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Firishta's History (Gulshan-i Ibrāhīmī) 46.4

History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India (Briggs) 46.4

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46.4.1

Two chiefs of power and reputation, Mullik Idrees and Moobariz Khan, who had been in the interest of Khizr Khan, abandoned that chief, and joined Dowlut Khan Lody. A few days after his accession, he marched towards Kutehr; and was met by Nursing Ray, and other zemindars of those districts, who acknowledged his title. On his arrival at the town of Bisowly, Mohabut Khan of Budaoon also came to meet him, and pay him obedience. Advices at this time arrived, that Ibrahim Shah Shurky was besieging Kalpy, then held by Kadur Khan, the son of Mahomed Khan; but as Dowlut Khan Lody had not sufficient force to march to his relief, he returned to Dehly to recruit his army. Meanwhile Khizr Khan, who had been preparing to invade the capital, advanced in the month of Zeehuj, with 60,000 horse, and a third time invested the citadel of Siry, to which Dowlut Khan had retired. After a siege of four months, Khizr Khan obliged Dowlut Khan Lody, on the 15th of Rubbee-ool-Awul, in the year 817, to surrender. He was instantly confined in Hissar Feroza, where he died, after a nominal reign of one year and three months. his own son, Mullik Sheikh, and on his death, Mullik Sooliman, who professed to be a Syud, was appointed viceroy of Mooltan, an office which descended to his son, Khizr Khan.

46.4.2

When Khizr Khan was defeated, as we have already observed, by Sarung Khan, and driven from his country, he waited on Teimoor, after the conquest of Dehly, gained his favour, and was reinstated in his former government, to which Teimoor added Punjab and Depalpoor. This accession of power enabled him, eventually, to pave his way to the throne. As the author of the Towareekh Moobarik Shahy has produced two distinct and (what he calls) strong proofs of Khizr Khan being really a descendant of the Prophet, it seems proper here to notice them, in order that his pretensions to that honour may be examined. The first reason given is, "that on one occasion, when Khizr Khan's father, Mullik Sooliman, brought an ewer and basin, in common with the other servants of Mullik Murdan Dowlut, at a feast given by him to Syud Julal Bokhary, the latter, on perceiving it, said to his host, 'Why do you employ this fine Syud youth in so humble an office?' Such an observation from the mouth of that venerable, holy man (says the author) ought to satisfy us that the youth was really a Syud." The second proof adduced is, "that Khizr Khan possessed the qualities of charity, courage, mercy, benevolence, virtue, abstinence, truth, and kindness, in a degree which rendered him like the Prophet himself." These are the evidences which the author of the Towareekh Moobarik Shahy has produced to prove the noble origin of Khizr Khan.

46.4.3

Suffice it for us to know, that after his accession, Khizr Khan conferred honours upon Mullik Tohfa, entitled Taj-ool-Moolk, and made him vizier, and conferred dignities on Abd-ool-Raheem, the adopted son of his father, Mullik Sooliman. He also gave him the government of Futtehpoor and Mooltan, together with the title of Mullik Alla-ool-Moolk. But while he distributed his favours among his own officers, he refrained from assuming royal titles, and gave out that he held the government for Teimoor, in whose name he caused the coin to be struck, and the Khootba to be read. After the death of Teimoor, the Khootba was read in the name of his successor, Shahrokh Mirza; to whom he sometimes even sent tribute at his capital of Samarkand. In the first year of his government, Khizr Khan deputed Mullik Tohfa with an army towards Kuttehr, which place he reduced. Nursing Ray was driven to the mountains; but upon paying a ransom, was again put in possession of his country. Mohabut Khan, governor of Badaoon, at the same time came to meet Mullik Tohfa, and professed allegiance. The Vizier now marched towards Gunpoor, Kampilla, and Chundwar, to levy the revenue which had been due for some years; and after recovering Jalesur out of the hands of the Rajpoots of Chundwar, he marched to Etawa, and having reduced it, returned to Dehly.

46.4.4

In the month of Jumad-ool-Awul, of the year 817, a band of Toorks, the adherents of Beiram Khan, assassinated Mullik Ladho, governor of Surhind, and took possession of his country. Khizr Khan sent Zeeruk Khan and Mullik Dawood with an army against them. On their approach, the Toorks crossed the Sutlooj, and retreated to the hills. Zeeruk Khan pursued them; but as the mountains, which are a continuation of those of Nagrakote, were then in possession of independent zemindars, who assisted the Toorks, he effected nothing against them, and in the end was obliged to withdraw his troops. In the year 819, Ahmud Shah, King of Guzerat, advanced to Bagore. Khizr Khan led an army to oppose him; and the King of Guzerat withdrew in the direction of Malwa. When Khizr Khan reached Jalwur, Elias Khan, governor of the new city, (to which the name of "Bride of the Universe," had been given by Alla-ood-Deen Khiljy, who built it,) came out to meet him. Khizr Khan proceeded from thence to Gualiar, where he levied tribute from the Raja, and then proceeded to Dehly by the route of Byana, where he exacted, as a fee, a considerable sum from Kurreem-ool-Moolk, brother of the late Shums Khan Ahdy, to whose estates he had lately succeeded.

46.4.5

In the year 820, Mullik Toghan, chief of those Toorks who had assassinated Mullik Ladho, besieged Sirhind with a considerable army. Zeeruk Khan, governor of Samana, being again ordered against him, Toghan retreated to the hills; but Zeeruk Khan overtook him at the village of Pail, compelled him to pay a heavy fine, and to give up his son as a hostage for his future conduct, as well as to expel the murderers of Mullik Ladho from his camp. After these arrangements, Mullik Toghan was allowed to retain possession of Jalendur; and Zeeruk Khan having returned to Samana, sent both the hostage and the amount realised from Mullik Toghan to the presence.

46.4.6

In the year 821, Khizr Khan having sent his minister against Nursine Ray, the Raja of Kutehr, he plundered and laid waste that district, and proceeding to Budaoon, crossed the river at Etawa, on which place he imposed a contribution, and returned to Dehly. Khizr Khan subsequently marched in person to Kutehr, and on his route he attacked and defeated a formidable band of plunderers at Kole; he then crossed the Ganges, and having laid waste the country of Sumbhul and Kutehr, returned to his capital. After remaining at Dehly only a few days, he moved towards Budaoon. Mohabut Khan, governor of Budaoon, alarmed at his approach, shut himself up in the fort, to which the King laid siege for six months. In the course of the operations, Khizr Khan discovered that Kowam Khan, Yekhtyar Khan Lody, and several of the old friends of the late King, Mahmood Toghluk, had formed a conspiracy against his life. This circumstance induced him to raise the siege of Budaoon, and to retire to Dehly, where on the 20th of Jumad-ool-Awul, 822, having assembled the conspirators, he ordered his household troops to fall upon them, and put them to death.

46.4.7

About this time, also, the King understood that an impostor had appeared near Machiwara, assuming the name of Sarung Khan, and had collected a body of insurgents, though it was well known that Sarung Khan died during the time of Teimoor's invasion. To suppress this insurrection, Khizr Khan ordered Mullik Sooltan Shah Lody, entitled Islam Khan, at that time governor of Surhind, against the impostor, who being defeated fled to the hills, pursued by the joint forces of Mullik Toghan, governor of Jalendur, Zeeruk Khan, governor of Samana, and Mullik Kheir-ood-Deen, governor of Dooab. The impostor's army shortly after deserted him, each man withdrawing privately to his own home, and the Dehly forces, also separating, returned to their respective stations. In the following year the impostor appeared again, and joined Mullik Toghan, who had again gone into rebellion. Mullik Toghan, however, on discovering that his colleague possessed a large quantity of jewels, caused him to be assassinated; and marching to Surhind, he ravaged the country of Munsoorpoor and Pail on his route. The Dehly army, having attacked the insurgents, under Toghan, gave them a total defeat, and drove them entirely out of the kingdom.

46.4.8

In the year 824, Khizr Khan marched towards Mewat, taking and destroying the fort of Kotla. In this year, also, the Vizier dying, that office was conferred on his son, Mullik Sikundur Tohfa. From Kotla, Khizr Khan marched towards Gualiar, where he raised contributions and returned to Etawa, exacting tribute from the son of Soomur Ray. Khizr Khan, falling sick during this campaign, returned to Dehly, where he died on the 17th of Jumad-ool-Awul, 824, after a reign of seven years and a few months. Khizr Khan was esteemed a just, a generous and a benevolent prince, for the age in which he lived, on which account his death was much lamented by his subjects; and as a token of their respect for his memory the inhabitants of Dehly, by common consent, wore black for three days. After this the nobles, having assembled, consented to elevate Moobarik, the son of Khizr Khan, to the throne.