ment, Nasir-ood-Deen then returned peaceably to Dehly, and evinced great joy at seeing his old vizier, who, by his mild administration, had gained the hearts of his subjects. A. H. 653. In the year 653, the King had some A.D. 1256. personal quarrel with his mother, Mulika Jehan, who, after the death of Shumsood-Deen Altmish, had married Seif-ood-Deen Kootloogh Khan, a noble of the court. Nasirood-Deen, in order to remove his mother from Dehly, conferred on her husband the government of Oude, and shortly after removed him to Beiraich. Kootloogh Khan, dissatisfied with this arrangement, prepared for rebellion, and being joined by the ex-minister, Imad-ood-Deen Zunjany, and Eibuk Kishly Khan, revolted. The Vizier marched against them, and having defeated the insurgents, the late minister, Imad-ood-Deen Zunjany, was taken prisoner, and put to death; but Seif-ood-Deen Kootloogh Khan effected his escape, and fled to Chittoor. The Vizier destroyed the fort in which Kootloogh Khan held out, but, being unable to secure his person, returned to Dehly. A. H. 655. Depal, the Raja of Sutnoor*, in the year 655, raised an army in support of Kootloogh Khan, who was joined by troops from Sind, whose governor also engaged in the confederacy. The united forces, encamping near Kohram, assumed a very formidable appearance. The Vizier again took the field, but discovered a * I have been unable to fix the position of this place. The word may be Suntpoor, a town near Aboo, and its proximity to Sind would account for the Sindian auxiliaries. treasonable correspondence in his camp, wherein some of his officers had concerted a plan with a faction in the city to deliver up Dehly to the insurgents in his absence. Letters to this effect being intercepted by the minister, instant notice of the circumstance was given to the King, in Dehly, who caused the conspirators in the city to be secured. Meanwhile, the confederates, according to the projected plan, marched with a body of chosen cavalry 200 miles in two days, and advanced to the city gates, where they expected to meet their friends; but finding themselves disappointed, and the King's troops marching against them, they entirely dispersed. The chief of Sind retired to his government, but Kootloogh Khan was never again heard of. Towards the latter end of this year, a Mogul army having crossed the Indus, Nasir-ood-Deen marched to oppose them; but the Moguls retired at his approach, and he returned to his capital, confiding the province of Punjab to the minister's nephew, Sheer Khan, while Mullik Julal-ood-Deen Khany was sent to Bengal. In the year 656, Nasir-ood-Deen Mahmood marched towards Kurra Manukpoor, to chastise Arslan Khan and Kullich Khan, who had neglected to bring their forces into the field in obedience to his orders, when he marched the year before to Punjab. These officers, however, found means not only to appease the King's resentment, but Arslan Khan had even influence sufficient to procure the government of Bengal, so lately conferred on Mullik Julal-ood-Deen Khany; while the latter A. H. 656. .1258. A.D. obtained, in lieu, some districts at the foot of the mountains. A. H. 657. Eibuk Kishly Khan, the Vizier's brother, in the year 657, was appointed to the government of Kole Jalesur, Gualiar, and Byana. Nothing else remarkable happened during this year but the death of the rebellious governor of Sind. The Vizier, by the King's command, led next year an army into the mountainous country of Sewalik, and also towards Runtunbhore, where the rajas and rajpoots of Mewat had begun to create disturbances; and having collected a numerous body of horse and foot, plundered and burnt the country. At the Vizier's ap proach, they retired into strong posts among the mountains, where, being attacked and routed, the Vizier continued to ravage their country four months with fire and sword. The rajpoots, thus rendered desperate, collected all their forces, and rushed down from the mountains on the Mahomedans. The Vizier, who saw the storm descending, had scarcely time to make his arrangements for receiving them. The attack was violent and terrible, and it was not without much difficulty that the Vizier kept his men together; but as the assaults of the enemy became more feeble towards mid-day (till which time the Mahomedans had acted only on the defensive), the Vizier caused his troops to attack in their turn, and before evening he succeeded in driving the enemy, with great slaughter, back to the hills. The loss of the Mahomedans in this action was considerable, and many brave officers were killed. Of the Hindoos, above 10,000 fell, and 200 of their chiefs were made prisoners, Rubbee-ool Awul, A. D. 1258. besides a great number of common soldiers. The Vizier having by this action relieved the fort of Runtunbhore, which had been besieged for some months, returned victorious to Dehly. The captive chiefs were ordered to be put to death, and their followers condemned to perpetual slavery. In the month of Rubbee-ool-Awul of this year an ambassador arrived at Dehly, on the part of Hoolakoo, the grandson of Chungiz Khan, King of Persia. The Vizier went out to meet him in state, with a train of 50,000 foreign horse, then in the service of the Dehly government, 2000 elephants, and 3000 carriages of fire-works.* Having exhibited some feats of horsemanship in sham fights, and having made a very splendid display before the ambassador, the latter was conducted in state through the city direct to the palace. There the court was arranged in the most gorgeous and magnificent style. All the nobles, and public officers of state, the Judges, the Moollas, and the great men of the city were present, besides twenty-five princes of Irak-Ajum, Khorassan, and Mawur-ool-Nehr, with their retinues, who had sought protection at Dehly from the armies of Chungiz Khan, which some time before had overrun most part of Asia. Many tributary Indian princes, also, were there, and stood next to the throne. Nasir-ood-Deen, contrary to the custom of other * I am at a loss to think what is the nature of the fire-works alluded to, unless they consisted of the Greek fire used by Mahomed Kassim, in Sind, and by Mahmood of Ghizny. princes, kept no concubines. He had but one wife, whom he obliged to do every homely part of housewifery. When she complained, one day, that she had burnt her fingers in baking his bread, and desired he would allow her a maid to assist her, he rejected her request, saying, that he was only a trustee for the state, and was determined not to burden it with needless expenses. He therefore exhorted her to persevere in her duty with patience, and God would reward her on the day of judgment. As the Emperor of India never eats in public, the table of Nasir-ood-Deen was rather that of a hermit than suitable to a great king; and after his accession to the throne he continued the whimsical habit of purchasing his food from the efforts of his penmanship. One day as a nobleman was inspecting a Koran of the King's writing before him, he pointed out the word Fee, which was written twice over: the King looking at it, smiled, and drew a circle round it. But when the critic was gone, he began to erase the circle, and restore the word. This being observed by one of his old attendants, he begged to know his Majesty's reason for so doing; to which he replied, that he knew the word was originally right, but he thought it better to erase it from a paper, than touch the heart of a poor man by bringing him to shame. A. H. 663. A. D. 1264. Jumad-ool Awul 11. A. H. 664. February 18. A. D. 1266. In the year 663, the King fell sick, and having lingered some months of the disease, he expired on the 11th Jumad-ool-Awul, 664, after a reign of twenty years and upwards. |