with him had his better fortune prevailed. To which Ismaeel replied, he would have imprisoned him for life, granting to him, at the same time, every indulgence but his liberty, Mahmood made no remark at the time, but subsequently confined Ismaeel in a fort in Joorjan, where he remained till his death.

* Historians are at variance as to the right of succession of the two brothers. D'Herbelot says that Subooktugeen intended his son Ismaeel to succeed him. It is admitted that he nominated him his successor on his death-bed, while it is as certain that he was only a youth compared to his elder brother Mahmood. Ferishta states that the latter was the son of a lady of good family of Zabulistan, but from the familiar appellation of Zabuly, which is given to her, we should suspect she was only a female slave, and this notion is confirmed from the satire of Firdowsy, who distinctly reproaches Mahmood with his origin from slaves both on his mother and father's side. This fact accounts for Subooktugeen's wish that Ismaeel, his legitimate son, should succeed him instead of either of his illegitimate children, Mahmood or Nuseer-ood-Deen Yoosoof.

SOOLTAN MAHMOOD-GHIZNEVY.*

He retreats to

Description of Mahmood.- Gold mine discovered during his reign in Seestan.-Mahmood deputes an embassy to Ameer Nooh, King of Bokhara, to receive an acknowledgment of his claim to the succession. The King of Bokhara refuses to confirm Khorassan to him, but confers it on Ameer Toozun Beg. Mahmood marches to oppose Toozun Beg. join the King of Bokhara, who takes the field. - The King of Bokhara is seized by his own officers, and put to death. His son Abdool Mullik raised to the throne. · Elik Khan, ruler of Kashghar, invades Bokhara, slays the young king, and seizes on the government.. Mahmood sends an embassy to Elik Khan, and receives his daughter in marriage. — Mahmood makes war with the Hindoos. Defeats Jeipal, Raja of Punjab.-Second expedition to India.- Lays siege to Bhatna, and takes it after much resistance. Elik Khan invades Khorassan in the absence of Mahmood in India. Mahmood defeats Elik Khan, who never again appears in the field. — The army of Mahmood nearly lost in the snow. — Third expedition to India. Mahmood opposed, on the confines of Pishawur, by Anundpal, the son and successor of Jeipal.The Hindoos defeated with great slaughter. Mahmood takes Nagrakote, and returns to Ghizny. - Fourth expedition to India. Battle of Tahneswur. Mahmood deputes his generals to take Joorjistan. Procures the entire cession of Khorassan from the Caliph Alkadir Billa of Bagdad. Fifth expedition to India. - Nindoona in Punjab taken. — Kashmeer invaded. Sixth expedition to India. Lokote besieged.-Mahmood's army nearly perishes on its return to Ghizny. Marches against Khwaruzm. The whole of Transoxania, including Orkund, is added to the Ghiznian

* His titles were Ameen-ool-Millut, defender of the faith, and Yemeen-ood-Dowlut, the right hand of the state.

owj submits to tribute. pay

empire. Seventh expedition to India. - The Raja of Kun- Mahmood takes Merut, Mahavun, and Mutra.- Eighth expedition into India. - Punjab invaded. Lokote and Lahore taken. An officer left in Punjab to govern the country. - Ninth expedition to India. Kalunjur besieged.- The Raja Nunda Ray agrees to pay tribute, and peace is concluded. On his return to Ghizny, Mahmood marches into Transoxania, and settles that country. Tenth expedition to India. - Mahmood proceeds to Guzerat, and reduces Somnat.- Description of the temple.- Mahmood returns to Ghizny. His army nearly perishes for want of water on its march. Expedition against the Juts, near Mooltan. Their fleet attacked and destroyed, by the fleet of Mahmood, on the Indus. - The Suljook Tartars invade Transoxania, and the provinces on the Caspian.- Mahmood unable from debility to oppose them. His health declines. — His death.· Character. Description of his court. munificence to learned men.

His

WE are told by historians, that Mahmood wast endowed with all the qualities of a great prince, and reflected lustre upon the faith while others inform us, that in his disposition the vice of avarice held supreme sway. It appears to me, however, that he has been unjustly censured in this respect. It is true, he was insatiable in acquiring wealth; but it was expended in the prosecution of his distant and splendid conquests. We have the testimony of the Futteh-ool-Bulad, and the travels of Aboo-Nusr-Muscaty, and of the famous AboolFuzeel, that no king had ever more learned men at his court, maintained a finer army, or displayed more magnificence than Mahmood. All these objects could not have been obtained without great expense; so that, when he is accused of avarice, some few particular acts of his life must be alluded

to, which ought by no means to affect his general character. In two instances this passion was certainly very conspicuous. First, in his conduct to Ferdowsy; and, secondly, in his exactions from his subjects, in the latter part of his reign.

Mahmood, who, it is stated, was deficient in personal beauty, said one day (observing himself in a glass), "The sight of a king should brighten the eyes of the beholders; but nature has been so unkind to me, that my appearance is positively forbidding." His Vizier replied, "It is not one in ten thousand of a king's subjects who are blessed with a sight of him; but your Majesty's virtues are diffused over all." But to proceed with our history. Mahmood was the eldest son of Subooktugeen. His mother was the daughter of a person of good family in Zabulistan; for which reason she is termed Zabuly. He was born on the night of the ninth Mohurrum, in the year 357 of the Hijra, (15th December, 967,) and Minhaj-oos-Siraj Joorjany states, that his birth took place on the same day of the year as that of the Prophet. Subooktugeen being asleep at the time of his birth, dreamed that he beheld a green tree springing forth from the fire-place of his house, which threw its shadow over the face of the earth, screening with its boughs, from the storms of heaven, the whole animal creation. This, indeed, was verified by the justice of Mahmood; for it has been metaphorically stated, that in his reign the wolf and the lamb drank together at the same brook. In the first month of his reign, a vein of gold, resembling a tree, of three cubits in depth, was discovered in a

VOL. I.

Ꭰ