HISTORIANS relate that about the time when Fureedoon subdued Zohak Marry *, two brothers descended from the latter (Soory and Sam) were in the service of the former prince. Having incurred his displeasure, they fled with a party of their friends to Nehawund, where they took up their abode, and possessed themselves of a small territory. Soory became the chief of a tribe, and Sam was his general. Soory gave his daughter in marriage to his nephew Shoojaa †, the son of Sam. Shoojaa, after his father's decease, succeeded him as general. But his enemies traduced him to his uncle, who, inflamed with jealousy and hatred, wished to take away his daughter from him. Shoojaa discovering this, fled in the night with ten horsemen and a few camels laden with his effects, accompanied by his wife and children, to the mountains of Goor, where he built a castle, and called it Zoomyandesh. Here he was gradually joined by many of his friends, and long maintained his post against Fureedoon, but was eventually obliged to submit, and to pay him tribute.

Thus the race of Zohak succeeded to this government, which gained strength by degrees, till the time of the Prophet, when it was ruled by

*One of the earliest of the fabulous monarchs of Persia. The origin of his receiving the appellation of Marry, or the Snaky, will be found in the Shah Nama, but does not seem to require any further observation in this place.

+ My MSS. all have Shoojaa. It is most probably an error, as it seems very unlikely that such a purely Arabic word should have been adopted as a family name among the people of Tooran, so long before the Mahomedan conquest.

Shist, who, as some assert, was converted to the faith by Ally, and obtained a grant of his king dom. The genealogy of this race is thus derived * : Shist, the son of Hureek, the son of Enoch, the son of Bhishty, the son of Zowzun, the son of Heyn, the son of Bharam, the son of Heejush, the son of Ibraheem, the son of Saad, the son of Assud, the son of Shudad, the son of Zohak, the son of Bostam, the son of Kitmaz, the son of Nureeman, the son of Afreedoon, the son of Sumud, the son of Sufeed Asp, the son of Zohak, the son of Shimram, the son of Hindasp, the son of Syamook, the son of Jam, the son of Kurstasp, the son of Zohak. They are, therefore, properly denoted Shisty. During the power of the caliphs of Oomya it was usual among the people to ascend the pulpits, and to caluminate the family of Ally. The Ghoories, however, never lent themselves to this practice; but in the time of Aboo Mooslim, Folad Shisty assisted in putting down the enemies of the descendants of the Prophet. Ameer Yehya, the son of Nathan, the son of Wurmish, the son of Wurmunish, the son of Purveez, the son of Shist, was contemporary with Haroon-ool-Rusheed. † Soory, the son of Mahomed, the nephew of the Ameer Yehya, was

* Little reliance can be placed on these ancient genealogies, which are either imperfectly handed down to posterity by tradition, or more frequently composed on the occasion of any member of the family rising to distinction, as kings; to please whom, poets and bards have indulged their imaginations in all ages.

The famous Caliph, so well known in Europe since the translation of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. He was contemporary with Charlemagne.

contemporary with the Sufary dynasty, and Mahomed, the son of Soory, was contemporary with Mahmood Ghiznevy. He refused to pay tribute, but being attacked by Mahmood, was defeated and taken prisoner: his son Aboo Ally was placed in his stead; and shortly afterwards, Abass, the son of Shist, son of Mahomed Soory, and brother of Aboo Ally, succeeded to his government. During his reign there were seven years of drought in Ghoor, so that the earth was burnt up; and thousands of men and dumb animals perished from heat and famine. Abool Abass made war with Sooltan Ibraheem, by whom he was defeated and taken prisoner; the kingdom being conferred upon his son Mahomed, who swore allegiance to the empire of Ghizny. He was succeeded by his son Kootb-ood-Deen Hussun, who was killed while attacking a fort by an arrow, which entered his eye.

On the death of Kootb-ood-Deen Hussun, his son Sam was obliged to fly to India, and follow the occupation of a merchant; by which he acquired much wealth, and returned by sea towards his native country. But unfortunately he was wrecked, and drowned. His son Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein secured a plank, to which a tiger which they were bringing in the ship also clung, till at length both man and tiger were cast ashore, after driving with the tide for three days. When he got nearest town,

footing on land, he proceeded to the

but it being late before he arrived, he could obtain no lodging, and was obliged to creep under the first shed he could find. The watch going the

rounds discovered him, and concluding him to be a thief, conveyed him to prison. He was condemned without examination to slavery for seven years, and only obtained his release casually in a general discharge of prisoners from the gaols, on the occasion of the recovery of the governor from a severe sickness. Eiz-oon-Deen Hoossein now proceeded towards Ghizny, on the way to which place he encountered a gang of robbers, that had for a long time infested the roads. On perceiving him to be a man of great bodily strength, and apparently bold and daring, they insisted on his joining them. Unfortunately, on that very night, a party. of the troops of the Sooltan Ibraheem surrounded and carried them all in chains to the capital, where they were condemned to death.

When the executioner was binding up the eyes of Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein, he raised a piteous complaint, protesting, and calling God to witness, that he was innocent, which softened even the heart of the executioner, and on being required to state what he had to say in his defence, he did it in so simple and circumstantial a manner, that the magistrate in attendance, believing him to be innocent, petitioned the King in his favour. On being brought before the King, he acquitted himself with such modesty and eloquence, that he was pardoned, and even taken into his service. Sooltan Ibraheem, some time after, created Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein Ameer Hajib, in which station he conducted himself so well, that the King gave him a princess of the house of Ghizny in marriage. He rose daily in favour and estimation, till Sooltan Musaood, the

son of Ibraheem, put him in possession of the principality of Ghoor.

Some historians affirm, that Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein was the son and not the grandson of Kootbood-Deen Hoossein. By the Princess of Ghizny he had seven sons; viz.

1st. Fukhr-ood-Deen Musaood, King of Bamyan..

2d. Kootb-ood-Deen Mahomed, who married his cousin, a princess of Ghizny, the daughter of Sooltan Beiram.

3d. Shajaa-ood-Deen Ally, who died in infancy.

4th. Nasir-ood-Deen Mahomed, who held the government of Zumeen Dawer, situated near Ghoor, and a dependency of Kundahar.

5th. Seif-ood-Deen Soory.

6th. Baha-ood-Deen Sam.

7th. Alla-ood-Deen Hoossein. During his lifetime, Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein paid tribute to the Suljooks, as well as to the Ghiznevides. When Eiz-ood-Deen Hoossein died, his sons (entitled the Seven Stars) separated into two divisions: the one gave origin to the dynasty of kings at Bamyan, called also Tokharistan and Mohatila; and the other, to the Ghoory dynasty at Ghizny. Of the latter race was Kootb-ood-Deen Mahomed (entitled the King of the Mountains). He married the daughter of Sooltan Beiram, King of Ghizny, and having founded the city of Feroozkooh, made it his capital. In the vicinity of this place, having inclosed with a wall a spot of ground about two parasangs in circumference, as a hunting park, he assumed all the dignities of a sovereign. At length he was induced to attack Ghizny. Sooltan Bei