Origin of the power of Bheilole-permits Humeed Khan, the late King's minister, to resume his functions at length he adopts a mode of seizing his person, without causing bloodshed, and compels him to withdraw from public life. The chiefs of the petty principalities around Dehly refuse to acknowledge Bheilole Lody. Bheilole,es- tablishes his supremacy over all but the state of Joonpoor, with which he contends during the reign of three kings, and eventually conquers it. Bheilole proceeds to Gualiar-falls sick-returns towards Dehly-anticipates his death-divides his kingdom into chiefships his son, Nizam Khan, is nominated his successor :- The kingdom of Joonpoor is conferred on his son Barbik - Kurra Manukpoor is granted to Alum-Bhyraich to his nephew Kala - Luknow and Kalpy are bestowed on a relative, Azim Hoomayoon - Dehly, and the rest of the territory, belong to his Son and successor, Nizam. Bheilole dies on his journey to Dehly, after a reign of 38 years. His character. Description of his govern- The Afghan chiefs raise Nizam Khan to the throne, under the title of Sikundur. Eesa Khan refuses at first to acknowledge Sikundur, but does so in the end- he revolts, and is killed in battle. Barbik Khan refuses obedience he is defeated is reinstated in his government of Joonpoor-his bad administration-is eventually removed. Efforts made by Hoossein Shah Shurky to recover Joon- poor defeated. vades Punna and Banda-proceeds to Dholpoor and Gualiar- receives submission from the Rajas of both places- subsequently takes Dholpoor. An earthquake in Agra. Gives encouragement to the son of the King of Malwa to make over Chundery to him- obtains possession of Chundery. Endeavours to lay hold on Run- tunbhore, but fails. Summons an army to collect at Agra for the siege of Gualiar. The King is taken ill, and dies —his character Ibrahim offends his countrymen by his avowed indifference to them. The King's brother Julal, governor of Kalpy, proceeds to Joonpoor, and assumes the title of King. He is defeated, and flies to Gualiar. Gualiar besieged. The Raja dies. Julal flies to Malwa, and even- tually to Gondwara, where he is seized, and delivered over to the King. Julal suffers death. Gualiar taken. The Afghan chiefs rebel in several quarters. The King's cruelty. All the country east of the Ganges occupied by the son of Duria Khan Lohany, who assumes the title of Mahomed Shah. Dowlut Khan Lody, governor of Lahore, rebels-invites Babur from Kabul to invade India. Ba- bur's first attempt, accompanied by Alla-ood-Deen Lody, the King's brother, fails. Babur invades India in person. Ibrahim opposes hin THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. In the perusal of a history in which the author in many instances writes from personal observation, and amid scenes wherein he is himself an actor, it is always pleasing to have some account of his life to know at least whence he came, who he was, in what age he lived, and what was his fate. It would be peculiarly interesting had we the means of developing all these particulars regarding Ferishta; but his modesty has prevented our knowing half as much of him as we could wish; and it is to be regretted, that events, of which we have only a slender account, have combined to leave us almost without a trace of the end of this excellent historian. From the mention he occasionally makes of himself, in order to verify his narrative, we learn that Mahomed Kasim, surnamed Ferishta, was born at Astrabad, on the border of the Caspian sea; that he was the son of Gholam Ally Hindoo Shah, a learned man, who, quitting his native country, travelled into India, and eventually reached Ahmudnuggur in the Deccan, during the reign of Moortuza Nizam Shah. Ferishta has left us in ignorance of the precise date of his birth; but as he states that he had only attained his twelfth year when he reached Ahmudnuggur, and that he was a fellow-student with the young Prince Meeran Hoossein Nizam Shah, who deposed his father at the age of sixteen, in the year 1587, it is fair to conclude that our author was but little older than this Prince; and we may therefore assume that he was born about the year 1570. Gholam Ally Hindoo Shah, the father of Ferishta, was selected, on account of his erudition, to instruct the Prince Meeran Hoossein in the Persian language, and it seems probable that the former died at Ahmudnuggur not long after his arrival there. Ferishta was thus left an orphan in his youth; but the introduction which his father's acquirements had procured for him at court, secured to his son the patronage and favour of the King Moortuza Nizam Shah, so that we find him on the day his royal master was dethroned holding the office of captain of the guard. On this occasion, he only escaped the common fate of the King's attendants owing to the Prince Meeran Hoossein recognising him, and personally interposing to save his life. Meeran Hoossein was himself deposed and murdered in less than a year. Ferishta, then aged seventeen, appears to have taken no active part in the revolutions which succeeded the death of his patron. His religious persuasion (he being a Sheea) prevented his having many friends among the stronger party at court, and this circumstance naturally made him anxious to avoid the scenes which were likely to ensue; so that we find him not long after quitting Ahmud nuggur, and proceeding to the neighbouring court of Beejapoor. According to his own statement, he reached that city in the year 1589, and was kindly received by the minister and regent Dilawur Khan, who introduced him to the King Ibrahim Adil Shah II. From the station Ferishta filled under Moortuza Nizam Shah, it seems likely that he entered the service of Ibrahim Adil Shah II. in a military ca pacity; a supposition which is rather confirmed by the mention he makes of himself immediately after his arrival at Beejapoor. Scarcely had he reached that capital, when Dilawur Khan induced the young King to take the field in support of Boorhan Nizam Shah, the legitimate sovereign of Ahmudnuggur, against an usurper named Jumal Khan, a person who at the same time wielded the sceptre, and pretended to work miracles as the leader of a new religious sect. The regent of Beejapoor was as anxious to bring the enemy to action as the young King Ibrahim was desirous to delay, until Boorhan Nizam Shah should bring his forces into the field. * Jumal Khan, however, at the head of the troops of Ahmudnuggur, advanced by the route of Purenda towards Beejapoor; and Dilawur Khan, contrary to the King's commands, attacked him in the vicinity of the Bheema river. During the action, several Beejapoor chiefs of distinction deserted Dilawur * This difference of opinion between Ibrahim Adil Shah and his minister produced two factions, and was attended with serious consequences. Khan, and returned to Darasun, a spot situated at the junction of the Sena and Bheema rivers, where the King remained encamped. Dilawur Khan was defeated, and the Beejapoor army retreated during the night to Shahdoorg. Ferishta modestly remarks; "The wounds which I re"ceived during the action prevented my travelling, and I fell a prisoner into the hands of Jumal "Khan, but afterwards effected my escape;" so that when Jumal Khan was compelled to fall back to oppose Boorhan Nizam Shah, now in the field on the north, Ferishta was enabled to rejoin the Beejapoor army. On the retreat of Jumal Khan, the Beejapoor troops pursued him for nearly one hundred and sixty miles, as far as the Rohunkehra Ghat, when a second disagreement took place between the King and his minister Dilawur Khan. A great coolness had subsisted between them ever since the battle of Darasun, and this subsequent difference determined the King to free himself from Dilawur Khan's trammels; but the attachment of the royal household servants and the body-guard to the minister rendered such a project exceedingly difficult. At length, however, the King gained over Ein-ool-Moolk Geelany, whose division was encamped at the distance of a mile from the regent, to support him. The King, having mounted his horse secretly, left his tent to proceed to Ein-ool-Moolk's camp, when his foster-brother Elias Khan, who was on duty, perceiving him, ran up, and asked whither he was going. He replied, "Ask no "questions; but if you choose to accompany me, |