to obedience. This country was famous for its breed of horses, many thousands of which were brought back to Dehly. Wherever the King marched, the Soobas*, Zemindars, Fojdars, and magistrates of the provinces, met him on their own frontiers, with their offerings, which were afterwards distributed among the poor. Some time after this, the King made a journey to Lahore, which city, having greatly suffered from the Moguls, he ordered to be put in a proper state of defence; and, after erecting some public buildings, returned to Dehly.

About this period Gheias-ood-Deen Bulbun was told by one of his omras, that a number of veterans who had served in the preceding reigns, were now worn out, and incapable of further duty. The King ordered a list of them to be made, and settled half-pay upon them for life, exonerating them from active employ. The old men, however, being dissatisfied with this provision, deputed some of their number to go to Fukhr-ood-Deen Kotwal of Dehly with presents, to induce him to represent their case to the King. This venerable magistrate, being in great favour, rejected the presents, but told them he would use his endeavour to get their full pay continued to them. He accordingly went next day to court, and, while standing in the presence, put on a face of dejection, which being observed, the King enquired the cause. The old man replied, “I was just "I was just thinking, that if, in the pre

* Soobas, governors of provinces; Zemindars, hereditary managers of the lands; Fojdars, commanders of troops.

"sence of God, all the old men were rejected, "what would become of me." The King was struck with the reproof, and after a short and pensive silence, ordered the usual full pay to be continued to the veterans.

In the fourth year of this reign, the King's nephew, Sheer Khan, who had ruled the districts. of Lahore, Mooltan, Bhukkur, Surhind, Depalpoor, Bituhnda, and all the districts open to the Mogul incursions, died, and was buried at Bhutnere. Some say he was poisoned by the King's order. He was entombed at Bhutnere in an extensive mausoleum which he had there constructed for the purpose. On the demise of Sheer Khan, Soonam and Samana were granted to Ameer Teimoor Khan, and the other countries under his administration were divided among other officers of the court. The Moguls, encouraged by the death of Sheer Khan, recommenced their depredations in those provinces. The mutual jealousies and dissensions among the new and numerous governors were favourable to their incursions; and the King was obliged to appoint his eldest son, the Prince Mahomed, (at that time bearing the title of Taj-ool-Moolk, and afterwards known by the name of "the Martyr,") viceroy of the frontier provinces. At this time also he was publicly proclaimed the King's suc

cessor.

The Prince, accordingly, marched with a fine army, attended by some of the best generals in the service. He was a youth of promising talents, and evinced great taste in literature. With his own hand he made a choice collection of poetry, ex

tracted from the most celebrated authors. This work contained twenty thousand couplets, which were esteemed the most select specimens of good taste then extant. Among the learned men at the Prince's court were Ameer Khoosrow* and Khwaja Hussun. These, with many more of his literary companions, accompanied him on this expedition to Lahore.

He was visited at Lahore by Sheikh Oothman Toormoozy, the most learned man of that age, but no presents or entreaties could prevail on him to remain out of his own country; so that, after a short stay, he returned to Tooran. We are told, that as he was one day reading one of his poems in Arabic before the Prince, all the poets who were present were transported with it, and the Prince himself shed tears. The fame of the celebrated Sheikh Sady, of Shiraz, reached the ears of the Prince Mahomed, who invited him twice to his court at Mooltan; but he excused himself on account of his age, and it was not without much importunity he was induced even to accept some presents. Sady, in return, sent to the Prince a copy of his works, and commended in high terms the abilities of Ameer Khoosrow, the Prince's favourite, and the president of his learned society. The Prince, every year, made a journey to see his father at Dehly, to whom he always behaved with the utmost filial affection and duty.

To his younger son, Kurra Khan, entitled Nasir

* Ameer Khoosrow of Dehly was the tutor of this accomplished prince.

ood-Deen, the King made over Sumana and Soonam, as an estate. On his departure, the King advised him to recruit and discipline an army, to watch the movements of the Moguls; and warned him that, if ever he heard of his giving way to wine and his former debaucheries, he would certainly take away his estates, and never put confidence in him again. The Prince, adopting the advice of his father, entirely reformed his manners, and gave proofs that, though his mind had taken a wrong bias in his youth, he possessed great abilities. A place of rendezvous on the river Beea, near Lahore, was appointed, in case of invasion from the north-west, where the two princes were to join the imperial army from Dehly. Every thing seemed now in perfect security throughout the empire, when Toghrul Khan, who was entrusted with the government of Bengal, revolted. In the year 678, this bold and enterA. D. 1279. prizing chief led an army against the raja of Jajnuggur*, and others in that neighbourhood, whom he defeated, carrying off some hundreds of elephants, and much wealth. Of this spoil he made no report to the King, who at the time laboured under a fit of severe sickness, so that the news of his death was spread abroad. This intelligence having reached the ears of Toghrul, he assumed the scarlet canopy, with other royal insignia, and declared himself King of Bengal. Gheias-ood-Deen Bulbun, hearing of this, wrote him an order to return immediately to his alle

A. H. 678.

This place is on the banks of the Mahanudda, and was the capital of Orissa, or Orixa.

giance; which producing no effect, he appointed Aluptugeen, entitled Ameer Khan (and surnamed the Hairy), then governor of Oude, to the government of Bengal. He also sent Teimoor Khan Shumsy, Mullik Taj-ood-Deen, and Jumal-oodDeen Kandahary, and other generals to his assistance. Aluptugeen, joined by this force, crossed the Sirjoo, now called the Gagra, and proceeded towards Bengal, whence Toghrul Khan advanced to oppose him. Toghrul Khan employed his money so well among the troops of Aluptugeen, that he gained over many of the Toorky chiefs, and attacking the royalists, gave them a total overthrow. The King, hearing this news, bit his own flesh with vexation. He ordered Aluptugeen to be hanged at the gate of Oude, and despatched Mullik Tirmuny Toork with another army against the rebel. Nor was the fate of Mullik Tirmuny more fortunate than that of his predecessor: he was also defeated, and lost all his baggage and the public treasure.

The King now prepared to take the field in person, and gave orders to collect a fleet of boats, with all expedition, to carry his baggage down the river. In the mean time, under pretence of going on a hunting party, he went to Soonam and Samana, the province of his younger son, whom he brought with his army to Dehly, leaving Mullik Fukhr-ood.Deen Kotwal in charge of the government during his own absence. The King now crossed the Ganges without waiting for the dry season, and proceeded to Bengal by forced marches; but having met with much delay on account of the roads and the numerous rivers, Toghrul Khan had