shaped his course, and, before morning, found himself on the border of a lake.*

Dabishleem the Wise, being established on the throne of Guzerat, remitted tribute punctually to the King, and having sent a splendid embassy, he requested that the imprisoned Raja might be made over to him. That prince had by this time gained the regard of Mahmood, who was now unwilling to part with him. He was, however, over-persuaded by his counsellors, who were envious of the favour which the unfortunate Raja had acquired, and he was accordingly delivered into the hands of the person who brought the Guzerat tribute to Ghizny.

When they reached the dominions of Guzerat, Dabishleem the Wise gave orders to construct a vault under his own throne, in which he intended to confine the unhappy Raja, according to the custom of the Hindoos. In order to display his own power more completely, he advanced to some distance from his capital to meet his prisoner, and compelled that unfortunate prince to run before his horse, with a basin and ewer in his hand.

The King of Guzerat, it is said, being overheated on this occasion, lay down to repose under a shady

*This water was probably the great western run or salt marsh. The course of the retreat of Mahmood is so indefinitely stated, that we cannot trace it satisfactorily. According to tradition, Mahmood attacked and reduced Chotun the ancient capital of the Haupa dynasty: it lies about 50 miles nearly east of Oomurkote, vide "Tod's Map." If this occurred in his retreat to Ghizny, we have some guide to point out his route, which might have been by Oomurkote, and thence northward, taking the course of the river till it falls into the Sind at Bukkur.

tree: he drew a red handkerchief over his face, and ordered his attendants to withdraw. A vulture, which happened to be hovering over the spot, mistaking the red handkerchief for prey, pounced down on Dabishleem, and fixing its talons in his eyes rendered him totally blind, and thereby incapable to reign, according to the laws of the country. When the accident became public, the whole camp and city were filled with confusion. The imprisoned prince arriving at that instant, was received with acclamations, and instantly proclaimed king. He put the basin on the head of Dabishleem, and having placed the ewer in his hand, drove him before him into the dungeon which he himself had prepared, where he spent the remainder of his life. How wonderful are thy works, O God! who in the twinkling of an eye converted the punishment awarded by one prince to another into an instrument of his own destruction; thus fulfilling the Scripture, in which it is written," He who digs a pit for his brother, shall "himself fall therein."

The author of the Jama ool Hikayat relates, that when Mahmood was in Guzerat he saw a small black idol under an arch, which to all appearance was suspended in the air without support. The King, amazed at this phenomenon, consulted the philosophers of his court, who told him that they believed the image to be iron, and the stone of the arch magnetic. The King observed, that he thought the equilibrium of weight and attraction could not be so exactly found. He, however, by way of experiment, ordered a stone to be struck out of

the arch, which was no sooner done, than the idol fell to the ground; the stone was therefore pronounced to be a magnet. The Caliph of Bagdad, being informed of the expedition of the King of Ghizny, wrote him a congratulatory letter, in which he styled him "The Guardian of the State, and "of the Faith *;" to his son, the Prince Ameer Musaood, he gave the title of "The Lustre of Empire, and the Ornament of Religion," and to his second son, the Ameer Yoosoof, the appellation of "The Strength of the Arm of Fortune, and Esta"blisher of Empires." He at the same time assured Mahmood, that to whomsoever he should bequeath the throne at his death, he himself would confirm and support the same.

66

In the end of the year Mahmood marched against the Juts †, residing in the Jood mountains, who had molested his army on its return from Somnat. Having arrived at Mooltan, and finding that the country of the Juts was intersected by rivers, he ordered 1400 boats to be

* I have given the titles translated, for which the European reader will probably commend, and Oriental scholars condemn,

me.

We have no satisfactory account of these Juts; but there seems reason to believe them to be a horde of Tartars of the same stock as the Getæ, so often mentioned in ancient history, and who are so frequently noticed in the wars of Tymoor by Ibn Arab Shah and Shureefood Deen Ally. It is conjectured, even, that the Jats, the gallant defenders of Bhurtpoor, are a branch of the same people. My friend Col. Tod has in his possession a long description of this people, and inscriptions in the nail-headed or Budhish character, of the fourth and fifth centuries, regarding them. They had then a kingdom fn northern India, whose capital was Salindrapoor.

built, each of which was armed with six iron spikes, projecting from the prows and sides, to prevent their being boarded by the enemy, who were expert in that kind of warfare. In each boat were twenty archers and five naphtha-men, to attack and set fire to the enemy's flotilla. The Juts, having intelligence of this armament, sent their wives and children, together with their most valuable effects, into the neighbouring islands, and launching, according to some, 4000, and according to others, 8000 boats, ready manned and armed, they prepared to receive the Mahomedans. The fleets met, and a desperate conflict ensued, but the projecting spikes of the Moslem boats did such execution when they ran against the craft of the Juts, that several of them were overset. The archers, at the same time, plied their arrows with such effect, that many of the enemy leaped overboard. Some of the Jut boats being in the mean time set on fire communicated their flames to others; some were sunk, some boarded, and others endeavoured to fly. From this scene of confusion few of the Juts escaped, so that those who were not killed fell into the hands of Mahmood.*

A. D. 1027.

The King after this victory returned A. H. 418. in triumph to Ghizny, and in the year 418 removed the governor of Toos (Abool Hurb Arslan †) to the government of the

* It is a curious fact that this naval engagement occurred at the same place where Alexander equipped his fleet thirteen centuries before.

Probably, the son of his favourite and distinguished general, Arslan Jazib.

district of Badwird, in order to chastise the Suljook Toorkmans *, who, having crossed the river Amoo, had invaded that province. The General, however, being defeated in several engagements, wrote to the King, that without his own presence nothing could be done against the enemy. Mahmood put his army in motion, and having come up with the Suljooks, gave them a total defeat. At this time, also, his generals having conquered Eerak † he himself marched in that direction, and secured all the treasure that had been amassed by the race of Boeia. Having then introduced some new laws ‡ respecting the religion of the inhabitants who had adopted false tenets, he conferred the government of Rye and Isfahan on his son, the Prince Musaood, and returned to Ghizny.

Mahmood was soon after affected with the stone, which disorder daily increased. He went in this condition to Bulkh, and in the beginning of the spring returned to Ghizny, where, on Friday

* This appears to have been the first effort of that great horde, which, penetrating through Transoxania and Persia (Eeran and Tooran), subdued both Eeraks, and subverted the whole of Asia Minor.

+ Persian Eerak, including Rye, Cashan, Isfahan, and Humadan.

The exact laws are not mentioned, but it is probable he insisted on the adoption of the Soony tenets, as the national religion of Persia, instead of the Sheea. Upon this subject Mahmood was bigotted, as appears by his conduct towards Firdowsy.