in battle, and a Mahomedan governor was appointed to protect and control the rajah—a course which has often since been followed by ourselves under similar circumstances. Having settled Kootub-oodAjmere, Kootub-ood-deen proceeded to Anhulwara, in deen Eibuk Guzerat, where he defeated Bheem Déo, the rajah, and would probably have annexed the kingdom, but was recalled to Dehly, by orders from Ghuzny. defeats the Rajah of Guzerat. Anhulwara Kootub-ood The sixth campaign was of short duration, for Mahomed Ghoory, after taking Byana, in Rajpootana, left the field opera- sixth camtions to be concluded by Kootub-ood-deen, when paign, 1195. Gwalior fell after a long siege; and marching into in Guzerat Guzerat, he took Anhulwara and all its dependencies. take In this year, while engaged in affairs on the western deen. frontier, Mahomed Ghoory heard of the death of his Soltan brother, Gheias-ood-deen, and was crowned sooltan deen dies. without opposition. He now recommenced his western campaign against the King of Kharizm, but was de- Ghoory, 1195. feated in a severe battle, and narrowly escaped with his life, being obliged to pay a heavy ransom. Gheias-ood Is succeeded by Mahomed Sooltan Maho. Meanwhile the Gukkurs, mention of whom has been made on previous occasions, revolted, and committed dreadful Rebellion of atrocities in the Punjab, which they overran, and even the Gukkurs. captured Lahore. The sooltan, therefore, marched from Ghuzny to Mooltan, which had also rebelled, defeated the rebel Zeeruk, who had been in charge of the province, and then attacked the Punjab in conjunction with Kootub-ood-deen, who had been summoned from Dehly. The Gukkurs were quickly reduced, and for the most part became Mahomedans: and the sooltan was on his return to Ghuzny, when, being encamped near the town of Rohtuk, on the Indus, and his tents opened at nights to admit fresh air from the river, a body of Gukkurs swam the med Ghoory stream, cut down the sentinel in the socltan's tent, and Roltuk, 1205. before the guards could assemble, had succeeded in forcing an entrance and in murdering him; he was found to have received no less than twenty-two wounds. This event happened on March 14, A.D. 1205. His remains were carried to Ghuzny, and interred there. Mahomed Ghoory left no male issue. He had accumulated an immense amount of treasure, the results of his Indian campaigns, the possession of which, with the succession to the kingdom, was disputed for a time; but eventually his nephew, Mahmood, son of the late king, Gheias-ood-deen, was crowned as sooltan. murdered at The character of Mahomed Ghoory is hardly, perhaps, appreciated by the Mahomedan historians. He was faithful to his brother, just and liberal; and his military exploits equalled, if they Character of did not in some respects exceed, those of his great ancestor, Sooltan Mahmood I. He overcame greater combinations by the Hindoo princes than it had ever fallen to the lot Ghoory. of Sooltan Mahmood to encounter, and his generalship and calm courage in the great battle which virtually decided the fate of India were of the highest character. Sooltan Mahmood's exploits were against a people who had not, within the memory of man, scarcely indeed of tradition, encountered a foreign invasion; they were taken unawares, and for the most part made a comparatively trifling defence. Mahomed Ghoory, on the contrary, had to contend with the combined military forces of Northern India, now thoroughly aroused to a sense of common danger, actuated by national honour for the defence of their country, and inspirited by their previous victory. The results of his Indian campaigns were not merely plunder. As Mahomed Ghoory advanced he annexed the districts he occupied, and provided means for their administration, and they laid the real foundation of the subsequent Mahomedan empire of India, of which his comparatively early death prevented the probable realisation in his own person. CHAPTER V. OF THE SLAVE KINGS OF DEHLY IN SUCCESSION, AT the period of Sooltan Mahomed Ghoory's death, three Turkish slaves, who had been brought up by him, held viceregal appointments. Kootub-ood-deen Eibuk was viceroy in Northern India, Nasir-ood-deen Kubáchá in Mooltan and Sinde, and Eldooz in Ghuzny. Mahomed Ghoory's successor, his nephew Mahmood, immediately after his accession, sent a warrant of investiture as king, with all the insignia of royalty, to Kootub-ood-deen, and he was crowned, as first Mahomedan king, at Lahore on July 24, 1206. The king had already served in India for twenty years, and had exercised viceregal power for the whole of that period. He was not therefore new to the situation. Born of obscure parents, he had become the slave of a Kázi or law-officer in Toorkistan, who had him educated. On this person's death the boy was sold by his executors, and presented by the purchaser to Mahomed Ghoory, then engaged in one of his western campaigns. Thenceforward the fortunes of Kootub-ood-deen experienced no check; his natural Kootub-ood- Henry emperor of Constautinople. Origin of Kootub-ooddeen. talents had free scope for action, and whether as a soldier, a general, or a political administrator, he gained equal distinction. of Kootub Eibuk. To him, indeed, the details of the conquests in India are due. In 1192 A.D., after Mahomed Ghoory had returned to Indian Ghuzny, Kootub-ood-deen took Dehly, after a fierce con- campaigns flict, and established the seat of Mahomedan government ood-deen there. In the succeeding year he drove back the Guzerat forces, and in 1194 accompanied the sooltan in his campaign towards Benares. His establishment of a Mahomedan administration in Ajmere has been already noticed, as also the campaign which ensued in Guzerat ; and in the same year Kootubood-deen was invited to Ghuzny, where he was received with all the honour and respect due to his position. He had scarcely returned to Dehly when the Mairs of Rajpootana rebelled. Kootubood-deen proceeded to attack them, but was worsted in a skirmish, in which he received six or seven wounds, and had a narrow escape from death. In the year 1202 he captured the strong fort of Kalinga, in Bundelkund, obtaining an immense booty, and completed the subjugation of the provinces lying between that place and Dehly. In the year 1205, as has been related, he became king of India, and a quarrel having arisen between him and Eldooz, governor of Ghuzny, he marched thither and was crowned there; but, unable to hold the city, he returned almost immediately to India. Here, until his death, which occurred by a fall from his horse in the year 1210, Kootub-ood-deen occupied himself in the regulation of his dominions, and attempted no against the further conquests. There can be no question of the ability by which he had raised himself from the condition of a slave to that of a king, and Mahomedan historians attest not only his vigour, but his social virtues, and his profound, generous liberality. To commemorate the conquest of Dehly the celebrated minaret, called the Kootub Minar, still perfect, with a splendid mosque, were commenced by Kootub-ood-deen, and completed by his successor, Shumsh-ood-deen Altmish. Crusade Albigenses. Takes Ghuzny and is crowned, but India, where returns to he dies, 1210. Kootub-ood-deen left one son, Arám, who at once ascended to the throne, but appears to have been deficient in vigour Arám,his son, and resolution. Nasir-ood-deen Kubáchá became in- succeeds,1210. dependent in Sinde, and Mahmood Bukhtyar Khiljy, another of Sooltan Mahomed Ghoory's slaves, possessed himself of Bengal, while other chiefs, imitating their example, became independent. A deputation of the nobles of the State, therefore, waited upon Shumsh-ood-deen Altmish, the son-in-law and adopted son of the late king, and besought him to save the kingdom by Shumsh-oodaccepting the throne. He complied with their request, deen Altmish and becomes king, 1210. defeated Arám in an engagement near Dehly, and was crowned defeats Arám, king. All these events happened in the same year, 1210, and before he had well established his authority Shumsh-ood the Toorky cavalry in his service rebelled and advanced upon Dehly, but were defeated by the king, who had now no one to oppose him. In the year Magna Charta 1215, Táj-ood-deen Eldooz, king of Ghuzny, made an signed King John. effort to recover the Indian dominions, and advanced upon Dehly with a large army, but was defeated by Altmish on the plain already memorable from former battles, and taken prisoner. doon Altmish called to the throne, 1216. Táj-ood-deen Eldooz attacks Altmish, but is defeated. Invasion of Ghuzny by Khan. Altmish invades Northern Sinde and In 1217 Altmish next endeavoured to reduce Nasir-ood-deen Kubáchá, who was independent in Sinde, but failed in his purpose after a severe struggle. Meanwhile the dominions of the Sooltan of Kharizm had been invaded by the Moghuls under Chengiz or Jengiz Khan, who under Jengiz overran the country, and penetrated as far as Ghuzny. Jelal-ood-deen, the son of the Sooltan of Kharizm, vainly endeavoured to save the eastern portion of his dominions, but was pursued to the Indus, and narrowly escaped with his life. He repaired to Altmish, and endeavoured to induce him to act against the Moghuls, but in the face of their overwhelming numbers and power he declined the expedition. Jelal-ood-deen, however, subsequently recovered part of the Ghuzny dominions in Persia. In 1217 Shumsh-ood-deen Altmish again invaded Sinde, and having defeated his brother-in-law, who was afterwards drowned in the Indus, annexed the province to annexes it. his dominions. It must be understood, however, that this conquest relates to Northern Sinde and Mooltan only. Southern Sinde was still in possession of the Suméra Rajpoots, and there is no record of any attempt to subdue them having been made by the Mahomedans up to this period. In A.D. 1226 Malwah, including the celebrated fort of Mandoo, was conquered, which was followed in 1231 by the recapture of Gwalior, which had again fallen into the hands of the Hindoos; and in this campaign Oojeyn, the former Oojeyn taken. capital of Rajah Vikram-Aditya the Great, and one of the oldest and most famous Iindoo cities of India, fell into the king's hands, when all the idols of the celebrated temples there were destroyed. Altmish also re-established his authority over the provinces of Bengal, which had been interrupted by the rebellion of its governor. Thus before his death, which deen Altmish Occurred on April 30, 1235, Shumsh-ood-deen Altmish had established the Mahomedan sovereignty over the whole of Northern India, from the Indus to the Ganges, and in Shumsh-ood dies, 1235. Henry III. king of England. Malwah conquered. Gwalior recaptured. this large tract, the power of the Hindoos was completely broken. Such of the native chiefs as were permitted to govern their hereditary dominions paid tribute; but the largest portion of the country appears to have been under a direct Mahomedan administration. Shumsh-ood-deen Altmish had reigned twentysix years with honour, and forms another instance of self-elevation by his talent, from his originally low condition. Rookn-ood his Ruzeea Rookn-ood-deen, the eldest son of the late king, was governor of Budaoon, and was at Dehly on his father's death. He was crowned without opposition on May 1, 1235, but deen Feroze, at once abandoned himself to every species of licenti- succeeds. ousness, of which the consequences were immediately apparent in several serious rebellions. His mother, a cruel woman, virtually conducted the administration; but the nobles of the kingdom were so disgusted with the conduct both of the mother and son, that they put forward Ruzeea Sooltana, his eldest sister, to supersede him; and the princess, having put herself at the head of an army and marched against him, he was delivered up to her, and placed in confinement. Ruzeea Sooltana was no Deposed and ordinary woman. It is rare among the families of succeeded by Eastern princes to find any example of vigour or Sooltana. heroism in the female members; but Ruzeea possessed both in an eminent degree. Ferishta writes of her, comparing her with the late king's sons:-'She had a man's head and heart, and was better than twenty such sons;' she had no fault, 'but that she was a woman.' She was well educated, and had been her father's constant companion; and while engaged in his Gwalior campaign, he had appointed her his regent at the capital. She was well acquainted not only with the routine of ordinary current affairs, but with the political transactions of the State. After her assumption of the royal authority she gave public audiences, sat in the royal seat, and transacted all business in public. Such a person must needs have had, and perhaps made, many enemies, and there were many intrigues against her; but for a time she succeeded in breaking them up, and in establishing full order in the State and its most distant dependencies. The princess was unmarried, and the favour with which she regarded her master of the horse, who was permitted to lift her on her horse when she rode out, gave offence to many. Her cha racter. In the year 1239, the popular feeling was expressed in the rebellion of the Viceroy of Lahore; but the queen marched promptly against him, and reduced him to obedience. A second revolt was that of Mullik Altoonia Toork, governor of Bitunda. In proceeding thither from Lahore, the Toorky chiefs of the army mutinied, and carried the queen to Altoonia, by whom she was detained, H |