The Institutes of Akbar 272.3

272.3

Shah Beg Arghun was succeeded by his son Mirza Shah Husain Arghun, who took Multan from Sultan Husain Langah (vide Third Book, Cubah of Multan). M. Shah Husain Arghun was afflicted with a peculiar fever, which only left him when he was on the river Indus. He therefore used to travel down the Indus for six months of the year, and upwards for the remaining portion. On one occasion, he went towards Bhakkar, when some of the nobles deserted him, and elected Mirza Muhammad ’Isa, third ancestor of M. Jani Beg, as their chief. M. Shah Husain, assisted by his foster brother, Sultan Mahmud, Governor of Bhakkar, opposed him; but he had at last to come to terms, and cede a large part of Sindh to M. ’Isa. On Shah Husain’s death, in 963, the whole country fell to ’Isa. In this manner the older branch of the Arghuns came to the throne of T’hat’hah. ’Isa died in 975, and was succeeded by his son M. Muhammad Baqi, who successfully crushed the revolt of his younger brother, M. Jan Baba. M. Baqi, in 993, committed suicide during an attack of insanity; and as his son, M. Payandah Muhammad, was also subject to fits of madness, the government passed into the hands of M. Jani Beg, the son of M. Payandah. Akbar had often felt annoyed that, notwithstanding his frequent stays in the Panjab, M. Jani Beg had shewn no anxiety to pay him a visit. In the 35th year therefore (999), when the Khan Khanan was ordered to invade Qandahar, he was told to send some one to M. J.