused him to be buried alive in a well. It has been by others asserted that Musaood was murdered by the orders of Mahomed himself. God only knows the truth. The reign of Musaood, according to the Towareekh-Goozeeda, lasted nine years and nine months, and according to other histories, twelve years. He was a prince of uncommon personal strength and courage, affable, and of easy access; generous to prodigality, particularly to learned men, of whose company he was so extremely fond, that many were induced to come from all parts to his court. Among the most celebrated we must reckon Anvury Khan Khwaruzmy, a great philosopher and astronomer, who wrote an excellent treatise upon astronomy, called Musaoody; in reward for which he was pre |