SOOLTAN ABOOL HUSSUN ALLY

Ascends the throne, and marries the widow of the late King, Madood, daughter of Jakur Beg Suljooky. - Ally Bin Rubeea flies from the capital, after plundering the treasury, accompanied by the household troops - reduces a part of the country of the Afghans for himself. — Abool Rusheed, a son of Sooltan Mahmood, raises an army, sets up his pretensions to the throne, and advances to Ghizny - is feebly opposed by Sooltan Abool Hussun Ally, who is defeated and taken prisoner.

Shaban 1. A. H. 441. Dec. 26.

A. D. 1049.

On Friday, the 1st of Shaban, in the year 441, Sooltan Abool Hussun Ally ascended the throne of Ghizny, and espoused the widow of his brother Modood, daughter of Jakur-Beg Suljooky. In the mean time Ally Bin Rubeea in conjunction with Meeruk Hoosein, broke open the treasury, and plundering from thence as much gold and jewels as they could conveniently carry, fled with a band of the household troops, and some of the chiefs whom they had brought over to their interest, towards Pishawur and Punjab, on the Indian frontier. At Pishawur, being joined by the natives, they raised a great army, and having reduced Mooltan and Sind, subdued, by force of arms, the Afghans who had declared their independence in that country. This nation had taken advantage of the public disturbances, to plunder those pro

vinces which Ally Rubeea held independently of the crown, till the accession of Sooltan Abool Rusheed.

A. H. 443.

A. D. 1051.

In the year 443 the King sent for his brother Murdan Shah and Yeyeed. yar from the fort of Bulameea*, where they had been imprisoned, restored them to liberty, and treated them with affection and kindness. At this time, however, Abool Rusheed, a son of the Emperor Mahmood, formed a party in his own favour. The King opened the treasury, and increased the strength of his army, but his power daily declined. Abool Rusheed advanced to Ghizny, and having gained a complete victory, ascended the throne in the latter end of the same year. Sooltan Abool Hussun Ally reigned little more than two years.

There is a town of this name on the north bank of the Khoorum, about 50 miles due east of Ghizny.

SOOLTAN ABOOL RUSHEED GHIZNEVY.

Causes which led to the pretensions set forth by Sooltan Abool Rusheed. Ally Bin Rubeea, who had occupied all the territory east of Kabul, is induced to acknowledge the supremacy of the King of Ghizny. - Nagrakote retaken from the Hindoos by assault. Toghrul, an officer of the government, who had espoused the daughter of Modood, is sent with an army to Seestan-aspires to the throne-besieges Ghizny. - The King compelled to surrender to the rebel, by whom he is put to death. Toghrul causes the daughter of Musaood the First to marry him she is induced by Noshtugeen Hajib to procure his assassination.

SOOLTAN Abool Rusheed, according to the most authentic accounts, was a son of the Emperor Mahmood, and by the orders of Modood was imprisoned in a castle situated between Boost and Isfira. The events which led to his accession are as follow: Abdool Ruzak, Bin Ahmud, Bin Hussun Mymundy, was the minister of Sooltan Modood, and had actually collected a force to quell an insurrection in Seestan, when hearing of the death of his master, he put off the object of his expedition, and halted at Tuckeeabad with his army. Here, in conjunction with Khwaja Abool Fuzl, Rusheed the son of Altoon Tash, and Noshtugeen Hajib Joorjy, in the latter end of the year 443, Abdool Ruzak released the Prince Abool Rusheed, and placed him on the throne (according to his own statement), by the express command of the late Sooltan Modood.

Abool Hussun Ally, then actually in possession, made no resistance, but fled, and being seized by some of the zemindars of the country, was brought prisoner before Abool Rusheed, and confined in the fort of Didiroo. The King now prevailed on Ally Bin Rubeea, who had usurped the Ghiznevide conquests in India, to return to his allegiance, and to come to Ghizny. Noshtugeen Hajib being appointed ruler over the provinces east of the Indus, and having received the rank of an Ameer, proceeded with an army to Lahore.

Here having heard that Nagrakote had fallen into the hands of the Hindoos, he proceeded, and laid siege to that place, and on the 6th day scaling the walls, took it by assault. Toghrul Hajib, also, who had been raised to the rank of a noble by Modood, and who married his daughter, was now sent to reduce Seestan, at this time in a state of revolt, and which he soon brought under subjection. Impelled by a spirit of ambition, he conceived hopes of gaining the crown; and raising a great army, marched towards Ghizny. Sooltan Abool Rusheed, almost destitute of troops, was compelled to remain shut up within the town, which shortly fell into the hands of Toghrul, where the King with nine of the blood-royal were inhumanly put to death by the usurper, who forcibly espoused a princess of the house of Ghizny (the daughter of the late Sooltan Musaood), previously to ascending the throne. Toghrul did not long enjoy the fruits of his wickedness. He

This place is not in any of the maps I have seen.

wrote to Ameer Noshtugeen Hajib, endeavouring to prevail on that chief to acknowledge him, but he was answered with the contempt he deserved. Not content with giving him a refusal, Noshtu geen communicated privately with the daughter of Musaood, whom the tyrant had compelled to marry him, as well as with all the omras, whom he knew retained their attachment to the imperial family, urging them to revenge the death of their sovereign, so that a conspiracy was forthwith formed, and put in execution on new-year's day*; when, as Toghrul was stepping up to the throne to give public audience, he was assassinated. Thus the usurper at the end of 40 days met his well merited fate.

After this important event, Noshtugeen arrived at Ghizny with his army, and calling a council of state, enquired whether any yet remained of the royal race of Subooktugeen. Being informed that the Princes Furokhzad, Ibrahim, and Shoojaa were still alive, but imprisoned in a fort, he caused them to be brought to Ghizny, and resolved that fortune should decide by lot who should reign. She favoured Furokhzad, who was accordingly raised to the throne.

The author of the Tubkat Nasiry states that Toghrul being one day asked by one of his associates, what induced him to think of aspiring to the empire, replied, that when the Emperor Abool Rusheed despatched him to take the go

* The nowrooz is the day of the vernal equinox, on which the Persian year commences.