Twilight of the Sultanate c13.s4.25

c13.s4.25

¹³⁴ The length of the reign of Sultan Bahlūl, as in the case of so many others, is wrongly given by our historians as being thirty-eight years, eight months and eight days. T.A., I, 313; Ferishta, I, 179; Badaonī I, 312; Ranking, 410; *Makhzan*, 51 (b); Dorn, 54. According to these very authorities Bahlūl had ascended the throne on 17 Rabiul Avval, 855 H and died in 894 H; and since there is no lacuna of time mentioned between Bahlūl's death and Sikandar's accession, in all probability Bahlūl died in Sh'abān, 894 H (July, A. D. 1489). This is the date accepted by Sir Wolseley Haig, who at one place says that the Sultan died in the second week of July, 1489 (C.H.I., III, 235), and at another says that he died on 17 July, 1489 (*Ibid.*, 504) which would correspond with 18 Sh‘abān, 894 H. Thus the length of Bahlūl’s reign according to the lunar calendar would be thirty-nine years, five months and one day. The mistake in the calculation of our historians may be due to two reasons. Firstly, the error of the one was adopted unchecked by the others. Secondly, thirty-eight years, eight months and eight days has an alliteration with the burden on eight and probably sounded to them so well that they adopted it without laying emphasis on truth.